Newly joined - soapmaker in a previous life LOL

[Savage Daughter]

Hello to everyone,

Thought it might be a good idea to join this forum as I'm about to jump back into soapmaking - boxes of supplies being delivered daily now - which I got into in the mid-90s before I took a left turn & ended up doing corporate IT work. I loved soapmaking, lived, ate & breathed it, but things got more than interesting, and bumpy, along that road

In addition to my corporate IT job which has been ongoing full-time for approximately 20 years now, I make herbal tinctures, salves, creams etc from medicinal plants I wild forage & purchase, mostly custom made for those who suffer from various ailments which they have been led to believe are 'incurable'. Psoriasis, eczema, chronic pain related to various conditions are some of the areas I focus on as these are the things which most people ask for my assistance with.

I also occasionally teach wild foraging workshops in my area, which encompass edible & medicinal plants, lichens, trees, mushrooms, do card readings for those who ask, grow gardens of greens & tend my own outdoor edible mushroom beds. At the moment, I am turning my spare bedroom into my soapmaking & curing room, which is easier said than done LOL as I already know what I need from previous experience, which is complicating things a bit.

This time around, I will be incorporating my love for healing plants, plant extracts & essential oils into my soaps, salves, toothpastes etc in one form or another - as purpose-chosen ingredients or as natural colorants. This was what resonated with me most strongly from the time I first began making soaps & other products, my motivation being my then-young children & the toxins I was concerned with which seemed to be listed on nearly every product label I read. Super excited to see other soapmakers incorporating various herbs, plants, roots etc in their soaps in recent years, and the beautiful results. This is incredibly inspiring

I am fortunate to have worked for myself my entire life in one form or another (I am an independent contractor for hire, finding some longterm contracts along the way), which allows me to live in the bush in peace & quiet with my raccoon kids, the deer, squirrels & wolverines surrounding my home, and the whales in the ocean 3 minutes from my doorstep. Having a satellite internet connection helps a great deal in living out here, especially when I need to go shopping for supplies Hoping to get back into this on a level which will be sufficiently self-sustaining, enabling me to do less IT work. I love working at what feels like play to me, and which gives me a great deal of joy, which soapmaking definitely is.

Nice to meet you all. I look forward to reading a lot of posts in these forums when I'm not scrabbling through the bush or working on computer-website-online-marketing-social-media-management related stuff

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Better late than never...

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[TheGecko]

Welcome.

 

[BWt]

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot

 

[Kcryss]

I make herbal tinctures, salves, creams etc from medicinal plants I wild forage & purchase, mostly custom made for those who suffer from various ailments which they have been led to believe are 'incurable'. Psoriasis, eczema, chronic pain related to various conditions are some of the areas I focus on as these are the things which most people ask for my assistance with.

Making herbal salves, creams etc. is what originally brought me to soap making and this forum. I still do the herbal salves and creams, but have, for the most part, left the herbs behind in soap.

I also occasionally teach wild foraging workshops in my area, which encompass edible & medicinal plants, lichens, trees, mushrooms, do card readings for those who ask, grow gardens of greens & tend my own outdoor edible mushroom beds.

Wish you lived in my area! There are a number of plants where I am now that I have not yet identified! That, and I still can't find any chickweed! lol
I do have a wild foraged source for all the plantain, nettles, purslane, lambs ear, yarrow, burdock root and a few others. If I could find chickweed I would be thrilled.

This time around, I will be incorporating my love for healing plants, plant extracts & essential oils into my soaps, salves, toothpastes etc in one form or another - as purpose-chosen ingredients or as natural colorants. This was what resonated with me most strongly from the time I first began making soaps & other products, my motivation being my then-young children & the toxins I was concerned with which seemed to be listed on nearly every product label I read. Super excited to see other soapmakers incorporating various herbs, plants, roots etc in their soaps in recent years, and the beautiful results. This is incredibly inspiring

I am fortunate to have worked for myself my entire life in one form or another (I am an independent contractor for hire, finding some longterm contracts along the way), which allows me to live in the bush in peace & quiet with my raccoon kids, the deer, squirrels & wolverines surrounding my home, and the whales in the ocean 3 minutes from my doorstep. Having a satellite internet connection helps a great deal in living out here, especially when I need to go shopping for supplies Hoping to get back into this on a level which will be sufficiently self-sustaining, enabling me to do less IT work. I love working at what feels like play to me, and which gives me a great deal of joy, which soapmaking definitely is.

Nice to meet you all. I look forward to reading a lot of posts in these forums when I'm not scrabbling through the bush or working on computer-website-online-marketing-social-media-management related stuff

Totally jealous of the bush life!
Nice to officially meet you and looking forward to additional conversations about herbs, salves etc.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

That, and I still can't find any chickweed! lol

Oh dear... We just kiiled of a large patch of Common Chickweed in my front lawn!!! We'll know this Spring if any survived the dastardly deed. I'll keep you posted. You're welcome to it if it pops up again! In the meantime, you might want to check your neighbors' lawns.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much It's nice to have people who understand this obsession haha

 

[Savage Daughter]

Making herbal salves, creams etc. is what originally brought me to soap making and this forum. I still do the herbal salves and creams, but have, for the most part, left the herbs behind in soap.

My grandmother's 'teaching' via showing me what to do, having small boys at the time who I didn't want to slather in toxins, and so much more led me to this additional space of creating. I'm again combining both sides of the equation & really loving it. I have missed this immensely!

Wish you lived in my area! There are a number of plants where I am now that I have not yet identified! That, and I still can't find any chickweed! lol
I do have a wild foraged source for all the plantain, nettles, purslane, lambs ear, yarrow, burdock root and a few others. If I could find chickweed I would be thrilled.

If you have a garden, or have a neighbour or family member with a garden, you WILL find it, providing they don't go crazy weeding their garden. Kinda counterproductive anyways as chickweed will help hold moisture in the ground around plants, as well as provide nutritious greens for salads & plant material for salves, teas, tinctures & more. Really an amazing, healing plant, inside & out. You sound like you have a lot of healing herbs around you already, lucky for you

Totally jealous of the bush life!
Nice to officially meet you and looking forward to additional conversations about herbs, salves etc.

I love living out here so much....the opportunities to go out & connect with the spirits of the land, the plants, the wild animals, are endless, and so good for the soul. I am doubly blessed having lakes a 45 minute walk from my house & the ocean a 3 minute walk from my house. It's really a special place. As a plus, I have amazing, supportive neighbours. We respect each others' privacy a great deal, but we are all still very much a community which helps each other in so many ways. It's now nettle picking season in the forest, and my mushroom beds are loaded with mycelium, so it's gonna be another incredible year

Nice to meet you as well

 

[Kcryss]

If you have a garden, or have a neighbour or family member with a garden, you WILL find it, providing they don't go crazy weeding their garden. Kinda counterproductive anyways as chickweed will help hold moisture in the ground around plants, as well as provide nutritious greens for salads & plant material for salves, teas, tinctures & more. Really an amazing, healing plant, inside & out. You sound like you have a lot of healing herbs around you already, lucky for you

I do have a garden and the majority of weeds I get there are purslane and common mallow. Both of which are amazing "weeds." I love them both and use both, not having any luck drying the purslane though. I've only been able to use it fresh. Would be nice to have some come winter.

I love living out here so much....the opportunities to go out & connect with the spirits of the land, the plants, the wild animals, are endless, and so good for the soul. I am doubly blessed having lakes a 45 minute walk from my house & the ocean a 3 minute walk from my house. It's really a special place. As a plus, I have amazing, supportive neighbours. We respect each others' privacy a great deal, but we are all still very much a community which helps each other in so many ways. It's now nettle picking season in the forest, and my mushroom beds are loaded with mycelium, so it's gonna be another incredible year

Nice to meet you as well

Sounds like an amazing place to live!

 

[Savage Daughter]

I do have a garden and the majority of weeds I get there are purslane and common mallow. Both of which are amazing "weeds." I love them both and use both, not having any luck drying the purslane though. I've only been able to use it fresh. Would be nice to have some come winter.

Wow....I'm kinda stunned....no chickweed in your garden?? I have never run across a garden without chickweed! I would LOVE to have some mallow in my garden, such a beautiful plant with so many uses, inside & out. I do have fireweed, yarrow, nettles, cat's ear, goldenrod, wild daisies, wild violets, pearly everlasting, tons of wild berries, chickweed, cleavers, comfrey, and various lichens on the trees all around me out the ying-yang too.

Lichens are becoming much more talked about in natural healing circles, especially as antivirals, natural preservatives & more. There's actually at least one already on the market which has led me to experiment with the raw lichen itself in my own personal products. They are also very powerful healers of bronchitis, pneumonia & much more. I make dual extraction tinctures from them for flu season. I've shared a lot of this with people over the past 3 years. It's the only thing, in many cases, which cleared their flu which was hanging on. I have not had a lot of experience with purslane, but have dried chickweed in the past despite the fact that some people say it's not possible. Definitely is, which is what I do before infusing into oil, although it's best fresh for munching on.

Sounds like an amazing place to live!

Most definitely, although the incessant rain we've been having every night is starting to get on my #!&@ a bit But at least the snow is finally gone this past week!

 

[Ephemerella]

I do have a garden and the majority of weeds I get there are purslane

I realize this is an old thread, but had to say, purslane is a fabulous salad green. It is a delicacy only available for a few short weeks where I am. One of my very favorite treats to serve to guests is a chilled chopped purslane salad with EVOO, fleur de sel, fresh blueberries and grilled lemon drizzled on top. It's meaty texture (similar to okra, a little bit chewy/mucusy) doesn't suit everyone, but for those who aren't turned off, they rave about the vibrant, sweet, rich deep flavor.

 

[Kcryss]

I realize this is an old thread, but had to say, purslane is a fabulous salad green. It is a delicacy only available for a few short weeks where I am. One of my very favorite treats to serve to guests is a chilled chopped purslane salad with EVOO, fleur de sel, fresh blueberries and grilled lemon drizzled on top. It's meaty texture (similar to okra, a little bit chewy/mucusy) doesn't suit everyone, but for those who aren't turned off, they rave about the vibrant, sweet, rich deep flavor.

I agree! I love my purslane, I've tried drying it for use during winter months, but haven't had a lot of luck with that. I wish I could find some other "weeds" around here, like Chickweed ... but sadly I have not found any.
I have a niece with some property in the sticks in Nebraska and she sources yarrow, plantain, stinging nettle and a few others for me, but still no chickweed.

 

[nadsnads]

As a fellow corporate IT drone, I salute you. DIYing B&B products has truly helped me keep my sanity over the years.