Winter 2019 Favorites

I am back with my favorites of this past winter season. Up until March 21st, my self care has been a priority and it shows in this first quarter of favorites.

December Favorites

We have come to the end of 2018. The holiday season. So my favorite things this month brought all the warm and fuzzies I needed during the cold.

Winter is Coming

Woohoo! Welcome to December!! I don't know why I'm so excited. I hate the cold. But it is the holiday season and I love to spend it with my family and have a good time. So, I guess that is what I am excited for.

Anyway, December 21st is coming soon and since that is not only the Winter Solstice or Yule, but also the first day of winter, my Etsy shop is all prepped and ready for the winter season and the slow return of longer days. I figured I'd give you guys a glimpse of what is coming up since the Fall Favorites post was so popular. So without further ado, here is what's coming up during the coldest season of the year.

The Yule Incense and Oil are already available as individual items and in a Ritual Kit so order them quickly for the holiday. Then later this season, get a jump on the Imbolc Incense and Oil as well for your Pagan holiday and/or ritual needs.

I've already got some body butters out to help everyone combat that dry winter skin but I'll be introducing even more new ones: Cinnamon, Clove and Peppermint. All scents we love. Cinnamon and Clove to warm you up and Peppermint to cool you down. You might not think that's necessary but who else gets overheated in all their layers? I know I do.

I cannot forget about the Zodiac Bath Soaks that will be renewed this season. Capricorn, Pisces and Aquarius bath soaks are coming back. To be honest, all twelve bath soaks are available all year round because they make great gifts.

Last year around this time I introduced the Vanilla n' Honey Facial Scrub which became very popular so I'm bringing that back. Some more items to help you cool down will be the Eucalyptus n' Spearmint Body Scrub and the Bath of Wintergreen. Both of these items are part of my original product lines but I haven't been able to update them in awhile so I am happy to be bringing them back. Both have great, refreshing scents that will keep you from feeling those winter blues. One other original item to help lift your spirits that is coming back is the Uplifting Scrub. It will be like a happy reunion in the shop with these items.

Next, I'll be introducing some more gift sets. The Chamomile, Lavender and Lemon gifts sets are waiting patiently to debut. But don't wait for me if you've got something in mind. I always take custom orders and you know I've got that gift wrap available in the shop. Don't you love how my business colors work so well with holiday colors? Or any season for that matter.

If you want to know exactly what is coming out when, hit the Subscribe to Newsletter button on your top right for up to the minute details.

~Lashette
Scarlet Moon Creations

New Product Line #1 - Body Butters

So, you guys already know I've been experimenting with body butters for two years now. I've finally got the basic formula that I want to use down and have created a few that have just been released. Honestly, I am quite excited. I am loving body butters. I have never used them before, not even store bought. The closest I've come is using lotions that say they contain shea butter and/or cocoa butter to moisturize. They never work like they say they do so I never bothered looking into body butters. I don't know about you but many of us black people have a dry skin problem when fall and winter comes around. One bad enough, in some cases, that regular lotion will not even put a dent in. Many of us have been using petroleum oil since that was the thing to do. But if you know better, petroleum by products are not really good for your health long term. And the skin doesn't really soak them up well.

Well TADA!! Body Butters. My parents have been my main guinea pigs throughout this entire process. They love whatever I come out with because it works better than anything they've tried before. I tried these out on a few other people as well over the years and I am happy with the feedback. I actually got the formula down pat last December but it seemed too late to roll out even one body butter then. Low and behold, in January I got a request for something for muscle aches after working out. I did some research and made a post about it here already. So, one of my body butters will be the Muscle Body Butter, as I call it. Shout out to Work Hard Train Harder for the influence.

Anyway, this is the first new product line I hinted at in my Fall Favorites post. This is also the first new product line since the Massage n' Bath Oils back in 2013. For those I did not make a big to do, but I am doing so now because I missed out. Right now I've got four body butters; Chocolate Mint, Muscle, Lavender and Lemon. I also do custom orders so if you've got a natural scent in mind feel free to contact me and we'll set it up. Plenty of my products have come about because someone asked me for it.

Also, I am planning on more as time goes by so look out for those. Want to know when they are coming out so you can be the first to get them? Sign up for Newsletter to get New Product Updates and more.

~Lashette
Scarlet Moon Creations

Making Products for Muscle Aches

On Twitter the other day, I mentioned how I was getting requests for new products. Well, my gym instructor asked about something to offer his more advanced students for aching muscles. Since I had aching muscles I thought I'd give a try at mixing up something with rosemary and chamomile. Rosemary being known to soothe aching muscles and chamomile just being comforting in general.

So when I got home I mixed a bath soak up quick and dirty, took a pic and posted it, then jumped in a bath. I noticed the affects immediately. I had had my doubts since this was a topical application but I had seen people recommend using compresses so I thought why not. But it worked. 20 minutes in the bath reduced the ache in my muscles enough to sleep comfortably that night. However, it was back the next morning.

My next experiment I tried a week later on the premise that maybe massaging in the oils would help. Massaging in general helps my achy muscles. But, I that weekend I had planned to once again take up the challenge of getting my body butter recipe to whip. So instead of a massage oil, I made a body butter with rosemary and chamomile oils. It came out great. I finally figured out how to get the butter to whip and how many drops of essential oils to use to overpower the scent of the butters. When I tried it after my next workout it was wonderful. The butter melts when on the skin, so it massages in easily. Plus the combination made me sleep like a baby with only a slight twinge the next day to let me know there was ever any ache.

So I've got those products ready. I still plan to make the massage oil which is simple. All I have to do now is create a description for each that explains the use, draws customers and yet doesn't make any drug claims so that I do not attract the attention of the FDA. Yeah, you read that right; the Food and Drug Administration. I'll talk about the webinar I attended about aromatherapy labeling and its revelations in my next post. In the meantime look for my new products to be in the Etsy shop soon.

Body Butter and Body Bars

The body butter is not coming out how I think it's supposed to so I tried the recipe three more times. Twice each with an increasing amount of jojoba oil instead of the coconut oil I had used the last time. I did this after doing some more research online and reading in one blogs comments how a liquid oil was necessary for that soft and fluffy whipped texture to stay and not harden the better later.

Coconut oil is still considered a "solid" oil so I switched it with jojoba oil which is the closest to our skin's naturally produced oil. I didn't use enough the first time because I got the same results, so I tried again. This time seemed better but because I let the mixture harden too much before whipping, it was too difficult.

Since I was pressed for time at that point, I just let that mixture melt again and poured it into the soap molds I had bought just for that purpose. A few months ago I came across a recipe for body bars which is very similar to that for body butter. Obviously, no whipping is required.


When I came back later the bars had hardened nicely but they were still a bit too soft to come out of the molds properly. The recipe calls for coconut oil not jojoba oil. The bars certainly work wonderfully but to make them look pretty I'll use coconut oil or even mango butter as the third main ingredient next time.

So essentially its more liquid oils for the whipped body butter and more solid oils for the body bars. Though if I can find a happy medium that works for both I'll be happy.