Why I've been MIA....my soap business!

Sorry that I've been away!  There are many wonderful things to write about, but I haven't had a spare moment. 

In a nutshell, I've finally started up my handmade soap and natural body care business here in Italy!  It is called 'Fleur de Lune', and it's going even better than I anticipated.  Unfortunately, I can't sell outside of Italy for the moment, but for anyone within Italy, you are in luck!  My website is still under construction (I'm too busy making soap, I don't have time to work on it), but you can visit and like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/fleurdeluneVDA. 

One of the things I really enjoy about what I do is working with local small farmers.  I took what I call my 'farm girl class' two years ago; it was a class made for unemployed women to learn to to start up a small farm.  I didn't become a farmer myself, but it connected me with a network of wonderful and talented young female farmers, and I am buying as many of my ingredients as possible from them.  I get goat milk from La Chèvre Heureuse, herbs (lavender, thyme, rosemary, calendula) and beeswax from Genuinus, beeswax and honey from Naturalys, which is also where I produce my products, and chamomile from Artemesia.  My wine used in my mulled wine soap is also local, but not from a small producer.  I get it from a nearby cooperative vineyard, Cave des Onze Communes. 

I try to make my products as sustainable and natural as possible; I don't use palm oil or essential oils from endangered plants, and my packaging is all recyclable or compostable.  All of the scents are from essential oils, and the colors are 100% natural!  The products I produce include lip balm, bar soap, liquid soap, whipped shea butter, exfoliating sugar scrubs, mineral deodorant, lotion bars, and an organic herbal balm. 

I was also just featured on the blog, "You Always Have a Project", where I wrote about my business and gave a recipe for a lotion bar! 

And I promise I'll be back soon with more Alpine adventures.  But for now, I need to go strain a calendula infusion.....