This week's Workshop Series...

Good Morning everyone!

Time flies!!!  I am so missing writing the blog everyday but life gets busy and a week is gone before I know it.  I have so much to say, I do not know where to start.  

First things first.  Congratulations to Amina from Cape Town.  She is our lucky Easter egg hunt winner.  She will be receiving her Easter basket full of Caramel and Vanilla scented decadent Easter products shortly.  I hope she loves her fantastic products!!! 

Remember to look out for our Mother’s Day promotion coming soon so you don’t miss out on The Body Bar’s May specials.

Right; this week I hosted another Workshop series and our young lady was fantastic.  As last week, we made Soaps, Body Scrubs, Bath Bombs and Bath Salts, Deodorants and Body Creams.  Now, you need to know that the manual contains the basic formulas of each product but the conception in terms of scent, colour and general appearance is the choice of our young lady.  I like to give my participants the freedom to choose the overall look of their products because it is their participation into the final outcome.  It also initiates a new perspective and opens endless possibilities for them.  Here are the pictures of our young lady's wonderful process:

This is our Young Lady stirring the soap mixture 

Introducing the stick blender for a shorter process

Our indication that the soap is ready to be scented and poured in the mold

Pouring with confidence never fails

The soap is now moulded for 24 hours.

The final soap bars scented with Warm Coconut.  She added some poppy seeds for the bar to deliver a gentle exfoliation.

This is our Chocolate and Vanilla Scented Body Scrub.

This is our Sweet Berry scented Bath Butter Bomb.  It also contains some glitter (which you can't see on the screen) and Chamomile Flowers for decoration.

The final layered Cucumber and Aloe scented Bath Salts

Sweet Berry scented Deodorant Block

This is our Body Cream before packaging

The final Sweet Berry scented Body Cream

What a glorious week.  It was awesome to experience another wonderful lady’s creativity and inquisitiveness into the art of making natural cosmetics.  Thank you so much for your attention and willingness to explore the limitless possibilities of Natural cosmetics.  

Thrilled with her products and new acquired knowledge, our young lady is now equipped and excited to engage this journey on her own.

Useless to say that through this creative process, I also learn whilst I teach and as my mom said to me one day: "There is something new to learn everyday".  I believe her...  In fact there is more than something new to learn, there's loads to learn and that's what makes everyday unique, endlessly inspiring and humbling.

Thank you for visiting The Body Bar today

Have a Delightful day

ox Sarah xo

Deodorants and Body Cream making

Good Morning everyone,

Last night was our last workshop night for this week and we made lovely natural deodorant blocks and Body Cream.  I first spent the first hour explaining each product to our lovely ladies.  I also explained to them the purpose of each ingredient used within the formulas and how each of them benefit their skin and enhance the products' textures and applications.  We then proceeded by making the 2 products.  The first products made were the deodorant blocks because they needed to cool down and harden in order for them to take their block home with them.  The deodorant block we made is specially designed to allow one to sweat as here at The Body Bar, we know that sweating is an important and natural process our bodies undergo.  The Body Bar deodorant block is designed to kill the bacteria that thrive under our armpits using natural active ingredients, to prevent the sweat from smelling.  Our deodorant does not mask the smell nor does it block the pores to prevent sweating.   

Here are the pictures of our lovely ladies making their first deo block:

Weighing all the ingredients for the deodorants block

The ingredients together before the melting process

After melting, the additives are added to the liquid mixture

Stirring the mixture until it is ready to be poured in the moulds

Adding the scent

Finally, the mixture is ready and is poured into the 2 moulds until the deo blocks are completely hard and solid.

The final deo blocks scented with Rooibos, mandarine and vanilla

Whilst the deo blocks were hardening, we proceeded by making the Body creams.  The formula I chose for this workshop is a winter cream.  Thicker than a lotion, it moisturises and nourishes the skin.  It is also easily absorbed by the skin leaving it smooth and velvety.

Here are the pictures of the body cream making process:

The emulsion is starting, the 2 phases are now being blended together

Every drop matters with our formula

Off the heat, the mixture is stirred until completion

Once the mixture has cooled down completely, it is ready to be placed in its final container

The final Body Cream scented with Rooibos, mandarine and vanilla

Well, this is the closure of The Body Bar's first workshop series.  It was a superb experience filled with fun, laughter and lots of information.  Here is what the lovely ladies have to say on their feedback forms:

Q:Have you gained anything on this workshop? If yes, what? If no, why?

Ann:  "An enormous amount! Beautiful products and easy to follow instructions on how to make them."

Joanne: "Yes, so much knowledge and the confidence to make my own products."

Q:Did you find it informative and easy to assimilate?

Ann: "Very informative and the manual is a great help."

Joanne: "Absolutely!"

Q:Do you feel confident to practice the art of making natural cosmetics 

unsupervised? Why?

Ann: "Yes, the manual is very explicit and easy to follow and Sarah is just a phone call away!"

Joanne: "Yes, thanks to Sarah's clear instructions and passion."

Q: Anything more you would like to say?

Ann: "Sarah's passion and knowledge of her products are truly inspirational.  We had so much fun! I can't wait to put all I have learnt into practice.  Sarah's attention to detail is phenomenal."

Joanne: "No, just thank you!"

Q: Have I inspired you? Has the process inspired you?

Ann: "Yes, absolutely. Thank you very very much.  Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge."

Joanne: "Yes! yes, yes."

Thank you so much ladies for starting this creative journey with me.  It was fun, exciting and the most important of all for me is the experience you and I have gained from this workshop.  

Having made each product from start to finish , these ladies are now equipped with the knowledge and experience required to recreate all the products by themselves. 

Thank you for visiting The Body Bar today

Have a fantastic Friday

ox Sarah xo 

Natural Deodorants

Good Afternoon everyone,
Today is all about deodorants... 
Here at The Body Bar, I believe that natural deodorants are so worth the time of the day as long as they work.  Having made a 100 tests on different formulas, I have come to fine tune this process.  
First of all, deodorants are essential for hygienic purposes.
Commercially there are many types of deodorants and they all work in different ways.  I will not be discussing the good and the bad of these here today, all I know is that the ingredients used within these deodorants are not necessarily there to benefit our bodies.  Some of them are detrimental to our health  (even though they mask body odour) and the rest are cheap fillers, which I have no time for.


The Body Bar Natural deodorants are made with the very best ingredients, that will care for the sensitive skin on which they are used and will also obviously destroy the bacteria that thrive in our armpit environment and cause body odour.  All this is done safely with no health risk, skin damage or environmental damage.  
These deodorants are effective for over 24 hours in hot and humid conditions.
I made a deodorant this morning for the blog:

1. All ingredients within the formula
weighed and ready to be melted
2. Ingredients melting in a double boiler
3. Ingredients completely melted and mixed
4. Additives are added
5.  Mixture poured in molds until solid

I really like deodorant blocks.  This format ensures easy application and stay on for longer.  This specific formula does not block your pores, which allows you to sweat.  

Sweating is a normal function that serves to cool the body.  It also helps eliminate toxins from the body which when accumulated can lead to various problems.  

Sweat itself is odourless but once exposed is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria due to various factors (more details on the workshops).  The bacteria is the cause of the odor and this is why we use deodorants.

More about The Body Bar deodorants on the 3rd workshop of the series.  

Deodorants and body creams form part of the same workshops.  It is a 3 hours workshop at R400.  It is broken down into 2 sessions, the first being about body creams and the second about deodorants. The two products will be discussed, explained and made during this workshop. All participants will get to keep their products and will also receive the workshop 3 manual for reference.  The first workshop is on the morning of the 6th of April and the second workshop is on the afternoon/evening of the 13th of April.  Hope to see you there as I will be facilitating the workshop.

Both will be held in Westville.

A sneak peek at The Body Bar natural deodorants !!!

If you want to participate on the workshops, here are my contact details

Landline: +27 31 702 1759
Cellphone: +27 76 545 7970
Email: infusion@iburst.co.za

Thank you for visiting my blog today
See you soon for more information on the workshops
Have a wonderful day
ox Sarah xo