The Benefits of Organic Skin Care Products

By now most people have heard about the benefits of eating organic food, but what about organic skin care products? Think about it. These products are applied directly to the skin, the largest organ of the human body, and its main defense barrier when it comes to toxins and diseases. For something that is so important to one’s overall health, why risk applying anything to it that isn’t organic? But just what are some of the specific benefits of using organic skin care products? We’re here to provide you with the facts.

Studies suggest that across all available personal care products, there are tens of thousands of chemicals present, of which only a little more than 10% of have been fully tested in this country. That means that you could take any given skin care product on the market and up to 90% of the chemicals found within it would be untested. Would you willingly rub untested chemicals on to your skin? We didn’t think so!

When you choose organic products, you know exactly what you are putting on to your skin, and you know it is not harmful to your body. Most organic products are made from plants, fruits, and other ingredients that are found in nature. They aren’t altered in any way by unnatural, and potentially dangerous, chemicals.

There are many other benefits that go along with using natural, organic products, including the fact that you won’t be harming the environment in any way. If you would like to learn more about the advantages of using natural products like our soap, contact us today!

The Advantages of Using Olive Oil Soap

With so many body cleaning products available, you may be wondering why our handmade olive oil soaps are the right choice for you. Well, we’re here to tell you that our products, and olive oil soap in general, provides many benefits that can’t be found by using other types of soap. Olive oil is something people have been using to clean their bodies for thousands of years, and our soap is the perfect way to experience what this oil can do for your skin.

One of the biggest advantages of using our soap is how well it will moisturize your skin. Unlike many other types of products, olive oil doesn’t take away your skin’s natural oils. That means you can expect your skin to be less dry and flaky any time you use it. This is especially ideal for people who suffer from chronic dry skin conditions and during the colder months of the year.

Another great benefit of using olive oil soap is that people rarely have allergic reactions to it. That’s because it is hypoallergenic, so it’s even completely safe to use on newborn babies. Even if you have especially sensitive skin, you don’t have to worry about this soap irritating it in any way.

Finally, olive oil soap is full of antioxidants, which are becoming increasingly more important in today’s world. Throughout your day you are likely to encounter some type of pollution, pesticides, and other types of harmful chemicals that can damage your cells. These so called free radicals are harmful to the body, but olive oil soap can work to repair some of the damage they cause.

The benefits of olive oil soap don’t end there, and the team at Rosner Soap would love to answer any questions you have about it, so just let us know!

Sugar Loaf, A State of Mind

Our Hamlet Historian, Richard Hull, maintains that Sugar Loaf is a state of mind. By examining the hamlet's history from its inception to the present day, he points out repeatedly how the United States was built from small communities such as this one; no matter what the hardship, we soldier on through thick and thin, by adjusting to what necessity calls for.

What I do observe since the hamlet's revival in the 6o's to the Artisan village it is now, is longevity. Indeed, many have been here well over 30 years, some about to celebrate their 40th anniversary, others their 25th or 15th; we held fast and adapted to an ever changing economy. Sugar Loaf may be a State of Mind, what is for sure, is that it is a Tradition and in the words of so many customers: " It is worth the trip!".

The Soap Sachet

              

Our Soap Sachets contain shavings and small pieces of our All Natural Olive Oil Soap, you can use them to pleasantly scent and refresh rooms, closets and drawers.  

These Sachets are the closest we have come to "bagging" the scent of our store. 

It is good to know that moths hate the fresh scent of soap, so you may also use our Sachets as a moth repellent.

Should you run out of your Rosner Soap supply, you may use these shavings until your next order arrives!

Our Sachets make great gifts! Try one!

The Soap Loaves

For the longest time we have been selling Loaves in our Sugar Loaf store, now you can buy them online!
 The advantage of a loaf is:

1) You get 15% off because we don't do the cutting, trimming or wrapping, so you get about 2 bars free; more soap for your dollar.

2) You cut your own bars to the size you want; bigger for yourself, smaller for your guests? Perfect for multiple bathrooms, travel sizes, gift baskets and sharing!

It helps of course to have a favorite, but once you have determined that, then a simple spackling knife or kitchen knife will cut cleanly through the soap, which should be stored in a cool dry place, a drawer, or closet. We recommend that you cut a few bars in advance so that the ones in the center of the loaf will have time to dry and harden, they will be all the creamier for it!

                                 Looking for an original Holiday gift? Try the Soap Loaves !

Yes It Works!

A year ago I wrote about our All Natural Insect Repellant, and I find myself a year later, having to write about it again. One, because the winter having been so mild out here in the East, the bugs are back with a vengeance and two, because: Yes It Works!

So what is it about a handmade product compared to an industrial one that makes the consumer hesitate?

What are the possible disadvantages of an all natural insect repellant like ours?

1) It is in an oil base, so it is "oily".

2) It has a scent.

3) You need to reapply it if you are spending hours outside and are sweating.

What are the advantages of an all natural insect repellant like ours?

1) The scent of the essential oil blend repels insects and the insects do not develop a tolerance as they do to pesticides.

2) The oil base is very good for the skin and is readily absorbed by the skin.

3) As long as you emit the scent of the essential oils, bugs will not bite you, even though they may be flying around.

4)It is harmless and can be used freely on children and infants.

So all things considered, it is a no brainer. Try it, see for yourself.

Less is More

So we were chosen by Marie Claire for their Pro-Picks in their March issue!

This is a page where their Make-Up Artist recognizes really good value for under $10. Even though our soap was chosen along with other products that are not handmade or all natural, we feel proud that someone from that world (maybe the make-up artist himself?) came all the way up here and recognized really good quality despite the modest packaging. As I often intone: " Less can be much more, keep things simple, keep things clean!"

Go ahead, try our sweet woodsy all natural olive oil Kalahari soap, you'll see, smell and feel the difference!

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Sahara at Rosner Soap

In spite of the unbelievable amounts of rain this year, we have found leaves for our Sahara soap!

Our beautiful signature bars are scented with a fragrant combination of rosemary, patchouli and geranium; even the patchouli haters will enjoy this one!

Come by on one of the beautiful autumn days we still have in store and see them and smell them for yourself, you will be happy you did.

Your Best Interest At Heart

Whether it is the "Gold in the Jar", quality of ingredients, reliability, or having your best interest at heart, I am describing the key elements that define the service of small business. This is what makes the difference between small business and big businesses where there is nobody home, nobody to answer the real questions and no real accountability.

People have been coming for years to our Sugar Loaf store, not just for the consistency in quality, but for advice, answers and a sense of connectedness in a world starting to lose its humanity. Our service cannot fail, because it involves our heart and soul, our small business is not about numbers and shareholders. Our responsibility will always be to our customers not to some absentee owner.

Think about it next time you buy: in a world of cause and effect who would have your best interest at heart?

Our New Product: Hand & Body Cream

So we finally came out with our new product! The Hand & Body Cream, a cream to complement the Bath and Body oil and the Balms. As with the rest of our products this cream is scented only with the finest pure grade essential oils and all the ingredients are plant based.

Most people are used to creams as opposed to balms, and even though the balms we make penetrate deeper into the skin, this cream is extremely emollient without being greasy, it has a velvety consistency and is a must for this summer's moisturizing along with our All Natural Insect Repellent (because it works, remember?). The scent is light and refreshing something for both genders, and will not interfere with another perfume, but rather enhance it (the beauty of essential oils!).

Time to check it out, and try it!

Good To Know

In our "Good To Know" section we have something about caring for our soap. Now, you might think: "why? soap is soap", but actually not, there are different qualities of soap; most commercial bars have fillers and hardeners (among other things) to compensate for the cheap quality of the ingredients. Our soaps are made with oils pure enough to eat: olive, coconut and palm, we do not need to put any other additives; if you let our bars sit in water they will melt faster, if on the other hand, you make sure to let them air dry nicely, and harden in between usage, they will last a long time (our soapstone and cast iron soap dishes are designed for this purpose).

The difference is significant; that is good to know when you are purchasing quality. The details! It's all in the details!

Favorites

People often ask me what my favorite soap is. I have learned over time to name 3, but in the early days of our shop, I'd get confused, name one then another and a 3d and a 4th only to finally admit I loved them all. I just didn't want anyone to miss out on all the wonderful and diverse scents. I would of course confuse my customer, who was by then just as clueless as they were to begin with. Time has taught me to say: "My favorite is the Red Desert but most people's favorite is the Lemongrass with Oatmeal and the Sweet Almond is another great favorite".

The dilemma with the "favorite" is that favorites can change according to mood or season or both. For instance while the Red Desert may be my constant favorite, in the summer I love the smell of the Vanilla & Pomegranate. I find the combination so refreshing and compelling; is it the warmth, the longer days? Who knows? But the sweeter scents suit me more in summer than winter. Then there are the combinations of different bars; I love combining the Peppermint & Tea Tree with the Cinnamon & Orange. I stick the two bars together in the shower and something about the astringent peppermint with the warmer cinnamon and slightly sweet orange loosens my shoulder and neck muscles and gives me such a sense of contentment!

Having said that, scents are so personal that what appeals to some doesn't appeal at all to others, or like Patchouli you either love or hate it with no less than a burning passion! Ah yes the passions that smells evoke! And the memories! But I digress. Certain bars are loved accross the board like Lemongrass with Oatmeal or Sweet Almond, I call those the "unanimous favorites". Then there are the bars like the Basil & Cornmeal that are amazing, cosmetically excellent and relaxing to those who think too much, but those bars get so much interference from all the scents in the store that many customers pass them by until they take one home and discover it there, where the bar becomes a favorite, I call those the "unexpected favorites".

So favorites, yes, short and definitive or long and convoluted which one's yours and why?

The Plant That Never Stops Giving

So we have this great product called an "Ayate Cloth" that so many of you visit on our site but are not sure what to do with. I thought I'd explain a bit further for the curious.

Ayate is the name given to this very strong fiber which is taken from that beautiful huge plant we all think of as a cactus even though it is not, it is actually a succulent and is known as agave or century plant. It is native to Mexico even though we see it in all mediterranean climates, (thanks to the Spanish conquistadores). Now aside from being the plant that never stops giving, because it will provide you with food, drink, clothes and tools, the woven fiber is an all safe mildew resistant body exfoliant, but more importantly it is the only facial grade exfoliating cloth I know of, even for fair skin types.

Once wet the weave tightens and softens, the result is a stimulating and smoothing effect on the skin. It is very pleasant to use and will never smell like a washcloth can... It is also very durable and one Ayate Cloth will last you a good year. For those of you who like to put everything in the laundry, it is also machine washable!

We carry it as a simple wash cloth and also as a mitt with a sponge inside. As summer approaches and you want to revive your winter looking skin, give the Ayate Cloth a try, I think you'll enjoy it, and remember : you can use it on your face as well!

The Small Things

Thirty years ago I found myself working in the cafeteria of a college in Phoenix, Az. A young woman worked there with me, her name was Rotunda, and ironically she was definitely rotund. I was already very health conscious back then and one morning upon seeing her eat some kind of Fruit Loop or Lucky Charm cereal, I asked her how she could eat that "stuff", to which she very candidly replied: "Because it makes me happy!" (with rising intonation). I was so taken aback by her sincerity there was nothing I could say.

I have often thought of Rotunda's reply to my judgment filled question and asked myself: "What makes me happy?", inflection on the "me". Well aside from a beautiful day and the scent of lemons, there is nothing like a shower with a silky smooth bar of my soap scented as if by miracle. Something I enjoy even more when I travel and take my soap with me.

It is in those small things, like a bowl of cereal, the smell of fresh cut grass, the sight of blossoming magnolias, or a really good bar of herbal olive oil soap that we find the comfort to move on; those small things keep us going until the big things straighten out, if they ever do.

What makes you happy?

"Does It Work?"

In our Sugar Loaf store customers will look at our Insect Repellent and many ask: "Does it work?". I imagine that question stems from having used a natural insect repellent which didn't work, or again from this incredible confidence we seem to give the pharmaceutical/chemical industry. They may wonder: "If there is no pesticide how on earth can it work?".

Well, my answer is that the world did not wait for the Petro-chemical industry to repel bugs!

As many of you know we are great believers in the benefits of essential oils. Certain essential oils have been used to repel insects for millennia, all across the world. We have selected five essential oils for their insect repelling qualities, geranium, citronella, basil, cedarwood, lemongrass, and put them in a wonderfully moisturizing base of sweet almond and safflower oil.

If you are someone to whom mosquitoes are attracted, (as they are to me), you will be far less attractive to them; they may fly around you but they will not land on you or sting you. If you are gardening or hiking and sweating you will need to repeat applications, but you can it's harmless!! And NO there is no deet. And the answer is YES our All Natural Insect Repellent works! Try it, see for yourself! Would we sell it if it didn't?

The Gold In The Jar

Nowadays the outer appearance of what you sell is more important than the actual product inside. In fact, the idea is the more you pay for a product the more value you must be getting and the packaging must give that impression.

In most cases your over packaged/over sized jar contains only 2oz of actual product. In addition the active ingredient (if there is one) exists in a tiny quantity, probably not enough to do much, but who cares? The package is so pretty and makes me feel good! Next is our willingness to believe that the cosmetic industry has our best interest at heart; why should we think any other way?

So what I would like to say is that our packaging is simple, which is our philosophy, and simple is also beautiful, but more than that our packaging carries no pretense. Our content, however, is amazing. We have so much more active ingredient in each of our products than any of the big companies on the market, you are actually getting much more for you money.

Those of you who have tried our soap and realized the difference between regular soap and our soaps, will in all likelihood feel the same about our body care products.

There is no secret; what is made in smaller quantities with far less overhead is of much higher quality. My personal favorites are the Restoring Balm and the Body Scrub which I also use on my face. Check it out!

Why Lavender?

If you are one of those people who read ingredients, (and you should be), here is a story about one of our ingredients and why we use it so much : the essential oil of lavender .

René-Maurice Gattefossé, born in Montchat near Lyon in 1881, is regarded as the Father of Aromatherapy and inventer of the word itself.

A famous French chemist and scholar, in 1910 he discovered the virtues of the essential oil of lavender. While working in his lab, Rene Gattefosse, received 3rd degree thermal burns on his hand and forearm during an experiment and plunged his hand into the nearest tub of liquid which just happened to be lavender essential oil. He was later amazed at how quickly his burn healed and with very little scarring. This started a fascination with essential oils and inspired him to experiment with them during the First World War on soldiers in the military hospitals. He used oils of lavender, thyme, lemon and clove for their antiseptic properties. Gattefosse noted an increase in the rate of healing in wounds treated with essential oils and that the oils seemed to be free from the disadvantages present with other antiseptic agents in use at that time.

Lavender Oil Properties: Lavender essential oil has soothing, calming, and restorative properties. The essential oil is antiseptic, cooling and mild. Considered the universal oil, lavender is readily used neat, or undiluted, and combines well with almost all other oils for a wide variety of benefits. Many aromatherapists say lavender is the first essential oil to get.

Lavender Essential Oil Physical Benefits and Effects:

• Skin care – especially dry or acne prone skin

• Headaches – rub a drop or two on the temples for tension migraine relief.

• Burns – The cooling, soothing and skin restorative effects are good for anti-inflammatory sunburn care. Documented use as an emergency care for heatstroke until medical personnel can arrive.

• Insect Repellent/Bites and Stings – Repel bugs and takes the sting away from bites.

• Blood Pressure and Heart – Soothes heart palpitations and lowers blood pressure because of anti-stress properties

• Congestion/Asthma – Anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects make lavender good for respiratory support. Suitable for use with children as well.

• Dandruff – Stimulating and moisturizing effects help with hair shine and dry scalp.

Lavender Mental/Psyche Effects:

• Anti-Stress – Calming and soothing effects help counteract stress hormones

• Antidepressant – Lavender is a well-documented antidepressant essential oil.

• Refreshing and Uplifting – Can help balance mood swings and PMS symptoms

• Insomnia – A mild sedative effect for restless or anxious nights

Continuing the Fundraiser for Breast Cancer

It was very exciting to band together as a village and support a woman walking the Avon Walk Fundraiser, but that is over now and Yaron and I felt that Breast Cancer Awareness is something we want to support year round.

So, while listening to NPR on my way somewhere, I heard a woman, Dr Janet Grey, being interviewed about The Breast Cancer Fund's landmark report "State of The Evidence 2010" which summarizes and evaluates the scientific evidence linking exposures to chemicals and radiation in our everyday environments to increased breast cancer risk. It also links the science to actions we can take to reduce the risk.

I realized this is exactly what I was looking for: something that can instruct all of us how to be more aware of what we can do to help ourselves and our children on a daily basis. Clearly our knowledge will determine the industry's actions, whether it be cosmetic, animal, or chemical, the more there are of us who request safer products the more they will have to deliver. We will therefore continue to make and sell our all natural glycerin oval soap scented with rose geranium essential oil, for each soap purchased $1 will go to the Breast Cancer Fund. Please visit this link if you have not already, it is very informative and helpful.

Sugar Loaf 38th Annual Fall Festival

For a very fun time in the Hudson Valley, come celebrate the Fall on Columbus Day Week End in Sugar Loaf NY!!

Live Music, Artists and Artisans displaying their work and Good Food for Everyone!

Don't miss our 38th Annual Craft Fair!

Walk for a Cure Fundraiser: Breast Cancer

"One in seven" is the statistic for breast cancer today. Pretty frightening right? It makes you wonder what has changed so much in 2 generations for there to be such a dramatic increase in the statistics? I think it is safe to say that all of us know someone (possibly ourselves) either close or not so close, but we all know someone who has undergone or is undergoing the gruesome conditions of this illness.

The Artisan Hamlet of Sugar Loaf NY, is sponsoring an individual in her Avon: Walk for a Cure Fundraiser, Sunday September 5th. For this event we have created a special soap: it is an oval vegetable glycerine soap scented with aromatherapeutic oil of rose. 33% of the proceeds on the sale of this soap will go to this fundraiser.

Many stores in the Hamlet will be making products specifically for this event. Come and give your support, visit us next Sunday September 5th! See the Sugar Loaf website for directions. wwwsugarloafnewyork.com (see "links" above)

Ingredients: Bare Bones Philosophy.

What is fascinating about soap is that it can take different shapes, sizes, smells and colors and the final product gives satisfaction to so many. Soap is something we use daily and though it can be luxurious, it is very basic.

When we started to make soaps and body care products, we decided we would create a bar from the finest ingredients and as pure as possible. We wanted people to come back and say: "This is the best soap I ever used, it makes me feel so good!", and we hear it regularly.

What is the secret of the quality of our soaps and products? It is very simple: our ingredients. Living in France taught us the importance of knowing our ingredients, and that quality of ingredient makes the difference between what is good and what is excellent.

Being spiritually connected to the mediterranean, we knew we wanted to use olive oil as a base. Olive oil is a wonderous oil in that it will both moisturize and balance your skin, which very few oils can do. Olive oil is also readily absorbed by the skin and has a natural SPF of 9. The only disadvantage of olive oil is its very small lather, more like a cream and it remains soft. In order to get around that we added coconut oil for lather and palm oil to make a harder bar. All the oils we use are food grade and can be eaten as well as applied to the skin.

Wanting our soaps to do more than just cleanse, we knew we had to use essential oils for their medicinal benefits. Essential oils are extracted from plants and flowers and have been known through history for their many therapeutic qualities. In future posts I will introduce some of the basic essential oils and their known benefits.

We use few ingredients but they are excellent quality and basic, so no additives are necessary in order to make up for cheap ingredients. The combination of our ingredients makes a soap which is free of synthetic chemicals, lathering agents, parabens, petro-chemicals or other harmful ingredients. We believe that as the largest organ of the body, the skin needs to be treated with care and awareness.

Logo: The Story of Our Cactus

For years we lived with a large cactus outside our blue door. It stood with its arms raised high, forever welcoming us back to our home . Before moving to Sugar Loaf NY, we kept sadly looking at it, knowing full well we could not take it with us.

As we approached our departure date, after years of never giving flowers, our cactus gave us five flowers, one for each of us. We saw in that flowering a generous blessing of our new endeavor.

By then we knew we'd take the cactus with us by making it our logo.

Welcome to Rosner Soap, Our Story.

Twelve years ago we opened a soap store in the artisans community of Sugar Loaf NY, since then every week a customer asks us: "How did you start making soap?", here is the story:

One day walking in a lively city street we happened upon a beautiful store that looked like a bakery but was actually a soap store, Yaron and I simultaneously looked at each other and said: "We can do this!". We asked the lady working there : "How do you make soap?", a question we now need to answer everyday, and from there on the soap making started for us.

In 1998 after living many years abroad, mostly in France, we decided to return to the USA. We began looking for a community where we could maintain the quality of our family life and make a living. We sought something that would combine and express our strengths and desire, to create beautiful and healthy products. Yaron has a background in photography and design and mine is health and natural medicine. Upon deciding to return to the USA, a friend told us about Sugar Loaf, a small hamlet not far from New York City, where artisans and artists live and work all year round.

Sugar Loaf was so small that at first we couldn't see it on the map, when we finally found it, we fell in love with the authenticity, the rustic look of the houses and the eclectic mix of people. Sugar Loaf seemed to offer the quality of family life we were looking for.