Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Review : Country Soaps by Marlene {Part 1}



Handmade from 100% Fresh Creamy Goats Milk

Marlene:
"You maybe asking why goat’s milk soaps? When our daughters started piano lessons the fall of 2002 ironically they took them on a goat farm. They fell in love with goats and received billy goats as a gift. Well you don’t get much from a billy goat so I urged the girls to save their money and buy a couple nanny goats, which they did. I had no idea how much milk a nanny goat could give. We made cheese, ice cream and then soap. I fell in love with the idea of offering our family natural made soap. Little by little word got out to the extended family about my goat’s milk soaps, so I made more. Then I started experimenting with colors and fragrances and soon I was hooked."

http://ihatemenopause.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/goat-milk.jpg
Goat’s milk is very high in vitamins, minerals and proteins as well as high in lactic acid which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and soften your skin. As all of you have already known, I received a package from Marlene last Saturday. So far, I've tried on 2 of the 4 products she sent me and I'm very satisfied with them. Now, let's go on to the review~

Patchouli  Goats Milk Soap
Patchouli Goats Milk Soap
Ingredients: goats milk, palm oil, castor oil, coconut oil, NaOH and essential oil.

Patchouli has been used for centuries in perfumes and continues to be so today. In several Asian countries, such as Japan and Malaysia, patchouli is also used as an antidote for venomous snakebites. Chinese medicine uses the herb to treat headaches, colds, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

The reason I chose this soap was because I never had the chance to try this product, even though I've always heard the term 'lavender patchouli' in soaps. I've heard that Patchouli has many uses, including healing skin problems, perfumes, and insect repellents. To some people the scent of patchouli is exotic, sensual, and luxurious, but I think it has a strong earthy smell. My sister complained about the overpowering scent after I used it.

However, I'm happy that it leaves my skin soft and smooth. The problem with soap is that it inevitably contains residual alkalis, usually in the form of sodium. Sodium is very disruptive to the stratum corneum, the upper layer of the skin. Repeated use of soap will have a drying effect because the sodium interferes with the ability of the skin to hold the body’s water in. Yes, it does make me feel like my body is covered with a thin layer of wax, but which soap doesn't? The most important thing is, it does not dry up my skin like some soaps do.

Rating: 3.685

White Cherry  Blossom Hand and Body Lotion
White Cherry Blossom Hand and Body Lotion $3.00
Soft floral scent, copy of a Victoria Secret fragrance

I enjoyed using this lotion made by Marlene. It has a sweet floral scent which reminds me of a perfume that my youngest aunt used when I was a small kid. It's not Victoria's Secret, but I'm not sure what. So it's true that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory.

I like that aloe vera juice is one of the ingredients Marlene used in making this lotion. Ancient cultures used aloe to treat hair loss, skin irritations and wounds. My mom also planted aloe vera once, and she sometimes used it to make cooling drinks for us. After removing the bitter latex, that is. Thinking about it right now really makes me drool!

Anyway, back to the lotion. Usually, I apply a thin layer of the lotion after bath. It leaves my skin smooth and silky, but not greasy. The scent is also long-lasting and will only fade after a long time. I really like this lotion!

Rating: 4.000

Please visit countrysoapsbymarlene for more goodies! All of Marlene's 8 oz. gel soaps are now available for $6.00 USD!

Marlene's Online Connections:
Twitter :: Facebook :: Artfire :: Hyenacart

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