Cocoa Butter Melt
Golden Honey Oats
Milkenhoney

Baby Blue
Dairy Bar
Strawberry Milkshake

Olive Beauty
Total Attraction
Utter Bliss

They are all Moisturizing Variants for the cooler season.
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Thank you very much for those who have already made orders of my Charitable Handmade Soaps! I look forward to your continued support.
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© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

Other Interesting Posts:

• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (10)

From July 15 - August 14, the CHMS will be:

Baby Blue
Citrus White
Dairy Bar
Eucalyptus Breeze
Fair Geranium
Just Tea Tree
Lavender Treat
No Bites Bar
Poppy Love
Rosemary Pine
Strawberry Milkshake

Olive Beauty
Total Attraction
Utter Bliss

They are all Special Bars and Premuim Bars.
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.
Thank you very much for those who have already made orders of my Charitable Handmade Soaps! I look forward to your continued support.
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© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

Other Interesting Posts:

• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (11)

That time, my brother and I were checking out this place along White Plains (where, hopefully, I’d get to resume doing yoga) while waiting for my son who started going to school somewhere near the area.  So when I learned about the news, we immediately rushed to the nearest gas station to buy a copy…I mean copIES.  I bought five (5) which was all that they had, hehe!

Enjoy the article!

Note:  I made a little editing myself.  Those in grey are the original texts followed by my corrections.

Soap Success

How a mom turned her passion for taking care of her kids into a successful business.

A young mother’s search for the perfect soap for her two boys suffering from atopic dermatitis led to a business which, for seven {eight} years now, has been making other mommies very happy–By Nature {Handmade} Soaps.

“I’m really into personal products–soaps, fragrance, and aromatherapy. It so happened that my two boys–Darrence Lenzo and Deiuss Lucian–both have topical {atopic} dermatitis and I went into serious research in finding the perfect soap for them,” 33-year-old Darlene del Mundo says.

Del Mundo reveals that seeing the results in her children made her realize that she made the right choice in starting her soap business.

“Well, it’s not really because of the profit; it’s more of the benefits my husband and children get [from] using all-natural handmade soaps,” she adds.

Del Mundo admitted though it was not easy at the start.

She spent countless hours researching how to make all-natural handmade soaps and did a lot of experiments at home.

I ended up with batches that did not pass my standards. Some were too dry and others were too soft; some produced [too few] bubbles, and others lathered but did not bubble at all. Then after quite a [few trials and errors], I finally came up with a batch that was just the right concoction. That batch bubbled with a very nice lather. I felt so clean and refreshed after trying it, like all the dirt on my skin came off, and yet, it did not feel dry at all,” Del Mundo says.

She stuck with this formulation and experimented with more all-natural scents, spices, and ingredients to come up with other varieties.

According to Del Mundo, her investment for her first outing as a soap-maker was around P100,000.

She joined bazaars, and news of her all-natural handmade soaps spread like wildfire. By the Christmas season of her first year, she could hardly descend from the third floor of their home, which she used as her soap-making area, because of tons of orders.

The start of a dream

For the last six {seven} years, By Nature {Handmade} Soaps could only be bought at bazaars, which Del Mundo actively joined. Her first customers became her resellers.

“The soaps were such a hit that I eventually decided to market it via [a] website last year,” Del Mundo added.

From the three products {17 variants} she initially came up with–{including} sampaguita, jasmine, and lavender bars–Del Mundo now has a long list of regular, standard {special}, and premium bars that not only do wonders for the skin but also smell good.

Regular bars contain coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, fragrance oils, ground oatmeal, herbs, spices, honey beeswax, cocoa butter, milk, cocoa powder, dried leaves, ground pumice, and ground coffee, and sell for P85 per bar.

Meanwhile, her special bars contain essential oils and plant or fruit extracts plus vitamin E. Special bars are sold for P115 per bar.

For the premium bars, Del Mundo said that these bars are high with essential oils. They sell for P145 per bar.

“They (the soaps) can also serve as an all-natural shampoo bar for your hair,” she adds.

Her bestseller is the Baby Blue soap, the one that she made especially for her two boys. Baby Blue contains chamomile essential oil, calendula extract, goat’s milk, honey, aloe vera gel, oatmeal, and vitamin E.

“These are all wonderful ingredients that are perfect for my kids’ sensitive skin,” she says.

Another bestseller is the No Bites Bar, which is made with insect-repelling essential oils. It also has chamomile extract to moisturize skin and oatmeal to soothe the body.

One of her latest offerings is the Olive Beauty, a castile soap that is also 100% natural.

“It is so mild that it is safe to use [on] infants and newborns,” Del Mundo says.

She also boasts about her Cocoa Butter {Melt} soap, which Del Mundo claims helps clear traces of {says may help prevent} tummy scratches {stretch marks} on pregnant women.

Home-based business

“What I like about this business is that it allows me to be home with my boys while at the same time making products that I am most definitely proud of and which my family and I use ourselves,” Del Mundo says.

She spends an average of half a day in her soap-making area to produce at least 10 batches of soap daily {when needed}. One batch is equivalent to 50 bars.

“Moms are my regular clients. They love the Baby Blue, No Bites {Bar}, and Olive Beauty bars,” she said.

Del Mundo’s By Nature {Handmade} Soaps have gone global, too, courtesy of balikbayans and expats who have brought the soaps as pasalubongs or giveaways for their friends and families abroad. In fact, recently, a bride’s mother ordered hundreds of her soaps to be used as giveaways for a wedding in Switzerland. The Swiss couple immediately posted their testimony in Del Mundo’s website (www.bynaturehandmadesoaps.com) and shared how they fell in love with the soap.

Giving back

Del Mundo added that through By Nature Handmade Soap{s}, she was also able to fulfill her dream of giving donations to organizations, whom she shares the same visions with.

She has been giving part of her profits to Haribon Foundation, the Lactation Attachment Training Counselling Help (LATCH), the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and UNICEF Philippines.

“My only goal is to be able to share (By Nature {Handmade} Soaps) [with] as [many] users as possible, especially mommies like me with kids who have sensitive skin,” Del Mundo says.

Link: http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/06/24/20080624128066.html

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• Active Birth
• Time For More Handmade Soaps
• Let’s Help Dolphins and Other Marine Animals!
• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part I)
• Got Tagged 3: List of 8

I remember the time when I introduced to him a good night’s massage session. He loved it and kept asking for it night after night. When he would be ready to go to sleep, he’d say “I want massage, mom”, and I would gladly oblige. I’d use the Moisturizing OiLotion, and before pouring the oil, I would always shake the bottle first in order to get some of the aloe vera gel in it. The shaking sound would get DL1 all excited because he knows that his massage is coming He would also say that he likes the scent of the oil. I’m really glad he appreciates these things.

Anyway, DL1 looked forward to his massage session every night. The funny thing is, he would remember the different strokes I did on him and he would make sure that I used the exact same strokes night after night. But the really funny incident was when I had B (Happy Father’s Day, Hon! ) do the massage one night. He didn’t really know how I massaged our boy, so the whole time, DL1 was instructing his dad on how he should massage him. They were so cute to watch! Imagine, DL1 telling B, “No, dad, you do like this…then you do like that…” with the matching demo, hehe! Well, I ended up finishing the session that night and gave B a 101 on how to massage DL1, hehe!

Nowadays, DL1 would occasionally still ask for a massage to make him fall asleep, especially when he sees me applying the Moisturizing Insect Repellent on DL2. He’ll say, “Can I have a massage, mom?”, and when I’d say, “Sure, honey!”, he’d automatically remove his pajamas, lie on the bed facing down, and wait for that relaxing massage session (so cute!).

The best part for me is when I see DL1 dozing off slowly but surely. It means he’s really relaxed with my massage. Once he is finally asleep, I make sure that both our boys are not wet with perspiration (yup, they’re really built for cold! while B and I are warmly tucked in our comforters, our little boys would push their blankets away even while they’re sleeping, and dreaming maybe!) and kiss them goodnight (again). Then I go back to my boy, B, who’d be waiting for me so we can watch 2-3 episodes of “House Season 3” before we get our two (2) boys to sleep with us in our room. But most often than not, either DL1 or DL2 would wake up in the middle of the night before we get to finish all 2-3 episodes. Well, that’s part of parenthood to us

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• High on Coffee
• Bazaar Months are Coming!
• Memorable Wedding Souvenirs
• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part II)
• Fairer, Smoother, Clearer Skin

From June 15 - July 14, the CHMS will be:

Baby Blue
Citrus White
Dairy Bar
Eucalyptus Breeze
Fair Geranium
Just Tea Tree
Lavender Treat
No Bites Bar
Poppy Love
Rosemary Pine
Strawberry Milkshake

They are all Special Bars.

Thank you very much for those who have already made orders of my Charitable Handmade Soaps! I look forward to your continued support.

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (1)
• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (10)
• Got Tagged 1: What’s in My Wallet?
• They’re Gone!
• Handmade Soaps 101 (1)

These souvenirs were brought along all the way to Switzerland by the parents of the bride. The motif was in different shades of mauve.

The bride is Filipina and the groom is Swiss. These souvenirs were a gift from the bride’s mother, so she (the mother) wanted them to be very special and presentable to the guests who attended the ceremony. She chose to have the soap dish set for the giveaways because it looked more elegant and complete. It also showed that she did not skimp on the souvenirs for this very special occasion in her daughter’s life

This happened to be a somewhat-rushed job and so I had to use whatever materials I had on hand. The handmade soaps were wrapped in white packaging and were tied to the wooden soap dish with two (2) colors of ribbons (mauve and light pink). The accents were little buds in three (3) colors (maroon, old rose, and white) in different combinations plus the leaves.

I personally liked how they turned out (given that I had to package them with whatever I had). I liked how the accents were not all the same and how the dark colors contrasted with the light colors on top of the white wrapper.

Very presentable indeed!

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• In Case of Emergency
• Let’s Help Dolphins and Other Marine Animals!
• I Read 2 Sad News Today
• My New Venture is Done. Now, the Important Wait…
• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part III)

From May 15 - June 14, the CHMS will be:

Cocoa Butter Melt
Golden Honey Oats
MilkenHoney
Very Oatmeal

Baby Blue

Olive Beauty

They are all Unscented Bars and 100% NATURAL.

Thank you very much for those who have already made orders of my Charitable Handmade Soaps! I look forward to your continued support.

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• Bubble Bath
• Few More Batches to Go
• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (9)
• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (4)
• Wedding Souvenirs and the Little Photographer

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

———–

This post has been loooong overdue! I told myself that I should share about my experience on active birth for moms-to-be who read my blog to encourage them that it is very, very doable and that there’s nothing to fear, even just to give it a try. Of course, there should be the consent of your OB-gyn, that you have no risky health conditions and that you are physically able to deliver your child this way. If you think you are a strong and healthy mom-to-be and you would like to give this a try (especially for your first child), I’d say go for it, girl!

By the way, I was also inspired to share about this after I read the blog of a fellow mommy who ended up having a C-section which MAY BE because the anesthesiologist told her that she needed an epidural to feel relaxed and to relax her baby as well. You can read her blog here.

Anyway, on with my post…

Are you a mother-to-be? Do you want to give birth to your child with no drugs injected into you whatsoever? Do you want to be in control of your body during labor? Do you want to bring your baby out into this world the most natural way? If your answer is “yes, yes, yes, and yes” then you are a step closer to what is most natural and best for you and your baby during child birth.

Before anything else, if you are not for any of those mentioned above, it does not make you any worse than those who would want to go for what’s natural. You know your body better than anyone else. But I would like to urge you to learn more about the procedures you will be going through, be it C-section, an epidural, induced labor, and the likes, so you would know both the pros and cons of such medical procedures.

I was always determined to have a normal delivery, to give birth to my babies without any anesthesia. I wanted to know how childbearing really felt like and experience the utmost joy once I see my baby for the first time. It’s one of the best things a mother can give and do for her child.

When I was pregnant, I was able to read a book on active birth. It was a very good book. It encouraged me more to go natural and made natural birth seem easy. Actually, one of the secrets of making it through a drug-free delivery is TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT every step of the way. Though nothing beats actual experience, it makes a lot of difference for first-timers because you won’t be caught by surprise anymore. Don’t be shy to ask your doctor or the nurses around you. I’m sure you’re not the first (or last) to ask them such questions.

These were the things that we did when I was in labor with our two (2) boys:

Stay ambulant.
My husband and I always got the lamaze room of Cardinal Santos Medical Hospital. This gave me the chance to walk around, stay standing or sit whenever I get contractions. I followed the different positions that had gravity working with me, pulling my babies down with every contraction. Those positions would be standing, squatting (the best position) or sitting. I avoided lying down as long as I could. With DL1, I had no choice, though, because I was in labor from 12:00mn to 10:00am, so I had to sleep (even if I had really strong contractions according to the those feeling my tummy). With DL2, I was awake the whole time since I gave birth to him a little past 12:00mn (I’m nocturnal).

Stay relaxed.
Well, it’s understandable to be a bit tensed if it’s your first baby, so what we did was bring CD’s with relaxing music to fill the silence of the labor room. It was so relaxing that B and even the residents who checked on my contractions would doze off a bit, hehe! The music also helped me doze off, too, despite my already strong contractions around 2:00am.

Bring a camera and videocam (if allowed).
Primarily, for posterity’s sake and to keep you smiling some even if the pain is already there But I did have shots when I was already serious, concentrating on my breathing since the contractions were getting stronger and more painful. But when I would see those pictures now, I’d just laugh at how serious and focused I looked!

Follow your birth plan as closely as you can.
Having a birth plan helps you stay on track with what to expect during labor. Since you have already discussed it with your OB-gyn (you should), you already know your “rights” while you’re in the labor room. You can turn down an epidural or an IV if you are offered one, you can request to move-about in between contractions, you can turn down any drugs or medication to hide the pain or induce labor, etc.

Be familiar with the different procedures.
Research and read about the delivery method you want to have, whether it’s normal delivery with epidural, C-section or normal delivery with no anesthesia at all. Knowing about the different procedures will help prepare you not only physically but mentally as well. Drastic decisions can be avoided when faced with sudden changes. At least you know your options and you can ask your doctor or the residents about them.

After labor…
Relish that joyous and blissful moment upon seeing and touching your newborn child for the first time

This is DL1 right after he was born (October 2004)…

This is DL2 right after he was born (February 2007)…

A mother’s touch…

(letting DL2 latch for the first time)

By the way, I was able to give birth to both our sons anesthesia-free and drug-free. To me, it’s one of the best feelings I ever had!

Allow me to share with you the Introduction of the book, Active Birth by Janet Balaskas:

The concept of “active birth” is a milestone in the history of childbirth. Bringing together these two simple words is by itself a work of genius: active birth covers a huge scale of meaning, at different, complementary levels.

The first level might be described as muscular. When you just have a glimpse of pictures of “active births” you notice that at the end of the labor, when the baby is coming, many mothers are vertical, hanging on to someone or something, or leaning forward on something, or in a supported squatting position, or kneeling.

At the second level you penetrate more deeply into the physiological process of childbirth. Childbirth is first a brain process. When a woman is giving birth by herself, the active part of her brain is the primitive part. It is this part that we have in common with all the mammals, the part that secretes the necessary hormones. A woman gives birth actively when she can secrete her own hormones, or, in other words, when she does not need synthetic hormones from a drip, or any other kind of medical intervention. The activity of the primitive part of the brain implies a reduction of inhibitions coming from the “new” brain, the neocortex. The factors that can disturb this brain process, this change in level of consciousness, such as noise, bright lights, and the presence of strangers, are not easily eliminated in the context of a modern obstetric unit. The ideal environment for an active birth ensures the mother privacy, semi-darkness, silence, and at the same time, the proximity of an experienced person.

At the third level “active birth” refers to the attitude that society as a whole has towards childbirth. In our society childbirth is completely under the control and under the responsibility of medical institutions. Pregnant and laboring women are called “patients.” Modern obstetric nurses, trained in obstetric units, are not simply mothers helping other mothers. When a newborn baby is not healthy, the medical institution is considered responsible. The concept of “active birth” has been introduced by women who want to take back the control and the responsibility of childbirth. They consider the medical institution as a resource to use in precise circumstances. What a provocative challenge at a time when the negative side effects of obstetrics are better and better known!

The day when Janet introduced the phase “active birth” was possibly the most important on in the history of childbirth in Europe since the day when French doctor Mauriceau took control of childbirth as he placed the laboring woman on her back.

Michel Odent

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

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• New Special Bars Now Available!
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These are pictures taken by B in the last Sunday Souk (April 6, 2008).

Once again,

BY NATURE Handmade Soaps
will be at the
Sunday Souk on April 20, 2008.

It will be held at the
Power Plant Mall’s Plaza Drive
(in front of Starbucks, Cibo, Crustacia, Dencios).

The Souk will be open from
10:00am-6:00pm
and entrance is FREE!

SEE and SMELL all the variants of BY NATURE Handmade Soaps,
together with My Other 100% NATURAL Products!

The variant for the Freshly Cut Bars will be:

BABY BLUE
(Special Bar)

Note:

I am currently OUT OF STOCK with Baby Blue bars, so for those who would like to buy from the Sunday Souk can purchase the Freshly Cut Bars instead.

I also have two (2) whole logs left of the Baby Blue.

SEE YOU THERE!

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• Fairer, Smoother, Clearer Skin
• Souvenir in Sinamay Pouch
• 5 Years and Counting…
• Read Your Labels
• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part II)

Dairy Bar

(Special Bar)

and

Olive Beauty

(Premium Bar)

I made the Dairy Bar for those who love to bathe with goat’s milk soaps and I know why they do. This goat’s milk handmade soap produces a rich and creamy lather, just like bathing with the milk itself. The longer you rub your skin with the lather, the creamier and softer the lather becomes. But it doesn’t end there. After you shower, your skin will feel so milky soft and supple, and that’s just in one shower. Imagine how your skin will feel if you use this bar every time you bath…

For the Olive Beauty, I made it especially for those who are looking for castile soap. This bar is so mild it can be used on infants (just be very careful not to get soap lather in their eyes) and those with very, very sensitive skin. It produces a rich, creamy, almost-milky lather. This bar will feel a bit slimy when wet because it is loaded with pure olive oil. It is a natural characteristic of real castile soaps, so don’t be alarmed. I also added other wonderful oils to make it fall under my Premium Bars (as if being made mostly of pure olive oil doesn’t make it a premium bar in itself). By the way, this variant is unscented because I really wanted infants to be able to use it, too. It will save them from having to use heavily-scented, chemical-laden, and commercialized baby products. Their soft and sensitive skin don’t deserve to (and shouldn’t) be exposed and covered with synthetic ingredients. Olive Beauty will spare them from those and will do wonders on their skin. Of course, what’s great for babies are wonderful for mommies and daddies, too! Use it as a facial soap, body soap or a shampoo bar. What a treat!

Both new variants will be available in the Sunday Souk at the Power Plant Mall this April 20, from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Be one of the first to try them out!

© BY NATURE Handmade Soaps copyright 2000

You May Also Want to Read These:

• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (7)
• Charitable Handmade Soaps Selection Update (11)
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• Building Blocks
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