A Soap Company for Parrot People

www.patreon.com/posts/51102394

Yes! I finally updated my patreon… and already created 6 new posts with images and im planning on audio and videos just for patreons to get their creative businesses starter right.

*Post originally taken from pethealthandsupplies.com and expanded.

So, you have a bird and know from your research that you must be careful with your cleaning products, fragrances and chemicals you use in your home from now on.

The bad news is that there is no official research out there that studies different chemicals and their effects on pet birds. This is shocking, but not too surprising for what is supposed to be the 4th most popular pet in the USA.

The good news is that there are some alternatives and companies that seek to provide safe options to still have a great smelling home. Some people simmer orange peels, cinnamon and cloves on the stovetop as a home fragrance. Vinegar is a fantastic cleanser, especially in the stronger concentrations. Oven cleaner is a proven killer and should be avoided at all costs.

I’ve personally yet to hear a story about birds dropping dead from a candle but the danger is real over time, like smoking. There are some unofficial reports from vets stating that glade plug ins and high VOC fragrances can kill birds, however, there was also a high carbon monoxide reading in one of the reports. Meaning; it is still a mystery.

Birds have very different lungs than humans. Plus, burning a candle in itself, even without fragrance is a carcinogen because it can produce smoke. for that reason, wax melts are the preferred fragrance product for homes with birds. Also, paraffin must be avoided and most commercial candles are paraffin mix.

Many people think that essential oils are automatically safer for everyone because they are “natural.” This is a myth, because essential oils are an allergy triggers for thousands, especially the ones derived from the pine family. the effects of EO (essential oils) on parrots are unknown.

So, whats the answer? Some people avoid home fragrances altogether and others buy candles but burn them away from their birds with plenty of ventilation. Still others seek out alternatives and tested parrot safe products. This brings us to two companies; parrotsafecandles; https://parrotsafecandles.com/

and 3birdsSoap. Both test on site.

Pet Safe, Bird Safe, Fresh Fruit Collection; Pthalate Free, Cruelty free Vegan wax melt, home scents, flameless candle scent

I personally don’t know any more information about this vet approval. which vet? Is it a single veterinarian, or a group? More information may be needed to know for sure. Parrotsafecandles states testing happens on site around their birds.

The EU has banned over 200 chemicals that American companies can use freely in their fragranced products with abandon, creating a bit of a “Wild West,” of products and their risks to our and our pet’s health.

Parrotsafecandles claims that their products are “vet approved,” but, birdssoap takes a different approach to candles and states that “Candles have flames and smoke is proven carcinogenic, therefore we don’t recommend candles for birds.” Parrotsafecandles sells both wax melts and candles, birdssoap states that their candles and wax melts are the same bird safe formula, but only recommends wax melts around birds; so, you really have only one choice when you need a candle, specifically.

BirdsSoap is run by a former chef and uses EU approved fragrances and only suggests food based, wax melts for parrot residences that are suggested to be kept cold, like food; not surprising, coming from a chef. The reason being that candles are not as safe. BirdsSoap claims testing around their rescue parrots on site and also donates a part of their proceeds to local bird rescue efforts. The price difference is a few dollars for a pack of six melts between the two companies.

Images, videos and so forth of birdssoap can be found on the production area on tiktok, facebook, instagram and even Pinterest. https://pin.it/6P4I084

Reviews for both products can be found online by bird keeping people all over the world and they are overwhelmingly positive for both small businesses.

Here is the link for parrotsafecandles on Facebook, which has reviews; https://www.facebook.com/parrotsafecandles/reviews

The consensus on birdsSoap is that their fragrances are extremely good, more varied and seasonal, but last less time than traditional wax melts, presumably because of the food based ingredients. The suggestion to extend the life of the individual melts is to cut them in half and “refresh” the wax melt pool in 2-3 hours.

We want to hear from you; what changes have you made to bird proof your home? Have you tried either company’s products? What is your opinion?

XL Black Skull Bath Bombs! I created these HUGE bath bombs with food based ingredients- just citric acid and baking soda- with bath bomb colorant that won’t stain the most stubborn tubs. I mixed the colors to make black. There are a few scents; the Devils Door, Peppermint and Halls of Valhalla, which is like a mix of lime, neroli and frankincense. It’s probably the most popular scent in my second shop; newvalhallasoap.

Maybe folks don’t realize this, but we created our own logos.

It started with a quick drawing I did of our 3 birds at the time; (now 4) and has slowly become better over iterations.

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Our logo is still evolving! Its starting to appear on some other merchandise as well. I also created a log for our other stores- NewValhallaSoap and Awareskincare.

Theres been lots of other fun little artworks I made in the past year or two of the birds.

Full credit to Jan Berry; aka; “The Nerdy Farmwife,” for this recipe. I thought I’d write a blog post about it because it’s just THAT good.

The recipe is as follows; (Here is the original page, by Jan Berry; https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/cold-process-cucumber-soap-palm-free/

Cold Process Cucumber Soap Recipe
Superfat is 6%. All measurements are by weight. You need an accurate digital scale to make soap.

1/4 (2 or 3 oz) of a cucumber, unpeeled
9 oz (255 g) cool or chilled water
3.83 oz (108 g) lye (sodium hydroxide)
12 oz (340 g) olive oil
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil (*or babassu oil)
4 oz (113 g) rice bran oil
2 oz (57 g) avocado oil
2 oz (57 g) shea, mango or avocado butter
1/2 tbsp French green clay mixed with 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) water
*Note: If using babassu oil instead of coconut oil, use 3.57 ounces (101 grams) of lye for a 6% superfat.

This was one of those recipes that was a bit more work, but oh, so worth it. You start by peeling and processing some fresh cucumbers.

For this recipe, I always make at least 4 (3#) loaves. That’s 40 bars. They do take a little more time to cure, maybe because of the higher moisture content?

I use just a food processor or our ninja to process the cucumber and mint. I also always add some peppermint and or spearmint essential oils later on- when I mix the soap; about 1 oz per pound of soap I make. Other great additions are Eucalyptus or even a touch of Tea Tree, but don’t go overboard, that scent is powerful and just takes over!

The cucumber has to be frozen because you’ll be adding lye to it, which will heat it rapidly to over 200 degrees, which will basically cook it and strangely; also turn it bright pumpkin orange. We don’t want that! So; take it from me, and freeze it in a zip lock bag like I did with the fresh aloe here.

You’ll want to freeze this as flat as possible (it’ll freeze faster that way and also be easier to break up to add to the lye water later.) It takes about a day for me to freeze the amount I use to make 40 bars, so if you are only making a little bit in comparison, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours.

I weigh all my oils and ingredients and get them all ready ahead while my frozen ingredients are staying cold. The oil can sit for a day or so- sometimes longer, I just make sure to cover them with plastic wrap and warm them a bit in the microwave ahead (90-100 degrees Fahrenheit) because I find this makes better soap and the process easier overall.

I use the frozen block of cucumber in the lye bucket plus the other liquids, then the lye, carefully, while constantly mixing to prevent the lye from sticking into a mass at the bottom of the bucket and forming “lye chunks.” Lye chunks are not fun.

The oils, after warming them to 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit, as stated above are ready as soon as you add your fragrance or essential oils and your French Green Clay! Then, using your stick blender on low, mix the lye water and the oils slowly, being careful not to over mix. If you wanted color, (I do add a little parsley or green mica powder, personally for some pop) you would add that to the oils before adding the lye too. My first batch I did not add color and it came out sorta a pale greenish beige. There is a photo of it in my last post here.

It shouldn’t take long for the mixture to come to trace, which is when it’s gotten a bit thick. Stop mixing there! It’s going to rapidly get thicker fast and begin to be difficult to pour, so get ready to pour! Pour it into your prepared molds and swirl if you would like with your hanger swirl or other tool. I like to use the natural batter color and a darker green (two tone) and mix them, but every batch I make is a little different- I am not known for my consistent designs. Consistency is not my strong suit, creativity is my strong point.

I sometimes like to decorate the top with dried flowers, poppyseeds or parsley leaves (dried.) Sometimes I like them just plain. These pictured above I made hot process (similar to cold process, but I cooked the soap batter, which speeds curing and gives it this rustic look!)

The effect of the soap, which is cut in 2 days or so, is a minty, fresh, bright, unisex Bar that is silken on the skin and gentle enough for the face. This soap, though I did alter it a bit from the original recipe by Jan Berry, was my best seller in summer of 2019. I’ve altered it even more these days, adding fresh aloe and some other ingredients including jojoba and oatmeal for an exfoliating option- and they still sell really well. Men and Women have loved this soap equally and it’s one of my most repeat purchases.

Here is my latest batch; https://etsy.me/3c7jKuJ but I can’t promise it’ll look just the same! They do seem to look nicer each time, however! (:

How did your batch go? Please let me know below!

To continue where I left off with the first post, I had to make a whole blog post just for the amazing book I bought from Amazon, by Jan Berry. I can’t recommend this book enough. You can get your copy here; https://www.amazon.com/dp/1645670015/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_G3VWEb2NE9PM1 And yes, it’s totally worth that $20. This book completely changed my life, personally.

The book has sections for different types of DIY products you can make at home. There’s a section on lotions, balms, solid Bar lotions, rinses and more- and of course; soap. She’s recently expanded the book, so now there’s even more in it that I haven’t even seen.

The Soap section in the original beige book I bought was just a few recipes, maybe 6 or 7. But, that was enough to really get to try out this whole new soap making thing and also try new methods, like adding real foods to soap. One recipe, in particular, stands out- the Cucumber Mint recipe, which incorporates real cucumber into the soap! You process the fresh cucumber and freeze it, so that when you add the cucumber to the lye water and it heats up to nearly 230 degrees, it doesn’t cook and burn. (I learned the hard way.) This method is also used when using other food additives like goat milk, coconut milk, fresh aloe and whatever else you can dream up! I love adding real food to my soap- it’s food based, which makes me happy as a chef.

I tried the cucumber recipe and was floored when it came out smelling like actual* mint and cucumber! Sure, it was a bit gloppy my first batch, but that was my inexperience because I over-mixed the batter way past trace. I didn’t know what I was doing! My husband was a huge fan too. It wasn’t anything to look at, as I didn’t add any colorant to it, but the smell and feeling, the silky smooth texture- was so satisfying we just loved it the way it was, it was an instant keeper. I STILL make this soap and it’s one of my best sellers, though it doesn’t look much like the original and I’ve added my own tweaks and changes, like some avocado oil and fresh mint I actually grow in my garden, plus some mica colorant (the good stuff, of course, by #MadMicas and sometimes even some oatmeal for exfoliant. Here’s the latest batch; Our BEST Seller! XL Cucumber Mint Soap with Avocado https://etsy.me/3bHRMWd

I tried every.single.soap.recipe in that book! Keep reading for more.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton