We love you a latte.

We let the cat out of the bag a few days ago on our Facebook page. (If you don't like us on Facebook, you should! You're missing chances to vote on upcoming soap flavors and short run sale announcements!)

Anyway, the Maiden was shopping at her favorite organic grocer the other day, in the bulk aisle, and lo and behold....Chai Tea.

Sniffing, sniffing, and sniffing some more, we've blended our own essential oils to get a really true chai latte scent.

The smell was heavenly when we poured it into our homemade log molds.

With just the right amount of real chai tea speckled throughout, and a gorgeous black swirl...

We think this one's gonna be a winner! You'll be able to enjoy it by the beginning of November 2010.

...and we hope you love it a latte.

Host a SALT PARTY!

Have you ever wondered what your house would smell like if Cheeky maiden moved in for a couple of hours?

This holiday season, gather your friends for a good dose of aromatherapy for a Cheeky Maiden Salt Party! Each guest will have the opportunity to create their very own custom bath salts from a variety of high quality spa salts from around the world, classic herbs and flowers, and 100% pure essential oils.

Cheeky Maiden will educate you about the fine art of bath salts and provide some recipes to get you started.

This is a great opportunity to create some home made gifts for friends and family members! Each jar includes a label that signifies that you made it yourself.

Details:

If you would like to host a party, and live in the metro Atlanta, GA or Birmingham, AL areas...

• Contact us at missi (at) cheekymaidensoap (dot) com for time and date availability
• Invite 10-20 of your friends. (We'd love it if you had a minimum of ten guests committed to coming.)
• You provide snacks, wine, coffee, etc and we provide everything else
• Parties last about 2 hours, usually beginning with a very brief intro of what Cheeky Maiden is, highlights of our best products, and Q&A. Then we'll move on to the fun part and get busy creating.
• Guests can purchase an unlimited amount of their own hand made bath salts at $5 per 8 oz jar. We bring high quality amber jars to ensure that the purity of your salt bath creation lasts. Again, this is a GREAT opportunity to make some special gifts for others!
• We will also bring along Cheeky Maiden Soap products for purchase.
• Party host receives 25 % off of her order for the evening/afternoon and the pleasure of having a great smelling house.

Clean mouths spout off about Dental Soap

Cheeky Maiden loves feedback. It's important to us to hear how our products are helping you have healthier skin, happier bodies, and cleaner...teeth? Yes. Teeth.

Here is just some of the feedback we've gotten recently about our Dental Soap.

"...the toothpaste is wonderful as well--my teeth don't feel sensitive and it feels very natural and i think even more clean than when i use the store brand..." (Kelsey, TX)

"I also started using the dental soap a while ago with my now 2 1/2 yr old. It has worked great! I have a bar I use for myself as well." (Elizabeth, GA)

"Just a note to tell you that I have been using the mint dental soap for the last couple of days and it is delightful, no soapy taste at all. Whatever your formula is, I like it better than the Perfect Prescription Mint and at 1/8th the price.

I find that I prefer the bar form to the shreds.

I'm anxious to try the clove, my cat showed some interest in the fragrance :-) but I don't want to have several open at the same time.

Bravo! I know that some people think that dental soap is a very weird concept but I will never go back to toothpaste!

Thank you!" (Maria, MD)

Bird Brained

(alternately titled, Why We Don't Use Emu Oil)

We've been busy this summer doing a rash of farmers markets. My favorite part of these is getting to talk to our customers, find out what is working well for them, and what they'd like to see more of!

I keep getting asked for Emu Oil Soap.

As you may know, we completely avoid the use of animal fats in our soaps and body care. (In fact the only "animal" ingredients you'll ever find are occassionally beeswax or raw milk, from local happy bees and cows.)

It's not that I'm a vegan, but mostly that the idea of rubbing animal fat on my skin sort of grosses me out.

Upon getting asked why we don't have emu oil soap, I usually respond that we don't use any animal fats. This last week I was met with, "Oh, it's not an animal fat. It's an oil."

Very reasonable confusion has amounted to exactly what is emu oil. They certainly are not squeezing the oil out of emus, I can tell you that much. It is not anything like the manufacture of lanolin from sheep either.

The emus are farmed, killed, ground up, and "rendered", and THAT is what you are receiving to rub on your crow's feet or whatever.

Not to mention, the high amounts of oleic acid found in emu oil rendered emu is comedogenic. (That's fancy talk for it can clog your pores.)

Why use emu oil when you can use pure and clean oils such as Neem Oil or Shea Butter for special skin needs? We find both of these oils/fats to be more than efficient!

Neem oil is the active ingredient in Cheeky Maiden Complexion Soaps. It gently refines the pores and can be helpful for both acne and aging skin. We've been selling our Complexion Soap for over three years and it works well for all skin types!

We also use 100% raw, unrefined shea butter in almost all of our soaps, as well as offer it on it's own as a moisturizer.

As far as emu oil goes? We think it's for the birds. ;)

Happy Soapy Summer!

Not only is it our 7th Anniversary of being married, but it has also been a great day for Cheeky Maiden Soap!

First of all, we are working on adding two more farmer's markets to our summer schedule and found out that we are eligible for a grower's permit with the farmers market authority. This means that we don't have to charge sales tax on any purchases made during market hours!

Birmingham people, head on down to the Calera Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 3-7 pm, Homegrown Alabama Market on Thursdays from 3-6 pm (Staring July10th), or the Helena Market Days on Saturdays from 8 am- noon (starting July 12th) to get your Cheeky Maiden fix, tax free! We also have special deals available at the markets only!

Next, we had a great conversation with one of the producers from our local FOX News station. They are doing a piece on local eco-friendly products, and after a short conversation realized that it doesn't get more earth friendly than Cheeky Maiden Soap. No one in Alabama offers soap as pure as ours, so they are considering coming out to our Soap Studio to do some filming very soon.

And last, but certainly not least, I woke up with a fire burning in my belly to make some soap. And when that happens, there is no stopping it! What happens when you mix chocolate and soap? Texas Ranger Man Soap! Makes any man irresistable to his woman with the slight scent of cocoa mixed with woodsy Cedarwood. Ladies, come get your man some! And we rolled out another batch of our oh so adorable Kid Soap on a Rope! This time we colored each little critter using all natural herbs and clays of course. The day was completed with a fine batch of Foot Scrubbies, just in time to repair your feet after visits to the beach or one too many days in flip flops!

Have a Happy Summer!

Tips for using a Shampoo Bar

Shampoo Bars aren't nearly as scary as they sound and are a wonderful solution for 100% Natural hair care! It's totally possible to successfully go detergent free and not end up with dread locks. (Although, if you have dread locks, shampoo bars work great for that too!)

With a little bit of effort, you will find that your hair can be naturally healthy, strong, and shiny. Before long you will be using less product (gels, conditioners, etc) and have healthier hair!

Getting Started

Did you know that all shampoos leave a residue on your hair? Because of this, you are going to have to give a shampoo bar some time to lovingly and gently remove the yucky residue left over from your synthetic shampoo. You can aid this process with a couple of vinegar rinses, especially if you use a lot of product in your hair (such as hair spray, gels, etc.)

The Vinegar Rinse

Once you get the vinegar rinse right, you find that you have totally spoiled yourself! When you are just getting started with shampoo bars and need to rid yourself of those yucky synthetic residues, we recommend using a 1:1 ratio of Apple Cider Vinegar and Water in a squirt bottle in the shower. After you shampoo, squirt this all through your hair and scalp. (You may or may not use the entire bottle, depending on how much hair you have.) Then rinse it off. Don't worry, once your hair is dry you won't smell the vinegar.

With each consecutive shower day, add a little more water to the bottle, lowering the ratio of vinegar to water.

FAQ

Do Cheeky Maiden Shampoo Bars lather?

Yes! Like crazy! Lots of foam! In fact, you really don't need to use much. Just a few quick passes over your head with our shampoo bar and you'll have all you need.

Which Shampoo Bar is right for me?

Based on customer feedback, it seems like the Tea Tree Shampoo Bar works great for those with coarse or curly hair or scalp issues. Our Nettle Shampoo Bar seems to work good for those with straight hair, thick hair, oily hair, regular hair, and especially brunettes looking to naturally enhance their hair color.

How do I use Shampoo Bars?

Cheeky Maiden Shampoo Bars now come in a cube shape. Regular bar shaped soaps tend to break in half and melt faster in the shower. A shampoo cube will last longer and is also easier to hold on to.

Some folks like to work up a lather in their hands and then work it through their scalp and hair. Others like to just rub the shampoo bar directly onto the scalp.

Shampoo Bars are completely customizable. How you end up using it, how often, and what sort of rinse you do (or don't do) completely depends on your water (hard v soft), your hair, what other sorts of products you use, and your shower habits.

What's the difference between Shampoo Bars and Commercial Liquid Shampoo?

First of all, Cheeky Maiden Shampoo Bars are 100% Natural. Most commercial liquid shampoos contain synthetic detergents and all sorts of chemicals that function to make it pearly, get rid of the chemical scent, balance the pH of the liquid, etc.

Shampoo Bars are just soap that is formulated for use on the hair. We make them using the same method as our 100% Natural body soap.

You hair is going to respond differently to a shampoo bar than commercial detergent shampoo. You may find that you don't have to wash as often. You will definitely need a lot less conditioner! You also won't have to switch brands. Shampoo Bar is here to stay!

What Conditioner to you recommend?

We recommend using Apple Cider Vinegar as a conditioner. And entire gallon costs less than $5 and will last you for a year or longer. We've tried it on all sorts of different hair and it just depends on you and how you like to do it.

Some natural hair fanatics do an in-shower rinse. How much ACV to water you use is completely up to your personal preference. You can wash it out or leave it in. Personally, I like to do a spray of it after my shower and before I towel dry my hair. I have thick hair with a normal scalp. I keep a spray bottle of 1:1 ratio ACV to water in my bathroom. After I shower, I spray my hair down good with that and then wrap it up in a towel. By the time I'm dressed and ready to dry (or not) my hair, I have really super soft hair and tangles that are easily combed through. This prevents any sort of product buildup in case I want to get fancy and use hair spray.

Find your Hair Mojo

Once you figure out what works for you, you've found your Hair Mojo! And shampoo bar users everywhere will tell you that it is totally worth the effort. Shampoo bars should be used for a couple of weeks before you decide if it's working for you. Your hair and scalp are going to have to adjust to not being harshly treated.

Getting Shampoo Bars right involves:

• Choosing the right shampoo bar
• Washing intervals
• Vinegar Rinse (or not!)

Please contact the Maiden with any questions! We can help you work out a hair care regimen that fits your lifestyle and needs.

Happy Lathering!

Missi

The Cheeky Maiden

In the soap box!

'Handmade' doesn't have to be synonymous with 'boring'!

When a creative mood strikes Cheeky Maiden, you just never know what you'll end up with, but you can bet that it is going to be unique, original, and fabulously good for your skin!

We'd like to introduce you to our 'Soap Du Jour' category. That's fancy talk for "whatever we felt like making".

Today the Maiden mixed up a super fat (soap talk for "extra creamy and conditioning") batch of soap with loads of Cocoa Butter and completely raw Shea Butter, along with pure Olive, Coconut, and sustainable Palm Oil. It's hot here in Alabama, so Peppermint sounded nice and cool, and who doesn't like some Lavender while we're at it???

She cut up some fresh and colorful handmade soap and skillfully stacked it in the molds, with the help of Thing 1 and Thing 2 (aka, our 4 and 5 year old daughters). We think we came up with a pretty rad design:

We did six logs just like that:

And then poured that super fat Peppermint & Lavender soap right over it:

We can't wait to show you the finished result in a couple of days when we slice these soap logs!

(Did you know that fresh real handmade soap takes a day or two to harden before it can be removed from the mold and sliced. Then we have to wait an agonizing 4 to 6 weeks before it's ready to use! Good things are worth waiting for!)