[Jasmine31]

Or so it seems to me! I was shopping at the grocery outlet today and I seen South Of France, French Milled Soap, Shea Butter, Ultra Moisturizing. 8.8 oz was $4.99 down to $1.99!!!

The ingredients say 100% vegetable oils: palm, olive and/or coconut oil, shea butter, mineral pigment or vegetable color, natural fragrance and/or essential oils.

I found their website too:

Good health natural foods

Sounds pretty good to me. I can't wait to lather up tonite. If I like it I just may go back tomorrow and stock up.

I know shea butter is in some of the better lotions and less chemical additives the better. I googled it and got this:

SHea Butter

There are two types of shea butter: Certified Organic Unrefined and the Refined Version. The first is extracted using traditional extraction methods without the use of hexane, chemical pesticides, or preservatives. Because of this, many of the healing factors are still present in this form of shea butter. Refined Shea butter has been bleached and refined with various chemicals such as hexane, fillers, and preservatives, lacking many of the vital nutrients and phytochemicals.[1]

While a clean extracted butter is best for its overall healing ability, some may prefer a cosmetic grade butter that has been highly refined of impurities and aroma, although most of the natural properties and abilities of shea butter are stripped away when refined and it is much less effective and versatile than the unrefined butter.

Shea butter is known especially for its cosmetic properties as a moisturizer and emollient. It is also a known anti-inflammatory agent.[2] Shea butter can be effective at treating the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, acne, severely dry skin, blemishes, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretchmarks, wrinkles and in lessening the irritation of psoriasis[citation needed]. Shea butter provides natural UV sun protection, although the level of protection is extremely variable, ranging from none at all to approximately SPF 6. Sun-sensitive persons should not rely on shea butter for protection. Shea butter absorbs rapidly into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling.
Shea butter is comparably richer than other emollients but scarcity of supply results in an erratic market price

I never knew it had healing properties though. Very interesting. I am sure this bar is the refined version though otherwise it would of stated such. lol Still sounds better than the chemically laden normal soap from the store.

So any one else here use specialty soaps? Should I go get the other bars??

[bargoo]

Hi! I am in Calif , too. What store did you find these in? I checked the website, they don't sell online.

[Jasmine31]

Grocery Outlet

I usually don't shop there but we were on that side of town and dh said he wanted some chicken noodle soup! lol I also found a mini backpack for the girls for 1.99 that has 250 hair accessories in it!!!

Yeah I noticed they don't sell online either cause I was looking to see what they actually price things at. But you can't go wrong for $2.00 for an 8.8 oz bar with all natural ingredients. I was looking at my dove bar and they are only 4.2 oz and you pay $1.00 or more each bar. Not to mention all the crap they put in it!

[ANOther]

I've gotten to like Get Real soap (available at Whole Foods around here), I'd get more of it if it were cheaper and came in bundles instead of one bar (see my thread on citrus-scented soap: it comes in mint, lemon and lavender)

[Jasmine31]

You are lucky to have a whole foods close by!

[Jasmine31]

I was over that way so stopped in and grabbed a few more bars yesterday. I asked and the lady said they get that as a regular product. Yippee!! Now if they could just get some goat milk soap.

[nelie]

I think this is the same brand that Costco has ? I'm not sure, I remember seeing french milled soap there all the time. I love Shea butter. I was thinking of trying to make my own soap and if I do, shea butter will definitely be an ingredient.

[Jasmine31]

I am not sure about Costco, I shop at Smart N Final. I have been thinking about making my own as well.

I have thought of the convenience of the melt and pour soaps but wonder if that would be good enough. It seems it would still be healthier than all the crap they put in regular soap. Maybe it would be a great way to get my feet wet.

Ever look on the back of Burt's Bees Milk Bath? All it is is nonfat dry milk and buttermilk!!! lol I bought a thing of dry milk and toss some in my bath now.

Milk Bath Recipe

Home made soap article.

These bath bombs seem easy to make and really cute!

Heart Bath Bombs





Basic Bath Bomb Recipe

Bath Bomb Cupcakes - Instructions

[nelie]

I think I'm going to have to go buy some dry milk now

I saw those cupcakes or similar ones on another website. The thing I'm also interested in making are lotion bars. Basically similar to soap, you rub your body with them and the lotion kind of melts into your skin. I saw some recipes online for those as well.

[StillTryin]

oh man we have a local honey store and the gal there makes lotion bars for like $1.35 and they are awsome!!!! I use them on my feet after my bath and sleep in socks and good bye dry heals! They are great for elbows/knees or anywhere else rough. I like that she makes them herself too

[Jasmine31]

I hit google and found a lotion bar making kit.

Lotion Bar Kit

and a body butter one.

Body Butter Kit

The oatmeal milk and honey one sounds good.

Why Should I use a Lotion Bar?

Well first of all, it's an all-natural product. Commercial lotions are NOT. Our lotion bars only contain the ingredients that they need—not the extra preservatives that liquid lotions require for their shelf life. Lotions have a very high water content. Once water is added to make a lotion, it is almost impossible to create an all natural product and still keep the bacteria and mold out. That is why I make solid lotion bars--no need for chemical preservatives.
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Have you ever noticed that when you use your body lotion your skin never stays moist and you find yourself going back to the lotion bottle over and over? Look at the ingredients in your lotion and see if your lotion contains isopropyl alcohol and/or mineral oil. Both of these actually are very drying to your skin. The alcohol gives a temporary sense of coolness due to evaporation. Mineral oil is found in lotions, soaps, baby oil, cosmetics, and motor oil. Mineral oil is a clear, liquid oil with no scent and will not spoil. It is very inexpensive because it is produced as a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. It is great for oiling your wooden cutting boards--but not your skin. Mineral oil does not penetrate to soften. It is difficult to absorb, coats your skin, and clogs the pores. If you would like to have healthy skin, stay away from mineral oils, animal fat, petroleum, and synthetic oil based skincare. Lab created oils clog pores, aggravate acne, trigger allergic reactions, and make skin feels heavy and greasy. Remember, the skin is the body's largest organ and it needs to breathe as part of its important role in maintaining overall health! Also, the high water content of liquidy lotions can further dry and irritate the skin as evaporation takes place.

Very interesting info!

Here's the complete ingredient list on
Ida's Three Butter Lotion Bar:

Cocoa butter; Virgin Shea Butter; Virgin Mango butter; Unrefined Beeswax; Sweet Almond Oil; and vitamin E oil.

Sounds good!!

[Jasmine31]

Originally Posted by StillTryin

oh man we have a local honey store and the gal there makes lotion bars for like $1.35 and they are awsome!!!! I use them on my feet after my bath and sleep in socks and good bye dry heals! They are great for elbows/knees or anywhere else rough. I like that she makes them herself too

Lucky you! You are not in Cali are ya? Does she have an online store?

[Jasmine31]

Soap Making Recipes

1/3 rd the way down is a lotion bar recipe.

Easy Lotion Bars

4 ounces mango or shea butter
4 ounces beesweax, yellow or white
5 ounces liquid oil (jojoba or grapeseed are both excellent)
2 teaspoons of essential oil or fragrance oil

This lotion bar does not use cocoa butter so you can use any fragrance or essential oil that your heart desires and not have a chocolate over-smell.

Melt the beeswax in a separate container and the butter/oil in another container. Add together, mix well, stir in FO/EO and pour into containers. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less 'divets' you'll get in the bar (that sunken spot at the top of the bar).

[Jasmine31]

Nelie:

If you are interested in shea butter soap, you may be interested in:

Authentic African Black Soap

It has 45% unrefined shea butter. I was looking at that site yesterday and then was on a soap making site today and someone recommended it as well. Said it was the best she has found.

Soap talk

When I get extra money I would love to get some.

[Jasmine31]

Okay so I was looking more at that website for the lotion bars and really like what she has to say about her soaps and what her customers say.

My dh hates foo foo soaps but I think I could get him to try these two:

Soap

Chocolate Almond Soap



Java Spice Soap



They also have shampoo bars.

Nelie:

That african store also sells unrefined shea butter. I think $7.95 a lb and then the price goes down depending on how much you buy. That would definately be worth buying that and making a shea body butter with it on my own.
Ida's link she has the unrefined whipped shea butter but it is $8.50 for 1.5 oz!!!

Whipped Shea Butter

That is about $5.66 an oz. My B&B butter which has some shea in it, not refined though and a bunch of other crap in it though says on the jar, 5 oz, $14.00. (I grabbed 3 of them when they went on clearance for $5.00 though. ) SO that is $2.80 for 1 oz/44.80 for a lb!

Ida's would be $90.56 for a lb! The african store shea butter would be $7.95 a lb. (plus shipping) then just add a few more things to it. Hmmmnnn.... I definately need to do this. lol