"Angie in AZ" for her entry of "Sand and Sea". 

Here is what she wrote as her entry on my Jesplayin blog:

"This soap sounds wonderful and is really, really beautiful. The very first thing that popped into my mind reading about it and looking at the color, patterns, and texture is "Sand and Sea". The colors are of the sand and sea. The patterns remind me of swirls of water and the top, of waves. So that's my name."

I thought her entry and her reason for it was just so awesome. It made me think, and being that I'm product-naming challenged, it was one that I wouldn't have thought of, but is oh-so-fitting.

Thank you, Angie!  Step forth and claim your prize by emailing me at  yetunguez@taiwobathandbody.com

Thank you to all who entered...tough decision because there were so many wonderful entries!  You will get another chance to name another soap soon!

.  I love to make Soap.  I really do.  Problem is, I find it hard to limit my selection of soaps to a few constant bars.  To solve this dilemma, I am introducing a line of Artisanal Soaps. 'Artisanal' is defined as: Any product made by hand, by a skilled craftsman.  I make these soaps by hand, with little to no mechanization.  Well, I like to think I'm a skilled craftswoman, thank you very much!

Here is my first in this line of soaps.  It is made with Olive, Coconut, Soy, Cottonseed oils, and Avocado oils, along with a healthy helping of Pure unrefined Shea Butter.  The lovely green swirls you see is achieved with the use of natural mineral rich Spirulina.  The soap is scented a fresh uplifting Pine scent.  It is a healthy hunking 5.75 oz!  

 Okay, here comes the hard part.  What do I name this soap?  Hey, This calls for a contest...

The Rules:

1.  Come up with the most clever name you possibly can. 
2.  This contest will go be open until Friday November 13, 2009 at 5pm EST. 
3.  Winner will be announced on Saturday November 14th, 2009 10am
4.  Enter your entry either by commenting on this blog.
5.  Winner will receive One free full-size bar of this soap.

GOOD LUCK!

There are 3 very basic things anyone must do in order to have a decent chance at gorgous healthy skin.  Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturize.  Even a self-confessed 'au naturel' soap and water girl like me knows this.  These three steps could be very involved or very simple, depending on what you like. The first two steps can done in whichever order you prefer.  I prefer to

First Step:  Cleanse

Going to bed with makeup on? Big No-No.  Waking up and going about your day without so much as a splash of water on your tired face?  Ewwwww.....
With all the environmental toxins we are exposed to in this day and age, it is ever more important to clean off all the dirt and grime that accumulate on our skin.
Most Cleansers are a combination of oil, water, and a surfactant.  The oil loosens oil (how ironic). The  surfactant removes the oil and dirt, and the water makes it all go away. Natural soaps work similarly, except they contain no surfactants. It is important to cleanse at least daily.

Step 2: Exfoliate

To exfoliate is to gently slough off the dead skin cells that accumulate on the top layer of your skin. When you exfoliate you reveal the soft supple smooth skin underneath the dead gunk, revealing your beautiful fresh youthful looking skin. Exfoliating your skin is in preparation for the next step, Moisturizing.  Imagine putting lotion on an alligator.  Your skin better accepts moisturizers when it is first exfoliated because you have removed all the barriers preventing the moisturizer from penetrating your skin.

I prefer to exfoliate once a week, but other people may just only need once every 2-3 weeks. To the newly initiated, the temptation is to scrub daily...DO.NOT.DO.THAT.  You want to have skin left to exfoliate after the first week.

Step 3: Moisturize

After your exfoliation ritual, it's time for the pièce de resistance.  This is where all your hard work pays off.  Repeat after me: If you exfoliate, you must moisturize! Once you've sloughed off the dead skin, you have tonow protect that new young skin with all the goodness of a moisturizer, either one with a lot of shea butter, such as my Ori Whipped Shea Butter. For light moisture, a good blend of skin nourishing oils such as my Huile Body Oil Spray is the way to go.

Here's your Winter Pampering assignment: Take a hot shower or bath, exfoliate, moisturize and curl into bed.  In the morning you will wake up feeling soft...like butta!

Thank you for stopping by my Artfire Studio Blog. I have just settled in, so be sure to check back soon for updates!