Blueberry Thyme Soap - Stormy Ocean Wave!

Blueberry Thyme Soap - Stormy Ocean Wave!

I saw this recipe online at one of my favorite soaping sites, and thought it was so pretty I must give it a try.  It has all the great ingredients of a good homemade, handmade soap like, castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, sweet almond oil and sunflower oil.  I loved the texture that the added red sandalwood powder gives, and of course, the blueberry thyme fragrance is just delightful.

My soap didn't turn out quite as pretty as it should have because I neglected to read the instructions carefully enough and I added too much black oxide making the soap much darker in color than it should have been.  Hence the name Stormy Ocean Waves.

It was fun to make, it's always fun to try out a new soap recipe.  The excitement of having to wait to unmold and cut into bars to see how it turned out makes the process so much fun.

Blueberry Thyme Soap - Stormy Ocean Wave!

I have this loaf for sale at the Shelby, NC Foothills Farmer's Market.  Stop by and give us a look see.

Carpe Diem! Lil and Bill

The Pasture Fence!

Phase 2 of Wit's End Farm is finally underway.  It's been a long time coming, Phase 1 of building Wit's End Farm took us much longer than we had anticipated, but we're here now, and I'm very excited to be moving forward with the pasture.

Clearing the fence line!  3-16-2015

You know, sometimes life, health, and other unexpected opportunities for growth present themselves, and we have the choice to either adapt, or to struggle against the situation.  As circumstances slow us down, we can choose to take that time to be still, to seek out what lesson there is to learn in each challenge.  Life isn't always about moving forward, but sometimes it's about learning how to get back up and press on after being knocked backwards.

Just the beginning...so much more to come!  3-16-2015

Having had Bill's youngest brother Jim here for several months was such a blessing. Not only for the work he has helped Bill with, but for his positive attitude and easy-going spirit.  God is certainly looking out for us.  What brought Jim here to us this time was a year of great loss for him, but he has turned it into a positive by focusing on helping others while waiting for direction for his future. There's a great lesson in there somewhere.

Setting some fence posts!  4-2-2015

So, with that said, time marches on, and the clearing of the fence line does as well. And it is a slow march, but they head out each day with the resolve to conquer a few more feet, and it's getting closer and closer.  As of the writing of this paragraph, and the photo below, it has been ten weeks of hard labor, mostly on the fence line every day.  There have been some days they worked on other things, like clearing out the garage so my car could be parked inside, and like planting fifteen or so trees and bushes that had been in need of a permanent home before the rains come.  And other stuff like machinery repairs, lawn maintenance, and some time off for much needed R&R.  But the major focus has always been the fence.

The last section to be cleared!  4-16-2015

Today is April 16th, and it is after 7:00 PM, they will be coming in soon for some dinner, so I need to get to it.  Got to keep these men well fed.  More later.

Now that's a lot of cleared brush and trees!  4-28-2015

And there it is burning down to nothing!  4-28-2015

They've been working very hard, today was a very long day.  Just about 9 hours straight of cutting, clearing, and stacking very heavy trees and logs.  I am amazed at my husband at 69 years old with an artificial heart valve, a pacemaker, and a bum knee, he can still work like a 50 year old man.  He loves this kind of work, too.  They are telling me that it won't be long now until they can string a line and dig more fence post holes on the last side.  Hopefully, they're right.

Yes, another pile of debris 5-22-2015

And, there it goes up in flames again 5-22-2015

September, 2016

And the clearing, and the burning, and the digging and the planting continued on for 2 1/2 more months.  Just before Jim left, the boys worked very hard on putting in the agricultural water lines.  Our son and daughter also helped out on this project.  That was a whole lot of digging and laying down lines, but it was another necessary evil to be conquered.  I took a long pause from this blog post, so will try to catch up on what's been happening. Jim met and ultimately married a wonderful woman.  He left us in August to tend to his own life. Waiting on God for direction is never a bad thing.  They are very happy together, and we love her dearly. 

Jim and Teresa

Building the fence has taken a long reprieve for Bill to have a knee replaced in February 2016.  It hasn't been an easy recovery for him, but now, September 2016 he is slowly getting back to being himself again.  Our daughter moved up here from Florida (July 2015) which has made us very happy.  Now all of our little family can be together again.  She had to deal with some medical issues, (she inherited my hips,) and we have taken some time out to help her recover.  She bounced back pretty quickly.  

Coconut Oil Soap - da Lime in da Coconut

Coconut Oil Soap - da Lime in da Coconut

Welcome to the newest soap here at the Farm!  I do love a soap that is simple, quick to cure, and as gentle as it comes.

This soap breaks the rules of soapmaking.  It's made with one oil, coconut oil, and it uses aloe juice in place of water.  It makes a smooth and creamy lather that cleanses well and leaves your skin soft and hydrated.  Normally, this soap would be considered a no-no, but in this formula it works, and it works beautifully!  This soap is 20% superfatted.  That means there's 20% of the coconut oil free floating within the soap (that the lye hasn't converted into soap) to moisturize your skin, so it's not drying at all.

If you've read any of my other posts, you are aware of the tremendous benefits of coconut oil.  It's moisturizing, cleansing, antibacterial, and is an antioxidant, all so good for your skin.

Coconut Oil

The other major ingredient in this soap is aloe juice.  The aloe juice replaces water that is usually used in soaps.  The aloe juice helps this soap to be soothing, healing, and is an antioxidant and antibacterial, all to help promote healthy skin.

Aloe Juice

That is it, a simple, pure, and unadulterated bar of soap that anyone can use.  Can I just say that the coconut lime fragrance is refreshing, and reminds me of Spring, Sun, Beach, and things growing green.  

Coconut Oil Soap - da Lime in da Coconut

I will be making this soap in at least one more fragrance, it will be a soft delicate scent that we all love and recognize, Baby Powder.  Stay tuned, it's coming soon!


Carpe Diem! Lil and Bill

Goat Milk Spa Soap with Charcoal and Rose Kaolin Clay

Here it is, the face soap that will be great for your skin and will complete the facial care system we have happening here on Wit's End Farm Blog.  The basis of all good skincare is clean skin, and I said I was coming up with a good soap that includes Kaolin Clay that will help to draw out the impurities from deep within your skin.  Here it is.  We have been using it here for a while, and all reports are in with a grade of A+.

Goat Milk Spa Soap with Charcoal and Clay

This soap starts out with a basic goat milk soap recipe, then we add in the activated charcoal and the kaolin rose clay.  The fragrances in this soap are just divine.  You can just imagine being transported to the most luxurious spa you've ever experienced, while staying right there in your own home.  And, it's so much less costly!

Let's look at the benefits of the ingredients in this soap:

Goat Milk

Goat Milk:  Goat milk soap is wonderful for people with dry or sensitive skin, or conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. It is also perfect for healthy skin that wants to stay that way. Unprocessed, raw goat milk contains the following benefits:  (1) Goat's milk contains precious skin loving minerals like selenium and  (2) it is loaded with vitamins, particularly vitamin A, the most important vitamin for the skin.  (3) As with other milks, goat's milk contains lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid, or AHA.  It is both an anti-aging wonder and a lifesaver for dry and sensitive skin.

Activated Charcoal

Mint Emulsified Sugar Scrub

Mint Emulsified Sugar Scrub

Let me start out by saying that I love, love, love this scrub.  I have made many a scrub, but this one tops them all.  It's a gentle scrub, great for the face, and leaves your skin feeling soft and slightly energized.  The fragrance is soft and delicate, and the sugar provides a gentle scrub.  I found the recipe on one of my favorite supply websites, Wholesale Supplies Plus.  It's a winner in my book, and here's why:

Avocado Oil

• Avocado Oil:  I've extolled the benefits of this wonderful fruit oil before, but it's so good I'll share it again.  Cold pressed avocado oil is one of the richest sources of beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid.  Not only is avocado oil extremely good at hydrating and softening your skin, it is often recommended as an effective treatment for acne and blackheads, eczema and other forms of skin inflammation.  It's an excellent source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It also facilitates in the healing of scars, diminishing of spots, removal of stretch marks and shrinking of large pores. Avocado oil can increase collagen, reduce wrinkles, and heal damaged skin.  The avocado, actually a fruit, is rich in proteins and fats, sterolin, lecithin and potassium. The natural oils in an avocado can penetrate deep into the skin, helping to soften and hydrate dry and flaky patches.

Mango Butter

• Mango Butter:  Mango Butter is extracted from the fruit kernels of the mango tree. Pure Mango Butter is thought to exhibit excellent moisturizing properties while countering the drying effects of bar soaps and cleansers! Mango Butter is well suited for use in homemade sugar scrubs, lotion bars, soaps, cuticle creams and more!  In skin care, we love mango butter for its moisturizing essential fatty acids. It's rich in oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated omega-9 acid; and stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid. These are ingredients that the skin readily recognizes, absorbs, and uses to help add moisture to the skin.  It both tightens and firms while providing super nourishment to the skin.

Lavender Clay Face Mask

Lavender Clay Face Mask

Most facial masks that I've used leave my skin feeling dry and taught, or the more gentle ones don't seem to do much.  I have a recipe for a facial mask that is so gentle, but still very effective, that you may want to use it every day, but probably don't need to.  It's full of nourishing ingredients along with ingredients that will pull impurities from your skin without leaving it dry or taught.  Lavender Clay Face Mask has the ingredients that will increase collagen and reduce wrinkles, it will ease inflammation and moisturize, it won't clog pores, and will prevent free radical damage, it absorbs excess oils and stale sebum, and helps to prevent aging via magnesium.  Simply apply to a clean and dry face, wait for it to dry, twenty to thirty minutes, then rinse off and apply moisturizer.  May I recommend my Revitalizing Night Cream!  I love the way my skin has responded to these latest products.

Let's take a look at what's in this little amazing jar:

Avocado Oil

• Avocado Oil:  Cold pressed avocado oil is one of the richest sources of beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid.  Not only is avocado oil extremely good at hydrating and softening your skin, it is often recommended as an effective treatment for acne and blackheads, eczema and other forms of skin inflammation.  It's an excellent source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It also facilitates in the healing of scars, diminishing of spots, removal of stretch marks and shrinking of large pores. Avocado oil can increase collagen, reduce wrinkles, and heal damaged skin.  The avocado, actually a fruit, is rich in proteins and fats, sterolin, lecithin and potassium. The natural oils in an avocado can penetrate deep into the skin, helping to soften and hydrate dry and flaky patches.

Argan Oil

Vitamin Hydrating Spritzer!

Vitamin Hydrating Spritzer

This is the latest and newest product to come from the farm!  I think I am going to love this new product that can be used throughout the day to refresh, moisturize, tighten and revitalize your face. You can spritz it on clean skin, moisturized skin, and also over your foundation while you're at work, shopping, eating out, or just hanging at home.  I have mine right on my side table, and reach for it several times a day.  I love the fragrance, and the soft dewy feeling it gives my skin, not to mention the amazing anti-aging benefits.

Let me tell you what is inside this little wonder bottle.  It is just full of good things for your face.

Rosewater is made from the rose petals

Rose water:  It has anti-inflammatory properties, helps with acne, dermatitis and eczema, helps to maintain skins pH balance, helps to heal scars, cuts, and wounds, aids in removing oil and dirt accumulated in clogged pores, helps to tone and cool the skin.  It has been said that Cleopatra used it to keep her skin dewy and supple during her reign.

Homemade Anti-Aging Super Serum

This brand new product has been in testing for months, and we are finally ready to put it out there for you to try.  We think you will be extremely happy with the results.

Anti-Aging Super Serum 1 oz.

Some of the ingredients in this formula were very new to me, and as I researched them I found that some of them are very new to the industry, while others are tried and true oldie goldies.  Bear with me while we explore the benefits of each ingredient in this formula.

Chamomile Flowers and Tea

Chamomile Tea poses powerful healing, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cleansing, and moisturizing properties. It also proves to be very effective in treatment of acne, wounds and scars on the skin surface. It accelerates the healing process of minor wounds and also has disinfectant properties. It was initially used by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans as a healing salve for treating wounds. Chamomile tea is an excellent all-natural skin bleach. It helps to lighten your complexion and helps to make it more radiant. It tightens the pores and reduces the severity of many problems of the skin. Because of its calming and antioxidant properties, chamomile tea is found to be very effective in soothing skin irritation and eczema. Placing cooled chamomile tea bags under the eyes helps in reducing eye puffiness.

Photos of before and after Hyaluronic Acid use

Hyaluronic Acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body.  It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints.  It can hold up to 1000 times it's weight in water.  Hyaluronic acid works by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues, including the skin.  The Hyaluronic Acid that is used as medicine is extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in the laboratory.  The Hyaluronic Acid that we use is pure Hyaluronic Acid - no parabens, vegan and is made in the USA.  Hyaluronic Acid is used for healing wounds, burns, skin ulcers, and as a moisturizer when applied directly to the skin. There is also a lot of interest in using Hyaluronic Acid to prevent the effects of aging.  In fact, Hyaluronic Acid has been promoted as a "fountain of youth".

Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera has been used for a host of purposes since the ancient Egyptians called it the "plant of immortality". Various studies have been conducted to examine the benefits of the Aloe Vera plant . It has been found that Aloe Vera does in fact have many properties that are effective in treating a variety of skin conditions.  It's good for flaky or dry skin, hair and scalp problems, and sunburn through its powerful ability to heal. It acts as a protective layer on the skin and helps to retain and replenish moisture. Because of its nutritional qualities and antioxidant properties, it assists the skin  in faster healing. Aloe moisturizes the skin without giving it a greasy feel, so it`s perfect for those with oily skin. For women who use mineral-based make-up, Aloe Vera acts as a moisturizer and is great for the face prior to application. Giberellin, a hormone in Aloe Vera acts as a growth hormone stimulating the growth of new cells. It allows the skin to heal quickly and naturally with minimal scarring. It fights aging and lessens the visibility of stretch marks.

Witch Hazel Flower