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tailored tidbits

Melissa’s Toolkit: Honey and Beeswax

3/3/2018

1 Comment

 
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Tailored Touches carefully crafts all of its personal care products from the very best “good for you” ingredients. With Melissa’s Toolkit series, we want to give you all an inside look at why and how we use what we do.
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Ingredients: Honey & Beeswax
We decided to start this series off with ingredients that are near and dear to our hearts: honey and beeswax! We come from a long line of beekeepers. My dad was one, his grandfather before him, and now we keep the tradition going with my son’s bee hives. In addition to our love for bees, honey and beeswax happen to be “good for you” ingredients, too. What a good place to start!
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Honey

Natural honey is a great skincare product because it is a natural humectant, which means that it naturally draws moisture to the skin and then keeps it there. In other words, it is a kind of natural moisturizer. As an added benefit, it also keeps irritants out of the skin.
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Honey is a nutritional, natural form of sugar. It retains its “good for you” properties as long as it is not heated over about 95° (the temperature of a normal bee hive). Once you heat it beyond what nature intended, you destroy many of  its nutritional properties.

If you play by those rules, honey will last forever. In fact, it is the only food that never spoils. If you found honey from the Stone Ages, it would still be good… maybe a bit crystallized but still as good as ever.


So, how do you know if you have the good stuff? One trick is to look for that crystallization. Real honey will crystallize while the diluted, over-heated, or ultra-filtered stuff will not. If you have crystallized honey, just put the bottle in a pot of warm water until the crystals melt back into honey. Just keep it below 95°…

Beeswax

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Honey’s counterpart, beeswax, also functions as a protectant, keeping moisture in and pesky irritants out, while allowing the skin to breathe by not clogging pores. Like honey, it is a great way to keep dry skin hydrated and soft.
For all these reasons - our love of honey and bees plus the “good for you” qualities - we use these ingredients a lot. 
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Honey

Honey
Honey is effective in soaps because the naturally high sugar content boosts the lather, which we all love. Given this, the natural instinct is to use a lot of honey in soap recipes. But beware! The downside is that the high sugar content can cause from-scratch soaps to overheat after they are poured into their mold, leading to cracks and discoloration. We can counter that by putting the soaps in a fridge or monitoring temperatures carefully. Like so many other tricks of the trade, we learned through a lot of trial and error! It is a trick to find that exact balance between using enough honey to get the soapy lather we all like and not using so much that it ruins the soap with unsightly cracks or discoloration.

Beeswax

Beeswax
If the amount of honey determines the amount of lather on a soap, the amount of beeswax determines the hardness of the product. The hardness allows us to create a lotion that is portable, for example, yet the heat from your hands melts the butters and oils ever so slightly each time you use it so you get a little moisture at a time. For products that require a softer feel - such as balms - we use less beeswax. We want them to be soft and spreadable. Lip balms also use less so they easily glide over your lips. Each recipe has been tested for the optimal amount to get the right result. Lots of trial and error… and eventually… our very own, from scratch recipes.

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Beeswax has a high melting point of about 145°. If you overheat it, it will spit at you or scorch the wax; if you underheat it, it will fail to mix with the other ingredients. Practice makes perfect, and even when you do get it right, you are working with a very hot, sticky ingredient! Fun!
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So, once we have a “good for you” ingredient that we know how to use, we get to work! Because honey and beeswax offer some unique properties that are so good for your skin, we use these ingredients in a lot of products. 
We use honey in soaps because of the incredible lather…. and also in one of our bath bombs. We also use a lot of beeswax, often in conjunction with honey. For our lotion bars, such as the Lux Lotion Bars, up to one-third of the total recipe is actually beeswax! For products that require a softer feel - such as our Honey Balm, our lip balms, or our Madly Mango Cuticle Balm - we use a bit less. 

Want to try some honey and beeswax products? Buy now by clicking on the pictures below!
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Facial Soap
Honey Myrrh Facial Soap
Honey Soap
Honey Bee Natural Soap
Honeycomb Soap
Honeycomb Natural Soap
Bath Bomb
Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey Bath Bomb
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All Natural Honey Balm
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Lux Lotion Bars
Lotion Bar
Beeswax and Honey Lotion Bar
Tattoo After-care
Just Inked! Tattoo Aftercare
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Madly Mango Cuticle Balm

Click your favorite product above or... 
Shop our Store
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Vanilla: Stories from Zanzibar & Madagascar

9/10/2016

6 Comments

 
This week we have a guest blogger. My daughter, Elana, wanted to talk about her experiences seeing vanilla close up in Zanzibar and Madagascar!
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​Hello! I have had the good fortune to travel all over the world. My mother asked me if I could blog about vanilla since I've been to its homeland in Madagascar... and I saw it up close and personal on the island of Zanzibar, which is part of Tanzania. You'll see the two places I went circled in orange on the map: Zanzibar is an island off the mainland of Tanzania (it's tiny on the map to the left!) and Madagascar is a country unto itself. In Madagascar, I went to an island called Nosy Be (marked on map) as well as the capital. Both places are full of jungle-like forests and mud! It's the perfect place for growing spices. So, sit back, and take a picture tour with me of these two wonderful places where vanilla grows fresh!

My Favorite Spice: Vanilla!

Vanilla is my favorite spice. I love the smell so much, and always ask for all my Tailored Touches products in that scent (no, really!) I put vanilla in EVERYTHING. But did you know that most vanilla we use is manufactured?? Real vanilla is so difficult to harvest that the industry is propped up by companies that produce vanilla in a lab. Unless you're careful, you're probably buying synthetic vanilla! Try the real stuff and you should notice a difference (warning: it's a little pricey!).

​The fact that vanilla is difficult to harvest (and thus expensive) may explain why it has been around for centuries - since at least the 15th century - but didn't reportedly enter recipe books until the early 1800s. Vanilla in the wild is rare because the flower that must be pollinated is open for pollination for only 24 hours! If that window is missed, there's no vanilla that season. No kidding! If pollination works, you get a 6-10 inch pod filled with vanilla bean seeds and eventually vanilla sticks.

Thankfully, locals have discovered how to "hand pollinate" the flower. According to the National Geographic, "
Transplants of vanilla to tropical and presumably vanilla-friendly regions around the globe [was lacking until] Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old slave boy on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, figured out how to hand-pollinate the vanilla blooms using a stick and a flip of the thumb. The simple technique had far-reaching implications. Vanilla plantations sprang up across the globe, from Madagascar to India, Tahiti, and Indonesia. Today about 75 percent of the world’s vanilla comes from Madagascar and Réunion."

Still, because of the complications in growing vanilla, we humans only produce around 2000 metric tons per year, which is very little relative to demand, so 99% of vanilla we see in America is synthetic. 

So, what does it look like in the wild? Is Madagascar-ian vanilla really superior? Let's find out!

Zanzibar: A Spice Farm Tour

In Zanzibar, we went on an incredible spice farm tour. I had no idea what spices looked like on the vine! You'll see vanilla on the second row on left.
From left to right/top to bottom: cocoa; green and black pepper; vanilla beans; a guy showing off climbing a tree to get coconuts!; the coconuts (look at his feet!); the farm's path; bananas; nutmeg, a nutmeg tree, and an open nutmeg; and finally, me drinking a fresh coconut!
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Madagascar: The Home of Vanilla

Madagascar is one of the main homes of vanilla (along with Reunion Island). My trip to Madagascar in May 2016 was just amazing. I didn't go on a spice tour, but I did get some fresh vanilla from some locals on a remote island. Before we talk about the vanilla, can we talk about this island? Look at this...
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As you can see from the photo on the left, this beach is actually a strip of sand between two islands. It's INCREDIBLE. The sand forms a peak, so the water washes up on both sides but not over. It's one giant sandbar. It's about a 90 minute boat ride from shore... and boy, was it worth it.

I spent an afternoon on this sandbar trying to avoid a sunburn and swimming in the perfectly clear water. The locals were so incredible. And, of course, I bought some vanilla! I passed it to my mom this past weekend, and hopefully she'll make some good vanilla extract out of it!

One site describes Madagascar vanilla as:
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The ‘classic’ vanilla. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans are superior with flavor and aromatic qualities that make these beans the most popular. The flavor is rich, dark, and creamy with an overwhelming sweet, buttery aroma.

Yum! So once you've got your hands on some amazing, fresh, REAL vanilla... now what? Well, my ever-creative mother - the founder of Tailored Touches - puts it to good use. Here's what she does to make her own vanilla extract for cooking:

~ Take an organic plump vanilla bean. Make a slice from top to bottom without cutting entirely through and pull the bean slightly open. Place 2-3 beans in each jar and fill with 80+ proof vodka. Cap tightly, and store in a cool, dark place for 2-3 months, shaking once a week or so. The vodka will draw the vanilla out and grow darker in time. Use in cooking as you use any other vanilla extract.
~ You may dry the vanilla beans and run through a food processor to make a powder that can then be used in cookies or breads! Or mix 1 T. vanilla powder per lb. of organic sugar to make organic vanilla sugar.
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You may be wondering... what's the Kahlua doing there in the picture? Well... we have to keep some tricks up our sleeve. A future blog post on making Kahlua with vanilla perhaps...! In the meantime, enjoy your fresh vanilla!
6 Comments

Honeybee Wildflower Seed Balls

9/18/2014

0 Comments

 
All summer, I've been so busy with making different soapy goodies that tonight I decided to get dirty and make some seed balls. Playing in the dirt can be so relaxing! Mixed with some clay and Honeybee Wildflower seeds, the organic soil has become an easy way to plant "bee" friendly flowers just about anywhere you can toss out a seed ball! Easy for you and loved by our precious honeybees.
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So what is a Seed Ball?
It's a combination of rich soil, some regular air dry clay and seeds of your choice.  A seed ball is so easy to plant. You toss them wherever you'd like to add some flowers...a flower bed, along a highway or median, along pathways...get creative! It's a perfect activity to do with kids of all ages. The combination of soil and clay holds the seeds safely until Mother Nature provides the right amount of moisture and warm temperatures for proper germination. Seed balls can be planted any time of year.
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How to make Seed Balls...

Start out with some rich organic soil, some plain ol' air-dry clay, and Honeybee Wildflower Seeds.

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Mix the soil with the clay...
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Sprinkle the seeds and mix in...
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Pinch off a small piece to roll into a ball.
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Form all the seed balls and lay out on wax paper to dry. Allow to dry at room temperature for at least 24-48 hours. Store the seed balls in a paper or cloth bag in a cool, dry location until ready to toss. Do NOT place in plastic bags...the seeds will suffocate and not germinate.

To use: Toss the seed balls about 1 foot apart. Let Mother Nature take over by providing water and sunshine. Sit back and enjoy the beautiful flowers!
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Each package has 20 hand-rolled seed balls ready for tossing. Each ball covers about 1 square foot. You can find them here...Honeybee Wildflower Seed Balls.
Seed Balls can be planted anytime of year, so toss some now to enjoy a bright wildflower spring!

Until next time...Happy Planting!

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Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells! Christmas Gifts in the makin'

8/13/2014

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Ok, I know it's only August, but some things take time to make really yummy...so tonight I put together some extracts for Christmas gifts. On the menu are organic Vanilla extract and organic Peppermint extract. Both for baking or flavoring drinks...the possibilities are endless!

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Organic Madagascar Vanilla beans and glass jars to hold the extract.
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"Millie" Mint from my back balcony...
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Washed and chopped peppermint leaves slightly bruised ready to extract!
Ingredients
Extracts are surprisingly easy to make with the right ingredients. For the Vanilla extract, I used an organic Madagascar Vanilla bean that has a smooth, creamy vanilla smell. The peppermint leaves came from my peppermint plant on the back porch. Both are extracted with vodka that is at least 80 proof. You can use the less expensive vodka since all the alcohol evaporates in cooking so don't waste money on the "good" stuff. Package the extracts in glass jars. Do not use plastic since plastic might absorb some of the yummy oils and it shortens the shelf life considerably. I used 4 oz. French square glass jars since they look stylish and make a fancier gift presentation.

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Vanilla Extract

Take 2-3 Vanilla beans and cut lengthwise to expose all the yummy vanilla bean. Cut them in half. Place in a small glass jar that holds 4 oz. Cover with vodka and screw on cap. Shake.


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Peppermint Extract

Remove all stems from peppermint leaves. Wash and pat dry. Coarsely chop and bruise slightly to expose oils. Place in a 4 oz. glass jar. Top off with vodka. Screw on cap. Shake.

Optional: Place 1 prepared Vanilla bean
in the bottle to make a Vanilla Mint extract! Yum!


Storage
Take your freshly made extracts and place them in a dark, cool cabinet or pantry....and wait...shake each week. Patience!
~ The Vanilla extract will be ready in about 8 weeks. The vodka will turn from a clear liquid to a rich brown as the vanilla oils are drawn into the vodka. The Vanilla beans can then be removed, dried, chopped and made into Vanilla sugar or they can stay in the bottle.
~ The Peppermint extract will be ready in about 4 weeks. Taste it after 3-4 weeks to see if it's strong enough for your liking. If it is, then filter out the peppermint leaves with a strainer and re-bottle.

Once the extracts are finished, make up a cute label and voila!
Now you have some wonderfully rich, homemade organic extracts for a fraction of the cost at the grocery store. They both make great hostess gifts or holiday gifts that any cook would love!

P.S. If you haven't already done so, sign up for our monthly newsletter and you might receive (hint, hint) a coupon code good for one of these yummy extracts closer to the holidays
...sign up here... :)


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Ugly Duckling Clay Bum Balm...not pretty but it works!

6/11/2014

1 Comment

 
Do you ever wonder what is in some of the products you put onto your skin? Well, lately I have gotten a bit paranoid about many of the products that are available. So when my dearest friend's son had his first child with his wife, I wanted to make sure that what they put on that new baby bum was all natural and not that  nasty petroleum based gel (you know what one I mean) that really is not a good choice at all!

I was on a mission to come up with a recipe that was all natural, gentle enough for a new baby's bum, had good-for-the-skin ingredients and did the job on rashes and minor skin irritations. It was a tall order but follow along and you'll see what I found!
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In my research, I found that clays are a wonderful source of nutrients for the skin with the natural drying and de-toxifying properties I was looking for. In this recipe, I decided to use bentonite clay for its healing properties, its ability to draw out toxins from the skin and its release of needed minerals. Plus it has been found to be effective against Candida albicans which is a fungus that grows as a yeast infection targeting baby bums and the genitalia and oral areas of humans in general.

Along with some bentonite clay, I used Mango butter and coconut oil for their skin-softening properties,
the anti-bacterial properties of coconut oil and Lavender essential oil, and healing and soothing  Calendula extract.

Let's get started!
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1 - Mango butter is harder than coconut oil, so it needs to be melted first.
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2 - Once the Mango butter is melted, it's time to add the Coconut oil which just melts from the heat of the Mango butter.
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3 - Calendula extract is added to help sooth irritated skin.
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4 - Lavender essential oil is added for its anti-bacterial and soothing properties...plus its scent is relaxing and calming!
Time to chill out!
Once all these ingredients are mixed in well, it's time to chill the mixture until it starts to set up. By chilling it, I can speed up the process a bit but it will solidify on its own at room temperatue...just a lot slower. As it is, chilling can take 30-60 minutes!
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As you can see in this photo, the oils and butter have turned from a golden yellow to a  butter yellow. It's about the consistency of semi-stiff butter. The bentonite clay on the left is an all natural clay that is grayish in color due to its aged volcanic ash makeup. I use this unrefined clay to keep all the natural nutrients intact. Some bentonite clay on the market is whiter and more refined losing many of its nutrients.

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The butter and oils are whipped some to fluff it up. The clay is then added in by hand to keep the dust down!

Once the clay is mixed in and the mixture is whipped lighter a bit more, the bum balm is scooped into clean jars.

The cream sets up a bit as it cools but will melt on skin contact to provide moisturizing relief.

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It's all in a name....
Naming this new creation was a challenge since the balm is chock full of good ingredients all chosen for their special properties, but it really is U...G...L...Y.

My son who has been best friends with the new dad since
kindergarten days was the one who suggested the name of  "Ugly Duckling"...so you can see that this new bum balm was truly a family project!

Labels were then designed and applied making it all ready for the next tiny bum that needs a little TLC!

~ Thanks to little Leah Ryan Y. who was the inspiration behind "Ugly Duckling Clay Bum Balm"! ~

1 Comment

What was cookin' today? Prairie Herb Soap!

5/11/2014

3 Comments

 
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As my first blog post, I thought I'd start with a typical day in the kitchen here at Tailored Touches! So what's cookin' today?

As with any of our items, we develop recipes then tweak them to get just the right ratios. As you can see on the left, I'm just starting to make up our newest soap...Prairie Herb soap. It consists of a special blend of dried herbs that are chock full of skin-loving properties, a Goat milk soap that has a lather to die for and Bergamot essential oil that has antiseptic and antibacterial properties...plus it just smells gooood!

First step to making this wonderful all natural soap is to start with all the ingredients. Tweaking and mixing the herb blend was done the day before, so I decided to store the blend in a canning jar for ease of use. I also will need the goat milk soap, the Bergamot essential oil, the  large oval mold, my scale to get the correct measurements and assorted measuring spoons.
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Once the goat milk soap is melted, the essential oil is added. As you can see in the picture, Bergamot essential oil has a greenish-yellow tint to it. It smells like orange citrus and herbs, just like Earl Grey tea. It needs to be fully mixed in before adding the dried herbs.



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Now it's time to mix in the herbs and get ready to pour into the molds. As the herbs mix in and the soap begins to cool, I need to move quickly. Timing is everything when pouring soap. If it's too warm, all the herbs will either float to the top if they are light, or sink to the bottom if heavy. So waiting until they all seem to be suspended is the perfect time to pour. But the soap can start to set up...so get pourin'!

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Once the soap is poured into the molds, it's time to wash up all the cups, spoons and other utensils, wipe down the workspace and sit back to wait for the soap to harden up.

Product tags and ingredients labels need to be made and the organza bags need to be gathered, too.

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Once the soap has hardened, it is removed from the mold, and shrunk wrapped to maintain freshness. Then it is tagged with an ingredients tag, bagged in an organza bag that will catch all the herbs in the tub and tagged with it's own special label...all ready for it's new home...in your tub! :)

So there you have it...the newest All Natural soap. You can find
Prairie Herb soap here!

Thanks for stopping by the "kitchen" today to see what was cooking.
Hmm, wonder what we can make tomorrow.......

3 Comments
    Melissa Simmons

    Welcome to Tailored Tidbits!

    If I'm not in the kitchen cooking up new items for my shop, I'm sewing fabric baskets, taking care of our honeybees and Ms. Kitty, pitching in on the latest project at my son's, or planning a trip somewhere with my daughter. Here, I'll share a "day in the life" at Tailored Touches!


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