Tealights Now Available!

 

Tealight sets are now available in my Etsy shop! I have sets of six and twelve, available in ALL of the fragrances in my shop. I'll be posting more of them in the next few days, so be sure to check back here and take a look!

New Items--FINALLY!

Okay, so I know I've been promising for awhile that I'd start listing my soaps in my Etsy shop, but I wanted to hold off until I had everything perfected (type A personality, yes that's me). Now, after many months, I am so happy to announce that Candles By Nature is finally offering a selection of luxurious, moisturizing goats milk soaps! Check them out here.

I'll be posting more new items within the next few days, so be sure to stop by again soon!

SEO? What?

Before I opened my Etsy shop I had no idea what SEO was. Now that I've been running the shop for over 2 years, I know that SEO means "search engine optimization" and that it could potentially help bring more people to your shop, but I'm still pretty useless when it comes to the intricacies of how SEO works. My mom has an Etsy shop as well (etsy.com/shop/zasuvintage) and is lucky enough to have a friend who is pretty savvy with computers. He figured out a way to improve her SEO by changing her listing titles and tags and her sales have improved dramatically! Seeing how it helped her, I'm now wondering how I can improve SEO for my own shop. There are tons of resources on Etsy with tips on now to do this, but I'm wondering what other shop owners have found in the confusing world of SEO. What have you done? Has it helped boost sales and/or listing views? I'd love to hear from you!

Thrifty Tuesday Blog Feature

One of my teacup candles was just featured in Thrifty Tuesday at The Hot Glue Hangover. Natalie has put together such a nice collection of sweet Mother's Day gifts ideas--all under $100! If you're still searching for that perfect present for Mama, head on over to The Hot Glue Hangover for some inspiration!

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

I've been looking around for a good recipe for natural shampoo and I think I've finally found it! I plan on trying this one out as soon as Mountain Rose Herbs starts stocking their organic castile soap again ;)

Basic Shampoo for Natural Hair 
(from Easy Aromatherapy Recipes)

1/4 cup (60ml) distilled water or herbal infusion (see below)
1/2 cup (120ml) liquid castile soap
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E (or 1 capsule)
5 drops grapefruit seed extract
Essential oil blend for your hair type
1/4 teaspoon Grapeseed oil (optional, don't use if your hair is oily or fine; it may make your hair greasy)

Combine all the ingredients in a 250ml dark glass or PET plastic bottle. Shake before using.

Additional Ingredients for Your Hair Type
Dry or damaged hair: 1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerin and 2 tablespoons (30ml) aloe vera gel
Oily hair: 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar
Thinning hair: 2 tablespoons (30ml) aloe vera gel
Dandruff: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons (30ml) aloe vera gel

Handy Hint
If you want a thicker shampoo, reduce or eliminate the water. If you eliminate the water, you don't need the grapefruit seed extract--it's a natural preservative that kills any bacteria in the water.

Introducing...Soaps!

Awhile back, I started experimenting with soaps. For my first attempt, I used a cocoa butter base to make soaps to give as Christmas gifts. My friends and family really loved them, so I started looking around for different bases that I could use. I finally came across a really great goat's milk base that is sulfate-free while still having a rich lather. My boyfriend and I have been using it for the past few months, experimenting with different fragrances and essential oil blends. Now I'm getting requests from friends and family for my goat's milk soap!


I'll be debuting my soap at craft fairs this summer and will hopefully be adding them to my Etsy shop soon, too. I'm starting with Cool Citrus Basil, Jasmine Honeysuckle, Lavender, White Tea & Berries, and Spring Rain. What do you think? Which of these fragrances would you like to have in a soap?

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

Source

Today is a cold and rainy day, mixed with some freezing rain and snow...ya know, just for fun. When I was looking for a recipe to share for this week's Tip, I wanted to find something that would help brighten a dreary day like this one and I think this solid perfume blend is just the ticket!

Uplifting Solid Perfume

(from Aromatics International)

10 drops grapefruit essential oil

10 drops sandalwood essential oil

1/2 ounce beeswax pellets (organic)

1 ounce jojoba oil (organic)

Place both the beeswax and the jojoba oil in a Pyrex glass measuring cup. Fill a soup pot 1/4 of the way with water and boil. Place the Pyrex in the pot of water and wait for the beeswax to melt into the jojoba. This takes about 5 minutes on a high heat. Be sure none of the water from the pot boils into the Pyrex.
When melted, mix quickly and pour into a 2 oz jar, add the essential oils, stir, and cover right away. Let it cool and you have your perfume!