Why we offer quality ingredients for quality products (tm). We offer the finest, organic, wildcrafted and/or certified organic products and supplies. We don't believe in shortcuts nor do we "cut corners."
IM us if you have any questions!
Packaging Options
We now offer your choice of ziploc baggies or FSC Certified Unbleached Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) paper packaging. For a small up-charge we can package your butters or soaps in totally organic paper instead of BPA-Free Plastic.
Shipping Information: We offer USPS 1st Class Shipping, USPS Priority Post and Local Pick-up (email for locations). International will be which ever is less expensive; USPS, UPS, FedEx or DHL. All US orders over $49 are free! Every order gets a free sample!
Biodegradable Packing Peanuts
We proudly use only biodegradable, anti-static peanuts made from a renewable, starch-based material. This packing material protects fragile items in transit just as well as the old style polystyrene ("styrofoam") peanuts, but without the harmful effects to the environment. The only issue we have is because they are starch-based pets tend to eat them.
When it comes time to dispose of the peanuts that came with your order, there are a few environmentally responsible options:
Bio Peanut Disposal Options
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Best Option: Re-use! The UPS Store accepts all types of packing peanuts for re-use.
- Depending on your local compost collection service, you may be able to place them in your compost bin.
- Place them in the trash bin.
**WARNING! I have been contacted by a Chinese company trying to steal my website and reputation. PLEASE check web address JnJFarmKY.com.cn this is a FAKE site!**
Our products come in a recyclable ziptop baggie. Several store offer Mylar Bags but only mylar balloons are recyclable. You will NEVER find Mylar in our store it is UN-RECYCLABLE and we feel its irresponsible to leave waste for our grandchildren and great grandchildren to deal with.
Today, very large soap companies’ use recycled oils from restaurants and fast food chains because it's cost effective. Also, they remove the glycerin from the soap and sell it as a by-product to tobacco companies and cosmetic companies.
There is no regulation on the word "Natural" in advertising just "Organic."
Bottom Line: If the "soap" remained intact we would be using less body lotions! So, if you are using a mass produced "product" (commercial soap you buy at the store); you are using detergent...NOT soap! Hence, this may be the reason for so many skin disorders from years of using commercial products. So why use a product that may cause a dermatology problem? Perhaps out of habit or not knowing the right products to use!
The fat that was used to make soap many years ago was animal fat. Today education of and the availability of many oils that heal the skin which is the largest organ of your body. Using natural and organic products is as important as eating fresh, healthy foods.
Additionally, most"soaps" purchased in stores are mislabeled. If the ingredient list contains lists of chemicals such as "sodium palmitate" or "sodium laurelate" (and most do), it is a formulated beauty bar or detergent bar, NOT real soap. The fact that oils are listed chemically indicates that the oils are either petroleum based or "fractionated" and have had most of their glycerides (fatty acids) removed.
Detergent bars are usually labeled as soap but really contain fractionated/synthetic oils and/or petroleum products instead of the complete natural fats and oils. None of these altered oils have their natural vitamins and nutritive skin care qualities intact.
Even when a bar is labeled "Glycerin" soap, there is a proportionately tiny amount of non-natural glycerin added back into the soap to supposedly reduce its drying effect. More often, it refers merely to the translucent nature of the soap.
To compound the drying effect, most store-bought soaps are formulated with petroleum based and/or large molecule oils and fats. These large molecule fats dissolve and combine with your natural skin oils. When they are washed or wiped away, they take all the natural oils with it. The skin is unable to absorb any of these oils.
Real soap, with the naturally occurring glycerin intact, is normally not translucent, whereas chemical glycerin is often added to beauty bars (and transparent novelty soap) to achieve translucency, NOT for moisturizing.
Be aware of soaps that are "Melt & Pour." They need added sugar-alcohols (usually sorbitol). They look very much the same but do not have the healing properties or texture; and they melt faster than true handmade soaps. Always ask the soap maker how they make their soaps:
Cold-Process, Hot Process or Melt & Pour. Many people melting this product are quite proud of the fact they make soap without sodium hydroxide (lye). In fact, they are only melting a mass-produced soap that was originally made with sodium hydroxide!
Excerpts taken from Healthy Beginnings Magazine from the article submitted by Camilla Olsen
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Melt & Pour are short-cuts to actual soapmaking. Here are some of the ingredients they use and why they are to be avoided.
The use of SCS also called SLS (Sodiumr Coco-Sulfate aka Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). This is a product to AVOID:
This is a harsh cleanser. Both Sodium Coco-Sulfate (SCS) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) are made from coconuts and go through nearly the same process. It's just SLS is a more purified version of SCS. This basically means SCS doesn't foam as well as SLS; and the quality may vary a bit more and it isn't quite as strong.
Sorbitol is also frequently used in gel products because of its ability to retain moisture in otherwise drying, transparent gels. Sorbitol is considered a less expensive alternative to glycerin.
Sorbitan Oleate is a low hazard ingredient; although it is noted as a potential carcinogen because studies have shown cell mutation. Lesser concerns regarding organ system toxicity and irritation, due to animal studies that show liver effects at high doses and skin irritation at moderate doses. All Sorbitan esters, including Sorbitan Oleate, are considered generally mild skin irritants but non-sensitizers.
Excerpts taken from Cosmetics Database
There are basically three types to hand crafted soaps: Cold Process, Hot Process or Melt and Pour. Cold and Hot process are made by combining sodium hydroxide with oils and heat to create ‘real soap’. True soap cannot be made without sodium hydroxide.
Melt and pour type soaps are a block of soap base that you purchase already made, then melt and mold it into the soap design of your choice. Below is a typical list of ingredients of melt and pour soap base: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Goats Milk, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Laurate, Triethanolamine, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 5. Does any of that look ‘all natural’?
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic (i.e., man-made) organic alcohol that attracts/absorbs water , found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol, as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. (natural-health-information-center.com)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as a food additive that is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). A single prolonged skin exposure is not likely to result in the material being absorbed in harmful amounts.
According to the propylene glycol Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), prolonged or repeated exposure to propylene glycol may cause damage to the central nervous system. The MSDS also states that propylene glycol may affect human genetics and, based on animal test data, may cause birth defects and adverse reproductive effects
. In my opinion, melt and pour soaps are not ‘all natural’. They are made with a multitude of chemicals that most of us have no idea what they are. According to the ingredient list, it is not even soap, it is detergent.
The average cold process soap is made up of a combination of popular oils. Olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and shea butter seem to be widely popular. Castile soaps are made with pure olive oil. When sodium hydroxide is added to the oils, it creates a molecular change that creates soap and glycerin. Glycerin is a natural humectant, which means it draws moisture to your skin. Many cold/hot process soap makers also add an array of minerals and botanicals to their recipe to enhance the soaps’ skin-loving properties.
OUR melt & pour are made with natural and/or organic ingredients and made from scratch. We do not use pre-made, commercial sources.
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I stumbled across this page on Etsy.com which shows what people make sopa out of and why you should READ the ingredients:
Kitty Soap Set
- Handmade item
- Materials: Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Stearate, Sorbitol, Sodium Myristate
- Made to order
- Only ships to United States from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Lets break this down:
Glycerin – commercial product as the ad states “Made to Order.” Real soap takes 3-8 weeks to cure
Propylene Glycol – ANTI-FREEZE - It is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics, or food products. It is a solvent for food colors and flavors, and in the paint and plastics industries. Propylene glycol is also used to create artificial smoke or fog used in fire-fighting training and in theatrical productions.
Affected Organ Systems: Dermal (Skin), Renal (Urinary System or Kidneys), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs). Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.
Sodium Cocoate - a generic name for the mixture of fatty acid salts (acid salts) of coconut oil that is used in soap making. Sodium cocoate is produced by hydrolysis of the ester linkages in coconut oil with sodium hydroxide, a strong base.
Sodium Stearate - the sodium salt of stearic acid. This white solid is the most common soap. It is found in many types of solid deodorants, rubbers, latex paints, and inks. It is also a component of some food additives and food flavorings
Sorbitol - As a humectant, Sorbitol prevents moisture loss by pulling water by osmosis from the air, hydrating skin; however, when used in extremely dry conditions, Sorbitol can instead whisk moisture out of the skin and leave it dry or damaged (DermaDoctor.com). Sorbitol is also frequently used in gel products, because of its ability to retain moisture in otherwise drying, transparent gels.
Sodium Myristate - an emulsifier, hardener and surfactant; the sodium salt of myristic acid, created when lye reacts with myristic acid. Coconut oil and palm oil are two great sources of myristic acid.
Natural soap needs none of the chemical additives. The ONLY “chemical” used is Sodium Hydroxide which is a naturally occurring compound which is needed to cause oil AND water to bind and become soap.
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The most commonly cited problem with these products is certain chemical cleansing agents, namely sodium lauryl sulfate. Women’s Health magazine reports:
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a harsh emulsifier that is found in body washes, facial cleansers and soap; it rids the skin of dirt and oil while breaking down precious lipids, the glue that binds skin cells together, keeping them resistant to dryness and damage.
Celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau calls facial cleansers “the No. 1 culprit behind unnecessary irritation” due to detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate.
Dermatologist Dr. Donald V. Belsito, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Missouri, cited plain soap and water as an issue.
“It’s particularly problematic in today’s germaphobic society because people feel they have to be clean and make no attempt to protect their skin,” he told WebMD.
These household products can also itch and irritate the skin.
“You see rashes in places that are covered by clothing and relative sparing where the clothing is not,” New York-based dermatologist Dr. Amy Newburger told WebMD. “That’s a big giveaway.”
Belsito recommends fragrance-free liquid fabric softeners.
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Due to the handmade nature there will be cosmetic differences. If irritation occurs, discontinue to use.
Handmade soap will last longer if kept dry between uses.
Please use a draining soap dish and keep it away from direct streams of water.
The information in these pages are not intended to diagnose or cure; it for information purposes.
Consult your physician before any health regimen is begun.
".....Regular contact with dirt and grime teaches your microbiome how to recognize friendly germs versus foes....
...a mild soap made from organic ingredients, rather than anti-bacterial soaps that are often full of harsh chemicals, is definitely the way to go. By scouring ourselves in the shower every day, we are actually stripping our skin of bacteria that keep us acne- and eczema-free."
