Tuesday, May 17, 2011
We Moved!
Are you noticing some things are missing? That's because we have moved websites. Please go to www.esthersantechamber.com !
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Do You Crochet? Here's an Easy Pattern
Among the strange hobbies Candace has, knitting and crocheting is one of them. We do sell the washable bath scrubbie, but we'd like to give you the pattern as well. Why? Because using one of these will reduce waste and save you money in the long run. Most net scrubbies cost about $1.00 to buy. When they get gross, you toss them out and can't re-use them. These bath scrubbies can be washed and cleaned so you don't have to throw them out.
We're also including a kitchen scrubbie pattern! You'll definitely save money on sponges there and reduce waste.
These are both great beginner patterns. They're super easy. If you can't crochet or want to save some time, grab one of ours instead. They're made from 100% cotton and super soft.
We're also including a kitchen scrubbie pattern! You'll definitely save money on sponges there and reduce waste.
These are both great beginner patterns. They're super easy. If you can't crochet or want to save some time, grab one of ours instead. They're made from 100% cotton and super soft.
Bath and Body Products out of stock
Sorry everyone, all bath and body products are out of stock. They'll return on or before May 20th, 2011. You can still place an order here on the website. If you do, your shipping will be delayed until May 20th.
The custom corsets and jewelry are still available.
Thank you for your patience!
The custom corsets and jewelry are still available.
Thank you for your patience!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Help Us Generate Some Customers
Have you heard of Heartsy yet? It's the Groupon for people who use Artfire and Etsy. We've submitted a possible Heartsy deal offering over 50% off our entire store. Yes, that includes the corsets. Think about it, you could get a $160.00 custom made corset for only $79.00 or so. That's pretty awesome, isn't it?
If you'd like to see us generate new customers and get a deal on Heartsy, please go here and vote. Just click that "Yes definitely" and help us really kick things off!
If you'd like to see us generate new customers and get a deal on Heartsy, please go here and vote. Just click that "Yes definitely" and help us really kick things off!
Pre-Launch Sale Has Ended
The pre-launch sale has ended. Thank you to everyone who participated and to the bloggers who gave us a shout-out. We really appreciate it! Now that the sale is over, we are still preparing for the 100% launch of our Bath House line.
We hit a snag or two recently. The foot scrub is being reformulated and the facial scrub was also reformulated. It became a solid scrub that is just as moisturizing and exfoliating, but a few ingredients have changed in it.
Right now, many of our products are available to order right here on the site. The full line of products we have is always available on Artfire.
You may have already noticed a lack of decent quality photos. That would be Candace's fault. Blame her. The actual, good product photos will be up soon. Until then, thank you for your patience!
We hit a snag or two recently. The foot scrub is being reformulated and the facial scrub was also reformulated. It became a solid scrub that is just as moisturizing and exfoliating, but a few ingredients have changed in it.
Right now, many of our products are available to order right here on the site. The full line of products we have is always available on Artfire.
You may have already noticed a lack of decent quality photos. That would be Candace's fault. Blame her. The actual, good product photos will be up soon. Until then, thank you for your patience!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Let's Get Honest About "Natural"
It's time to get a little honest about independent companies claiming to have "all natural" ingredients. Many companies claim natural, from the earth, all-natural and organic. Many of them are unfortunately not telling you the entire truth.
Many of our ingredients are natural. Most (if not all) of the oils, extracts, essential oils and vitamin additives we use are naturally occuring. However, some things are not. We're alright with this because it creates a better product for you.
What do we use that may not be "natural" and what do others use that also may not be? Let's take a closer look at the most common offenders. (Disclaimer: Some companies go very far to make sure their claims are correct. We applaud these companies who strive to use 100% natural ingredients. Checking the label and ingredients declaration on your product should tell you the truth.)
# 5. Cleansers and soaps: Most people who claim natural cleansers and scrubs are missing some key things. Companies who use a base may want to look a bit closer at the base they use. Most bases contain preservatives or lab-created additives for moisturizers. Others who create their own bases use sodium hydroxide AKA lye and it is not created by dripping water through ashes anymore. Do we use sodium hydroxide? Of course! We can't make soap without lye. Heck, even if we buy a pre-made soap base it still has lye in it. You can't have soap without lye.
True, some shampoos and body gels or washes have potassium hydroxide which is similar to sodium hydroxide, but still a "caustic" solution. No, we do not use potassium hydroxide in any of our items. We'll stick to the old fashioned "cold process" or "hot process" methods.
# 4 . Preservatives: Lotions, shampoos, cleansers and conditioners - whether they are hand made or lab made use an oil or water based preservative. These preservatives are a good thing! They keep your items from growing mold or nasty stuff after using them in the shower. Most of the time, these preservatives are not naturally occurring. Esther's Antechamber does use a preservative in many of our products because we want your product to have a shelf life.
# 3. "Organic": This is completely organic. Organic is a lot like saying "natural". There is no actual regulation that defines either. Many items are certified organic, but many companies make the "organic" claim without their ingredients listed showing as certified organic. By definition, organic is: "of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones".
This definition is what typically certifies a food or plant as organic. Frankly, I do not know if my sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, vitamin e or the carrot extracts and oat extracts (etc.) were originally grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers. They are not certified organic so I am not going to list them as organic. The only way I would know is if I grew every plant myself, distilled everything myself or bought all certified organic ingredients.
Unfortunately, the definition of "organic" goes a bit further than that and can be pretty expansive. Which is why many people say their products are organic when they are most likely not. Are our products organic? Not the entire product, no. Some of our products do contain organic ingredients. For instance, our bath oil infused with rose does contain roses that would be defined as organic. How do I know? Because the roses came from my own rose bush.
# 2. Fragrances and flavors: Lip glosses, soaps, cleansers and most body products that are hand made use fragrances. If they are not essential oils, then the fragrances are not natural. They are lab created scents in an oil or water base that is safe for the use on skin or in cosmetics. But, it is not natural. Do we use fragrance or flavors? We do indeed. Our lip balms use flavor oils, but our lip scrub is currently unflavored and unscented except for it's "naturally occurring" (no pun intended) scent. Don't worry, it doesn't smell bad or taste bad. Though, you probably shouldn't eat it.
# 1. Mineral make-up and colors: The largest offender yet! Mineral make-up creators and colors used in soaps and cleansers. Many of the mineral make-up lines you see have a very mis-leading name. They use ultramarines and oxides. Though these are completely safe for use on the eyes, lips and skin (as long as the FDA has approved them for use on those areas) they are not naturally occurring. Oxides and ultramarines are lab created.
As an aside, they are much safer than the major brand make-up you buy as long as the company creates their make-up according to regulations. The lack of "diomexythelene" and "sodiumbicarbonol" (not real chemical names) certainly do give a vote of confidence for a less irritating and a richer color in your make-up.
Most of our colorants are micas and some do contain oxides in them. Especially the lovely deep red we use in our cleansing scrubs. That is a mica with oxides in it. The lovely golden color we use in our "Royal Red Facial Scrub" also contains oxides. Don't worry - it's totally safe to use on your skin. The micas are not safe for use in cosmetics though. Though we do use micas that contain oxides, we do not currently use micas or aquamarines that contain FD&C colors.
Many soap and body care creators use lab created colorants in their products. Most of the time it's known as "soap dye". Soap dyes are completely safe for soaps and cleansers. They aren't safe for use in cosmetics, but they can easily be used in soaps for some lovely colors. We don't use soap dyes because they can sometimes bleed after sitting on the shelf or during the curing process. And we don't want that!
Many of our ingredients are natural. Most (if not all) of the oils, extracts, essential oils and vitamin additives we use are naturally occuring. However, some things are not. We're alright with this because it creates a better product for you.
What do we use that may not be "natural" and what do others use that also may not be? Let's take a closer look at the most common offenders. (Disclaimer: Some companies go very far to make sure their claims are correct. We applaud these companies who strive to use 100% natural ingredients. Checking the label and ingredients declaration on your product should tell you the truth.)
# 5. Cleansers and soaps: Most people who claim natural cleansers and scrubs are missing some key things. Companies who use a base may want to look a bit closer at the base they use. Most bases contain preservatives or lab-created additives for moisturizers. Others who create their own bases use sodium hydroxide AKA lye and it is not created by dripping water through ashes anymore. Do we use sodium hydroxide? Of course! We can't make soap without lye. Heck, even if we buy a pre-made soap base it still has lye in it. You can't have soap without lye.
True, some shampoos and body gels or washes have potassium hydroxide which is similar to sodium hydroxide, but still a "caustic" solution. No, we do not use potassium hydroxide in any of our items. We'll stick to the old fashioned "cold process" or "hot process" methods.
# 4 . Preservatives: Lotions, shampoos, cleansers and conditioners - whether they are hand made or lab made use an oil or water based preservative. These preservatives are a good thing! They keep your items from growing mold or nasty stuff after using them in the shower. Most of the time, these preservatives are not naturally occurring. Esther's Antechamber does use a preservative in many of our products because we want your product to have a shelf life.
# 3. "Organic": This is completely organic. Organic is a lot like saying "natural". There is no actual regulation that defines either. Many items are certified organic, but many companies make the "organic" claim without their ingredients listed showing as certified organic. By definition, organic is: "of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones".
This definition is what typically certifies a food or plant as organic. Frankly, I do not know if my sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, vitamin e or the carrot extracts and oat extracts (etc.) were originally grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers. They are not certified organic so I am not going to list them as organic. The only way I would know is if I grew every plant myself, distilled everything myself or bought all certified organic ingredients.
Unfortunately, the definition of "organic" goes a bit further than that and can be pretty expansive. Which is why many people say their products are organic when they are most likely not. Are our products organic? Not the entire product, no. Some of our products do contain organic ingredients. For instance, our bath oil infused with rose does contain roses that would be defined as organic. How do I know? Because the roses came from my own rose bush.
# 2. Fragrances and flavors: Lip glosses, soaps, cleansers and most body products that are hand made use fragrances. If they are not essential oils, then the fragrances are not natural. They are lab created scents in an oil or water base that is safe for the use on skin or in cosmetics. But, it is not natural. Do we use fragrance or flavors? We do indeed. Our lip balms use flavor oils, but our lip scrub is currently unflavored and unscented except for it's "naturally occurring" (no pun intended) scent. Don't worry, it doesn't smell bad or taste bad. Though, you probably shouldn't eat it.
# 1. Mineral make-up and colors: The largest offender yet! Mineral make-up creators and colors used in soaps and cleansers. Many of the mineral make-up lines you see have a very mis-leading name. They use ultramarines and oxides. Though these are completely safe for use on the eyes, lips and skin (as long as the FDA has approved them for use on those areas) they are not naturally occurring. Oxides and ultramarines are lab created.
As an aside, they are much safer than the major brand make-up you buy as long as the company creates their make-up according to regulations. The lack of "diomexythelene" and "sodiumbicarbonol" (not real chemical names) certainly do give a vote of confidence for a less irritating and a richer color in your make-up.
Most of our colorants are micas and some do contain oxides in them. Especially the lovely deep red we use in our cleansing scrubs. That is a mica with oxides in it. The lovely golden color we use in our "Royal Red Facial Scrub" also contains oxides. Don't worry - it's totally safe to use on your skin. The micas are not safe for use in cosmetics though. Though we do use micas that contain oxides, we do not currently use micas or aquamarines that contain FD&C colors.
Many soap and body care creators use lab created colorants in their products. Most of the time it's known as "soap dye". Soap dyes are completely safe for soaps and cleansers. They aren't safe for use in cosmetics, but they can easily be used in soaps for some lovely colors. We don't use soap dyes because they can sometimes bleed after sitting on the shelf or during the curing process. And we don't want that!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Reformulating the Foot Scrub
As usual, any company faces issues before they fully launch. This time, ours is a formula that we've been working on for the pumice foot scrub. I just don't like the entire thing. I'm very hard on my feet since once of my hobbies involve dancing and I avoid shoes usually. I wanted to create a foot scrub that would work on my calloused heels (good luck!)
There are a couple of "must haves" in the scrub. Peppermint, of course. Also finely ground pumice. the pumice could have been a coarser grind but not everyone needs to slough away callouses. Some just need maintenance. A fine grind of the pumice makes sure all sides of the spectrum are happy.
After that, it's figuring out what works best. I had a creamier base in mind, but it felt like gritty lotion. Ew. A base with essential oils and moisturizing extracts worked much better. The problem? It needs a little more moisture. Don't you hate it when you use a foot scrub and your feet still feel dry? I do too! I want something that really locks in the moisture after it's used.
So, we're back to the drawing board on this and we'll have a solution for it very soon!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Some tester pictures for you
If you go to our Facebook page, you will see a nice surprise. We're testing out some camera angles and shots for the products. We tried it in a white light box and that did not work well at all. Oh dear.
This lovely black fabric is a nice draping, but we think we are going to settle on our own color scheme and some amber colored jars. Now...if we could only get some real apothecary jars or clay jars that won't cost an arm and a leg...
Note: Products shown are not the final product. These were testers.
This lovely black fabric is a nice draping, but we think we are going to settle on our own color scheme and some amber colored jars. Now...if we could only get some real apothecary jars or clay jars that won't cost an arm and a leg...
Note: Products shown are not the final product. These were testers.
Pre-launch orders are opened.
We are now taking orders for our pre-launch kick-off. Currently, we are offering deluxe sample sizes of all of our launch products for the Esther's Antechamber Apothecary line.
Our samples are between 2 and 4 ounces. To put it into perspective, many full sized lip scrubs are 2 ounces in weight. Most sample sizes come in grams. Ours come in deluxe sizes and always will.
Until midnight next Sunday (May 15th, 2011) you can get all of our pre-order items at the cost shown only here on the blog site. On Monday May 16th sample sizes will be available and the pre-order sample bags will go up slightly in price. But, they'll still be at a discount until the product line launches in June.
Product photos are on their way. We hit a few snags with the backgrounds and we're working on it.
Our samples are between 2 and 4 ounces. To put it into perspective, many full sized lip scrubs are 2 ounces in weight. Most sample sizes come in grams. Ours come in deluxe sizes and always will.
Until midnight next Sunday (May 15th, 2011) you can get all of our pre-order items at the cost shown only here on the blog site. On Monday May 16th sample sizes will be available and the pre-order sample bags will go up slightly in price. But, they'll still be at a discount until the product line launches in June.
Product photos are on their way. We hit a few snags with the backgrounds and we're working on it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Pre-Launch Sample Orders Are Coming
It is getting close to that time. What time is it? For us to launch our bath and body line. Esther's Antechamber will be kicking off the bath and body line with one heck of a pre-order craze.
We will always offer sample sizes, but the pre-launch orders will give you deluxe sample sizes to try out our new line of products.
Because our sample sizes are always deluxe sized (between 2 and 4 oz), sample size orders are between $1.50 and $4.00 depending on the product. Our pre-launch orders will give you the same samples we always offer at a fraction of the price.
What can you expect to see?
All of our products have our signature scent "Groves of Susa" - a blend of frankincense, vanilla , light florals and citrus.
If you don't think that scent fits you - don't worry. We also have sandalwood, vanilla and lily of the valley available.
Coming soon!
Lip care
Bath bombs
Moisturizing fragrant body oil
A Men's product line including shaving soap
Scented hydrating mist
Body soaps, moisturizing facial soap and candles made by Leora Burnett!
We will always offer sample sizes, but the pre-launch orders will give you deluxe sample sizes to try out our new line of products.
Because our sample sizes are always deluxe sized (between 2 and 4 oz), sample size orders are between $1.50 and $4.00 depending on the product. Our pre-launch orders will give you the same samples we always offer at a fraction of the price.
What can you expect to see?
- Luxurious dead sea salt body scrubs
- Dead sea salt cleansing body scrubs
- Gentle facial scrubs with jojoba , vitamin e and a blend of moisturizing oils
- Foot scrubs with pumice, peppermint and moisturizing oils
- Lip scrubs with vitamin e and a blend of oils to moisturize the delicate area around your lips.
All of our products have our signature scent "Groves of Susa" - a blend of frankincense, vanilla , light florals and citrus.
If you don't think that scent fits you - don't worry. We also have sandalwood, vanilla and lily of the valley available.
Coming soon!
Lip care
Bath bombs
Moisturizing fragrant body oil
A Men's product line including shaving soap
Scented hydrating mist
Body soaps, moisturizing facial soap and candles made by Leora Burnett!
Hooray Blog!
Our first post of many. As we gear up to fully launch the shop and body care line, our blog here will be your stop for information.
Our main storefront is on Artfire. We also have an Etsy shop as well. We offer the same items in both shops. Eventually, we hope to outgrow both shops and move to a website of our own.
Our main storefront is on Artfire. We also have an Etsy shop as well. We offer the same items in both shops. Eventually, we hope to outgrow both shops and move to a website of our own.
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