Fall Line Farms and Local Roots

Jewelweed Soap Now Available!

After many wildcrafting trips through the mountains (yes, it took me a while to find it - and yes, now that I found it, I see it EVERYWHERE!), I finally found Jewelweed so that I could infuse it into olive oil and make a sad skin happy again!

Jewelweed is known for making unhappy skin happy. You know the Soapmaker can only claim that her soap cleans. If you are not already a fan of Jewelweed, look Jewelweed up! You'll be glad to be introduced to this natural relief for out-of-sorts skin. Hint: It naturally grows near the plant that makes our skin unhappy: Poison Ivy :(

The flower of the Jewelweed plant is sometimes called "Touch-Me-Not" as when you touch it, the seeds go flying out the back. Embracing the oxymoron, I named this soap "Soft Touch" because the soap is gentle, yet effective in relieving angry skin due to contact with annoying plants.

Ingredients: Jewelweed-infused Olive oil; Coconut, Palm, & Sweet Almond oils; Jewelweed "tea"; Green Sea Clay & Spirulina; Essential oils of Camphor, Lavender, & Orange; Wildcrafting love!

VEGAN.

A generous 4 ounces.

Soaps for Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day and against those bugs!

We have a fun & refreshing Cinco de Mayo Soap this week ...
A vertical tricolor of green, white, and red in honor of Cinco de Mayo's concept of the little guy winning.

Natural soap is definitely the little guy in the world of personal cleaner's! But we make a big splash!

Ingredients: Olive, Coconut, & Palm oils; Sea Clay, Spriulina, Rose Clay, Turmeric, & Gold Mica; Essential oils of Fir Needle, Cedar wood, Spearmint, Rosemary, Pink Grapefruit, & Lime; Tussah silk, sugar, & Love.

Bubbles Against Bugs is back for Virginia's spring and summer.
This soap is a natural way to repel bugs. Grandmas of old used to swear by lye soap's ability to keep chiggers and tics away. Add in the power of essential oils and you've got a winner!

Ingredients: Olive, Coconut, & Palm oils; Tussah silk & sugar; Essential oils of Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Lavender, & Tea Tree. Suggested use: Before going out into the garden, woods, or yard, wash exposed areas with Bubbles Against Bugs soap, not rinsing off the last lather.

Mother's Day! ... though every day is - just like you need soap EVERY DAY!

Serene Suds & their Soaps are perfect for your mother - naturally unique, sweet, clean, & useful gift for your Mom! After all, she is all of those things.

Certified Soapmaker - another layer of security for YOU!

It was a blustery but sunny Saturday morning (February 6th - Happy Birthday to my Dad!). I bundled up, donned my newest crocheted hat, and set off on my daily walk with purpose. I had a soap test to pass! Our local library will proctor an exam for ten dollars! I found a quarter on the way, noted where all the aluminum cans were for the next walk (forgot a Walmart bag), and practically ran to take that test! This was the most excited I have probably ever been about test taking! The librarian apologized that he didn't have a quiet spot. Hmmmm? I guess with three children, I probably wouldn't know what to do in a quiet spot. I think best on my feet!
All that to say ... I am a certified soapmaker now! (Passed with 100% - yes, there was algebra in there!) My point in doing this? Why would I certify what I am sure I already know? I wanted to make it official - sort of like marrying my soap! I promise to you, 'til death do we part, for richer or for poorer, in sickness (no way! Take elderberry! Use natural soap! Walk! De-stress! Get sun!) & in health - that I will make you the most natural, purest, best-quality soap possible. And as always, it will definitely have that touch of garden, a swirl of art, and a whole lot of this certified soapmaker's heart!
Peace & health to you all!
Isa

Serene Suds Solstice Soaps - a Seasonal Sensation!

Serene Suds Solstice Soaps - a Seasonal Sensation!
Our seasonal soaps have all you have come to expect in our all natural & homemade soaps (vegetarian & essential oils) but with the excitement heightened to match the season - truly Artisan, often shimmering, and definitely unique. Our soaps make a necessary, daily, & routine chore pleasurable. Soap makes a perfect gift - the recipient is thinking loving thoughts of you for months to come. Natural soaps naturally retain the glycerin that is produced in saponification - leaving your hands and body feeling soft and moisturized, not stripped. Give the gift of aromatherapy with our soaps - the essential oils have the power to change your outlook to a positive one in moments. Give a moment of relaxation in this busy season. Give the gift of health - remembering that our skin greedily absorbs whatever it comes in contact with. Natural soap - naturally important because of the skin it cares for.
Blessings on your holiday.
Isa

Serene Suds' Soap Names are Changing

Hi Faithful Followers of Serene Suds!
I am writing to you to explain the changes in our labels and soap names. We are changing the names to be in compliance with the FDA's requirements. The FDA does not want an ingredient of a soap to be in the soap name. Their theory is that it can be misleading. (If you purchase a soap that is called Shea Butter soap and you look on the back and Shea Butter is only 3% of the total ingredients, is it really Shea Butter soap?) In the interest of compliance and transparency, we are in the process of changing all of our labels. The alchemist in me wants to be in the kitchen! Business has me glued to my label program again!

We HAVE embraced the obvious fun side of this task and are touching on a theme here and there. We are long time Neil Diamond lovers, so you may notice the names of his songs are being used as many Soap Titles. Under the main name, you will find a more pertinent description in order to identify your favorite soap, i.e. HEARTLIGHT "Natural Soap made with Lavender".

I hope you find this process fun and not frustrating. Please be patient with me as I update all of the photos & labels. I assure you that the soap ingredients are the same and that if something is changed in that department, I update the description immediately.

Saint Brigid's day marked the halfway mark between Winter and Spring! I planted my seeds in egg shells and "Sharpied" their names on the shells this week. I am in a rush to get cucumbers going so I can make our very popular cucumber & spearmint soap. Any name ideas for this one? I am open to suggestions! "Porcupine Pie" comes to mind 'cause cucumbers are prickly & delicious!

Warmth, peace, & bubbly days to all of you!
Isa

Serene Suds' Bath Bombs!

Serene Suds' Bath Bombs are an all natural treat or necessary delight (sometimes it IS absolutely necessary to calm down …).

These bubbly spheres have baking soda & clay to absorb toxins, Epsom salts for relaxing, essential oils for the aroma therapy, and rich oils for the moisturizing.

Treat yourself. Calm your kids. Soothe a sick one. Surprise your love.

We have several types to choose from: Pink Grapefruit, Rosemary Peppermint, Calendula (Vanilla & Orange), & Lavender Hibiscus. The Pink Grapefruit is good, clean fun! The Rosemary Peppermint is downright invigorating. The Calendula is soothing, and Lavender is an old standby in the favorite category - with Hibiscus being called the "botox" of the herb community.

Spring is around the corner; but meanwhile it is cold and our skin is showing signs of toughing the winter out. Our bath bombs are luxurious efficiency for mind, body, & soul!

Serene Suds for Your Day of Love

Give a gift of health and loving frugalness - chocolate soap! It won't melt away right to the hips! It WILL provide hours of clean bubbles and good, clean aroma therapy fun! Our chocolate soaps are made with raw cocoa butter and real, unsweetened baking chocolate ... all you need for intense moisturizing and great smell, with no added toxins, misleadingly called "fragrance". Nature provides all the delicious and intense smells that we need! Give a gift of soap, a fun cupcake soap (regular hard bar of soap on bottom and luxurious whipped soap on top), or an excuse to escape to a bath of soft oils, sweet smells, and flower petals - a Serene Suds' Bath Bomb!

Serene Suds' Quiet Tree Soaps

Soap makes a wonderful gift. It is frugal and useful. Washing hands is our number one prevention against disease, why not make that task pleasurable for someone you love? They will, in turn, be thinking loving thoughts of you for the next month or more! And the circle of kindness continues! Check out our Solstice Tree Soaps on the SHOP page. These Solstice Tree Soaps are made with all vegetarian ingredients and small-batched to ensure quality. Olive, coconut, palm oils, & Shea butter make for a moisturizing bar with great lather. The "trees" are made up of micro jojoba beads, for a gentle scrub. The scent is a perfect accompaniment to this crisp time of year - spearmint, fir needle, eucalyptus, & clove. The trees are as varied as nature: some windblown, some stately, some abstract, some "Charlie-Brown-ish" - all with one common theme - sure to give a serene clean. Why serene? Because skin is our largest organ and you have the peace of mind with Serene Suds' soaps to be applying only natural ingredients. P.S. One person told me my trees were "Truffula Trees" ... any Dr. Seuss lovers out there?