Category Archives: The Admirable Lady

Face Mask Experiments – Part I: Baking Powder

One of the many things that one can read about online in numerous blogs are the benefits  of face masks.  Deep pore cleansing, skin balancing, blemish reducing – there are a lot of different types with different uses and, of course, different ingredients.  But as we all know, not every thing online is totally reliable.  Some things work better than others and some things are out-and-out bad for you, so I thought I’d try out some of the options and see if there are some good, easy, and effective DIY face mask options out there.

Besides, we all need a little pampering now and then………………….. Continue Reading…

Rules of Etiquette & Home Culture

While looking at bespoke hand-made suits I saw mention of a book, just as an aside in the description of a style of suit.  It was a book from the end of the 19th century discussing the finer points of how one should act and something about it caught my attention, so I sought it out.  It covers an enormous range of topics, from the basic importance of etiquette through to the correct wording to use when responding to a certain invitation.  Ever wondered when it is correct to call on a young lady?  Well, now you can find out!

Rules of Etiquette & Home Culture

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Exfoliation explanation

Just a quick post about exfoliation in soaps, I’ll be posting another soon about how important exfoliation is.

As with so much in life, a little can go a long way!  Not only that, but the type of material that you use can have a big impact on how the soap feels when being used.

My favourite so far has to be ground Poppy Seeds. Continue Reading…

The Ethical Gentleman

While I do not currently sell my soaps, it is something that I am actively working towards – here in the EU it is not as straight forward as it is in The United States, for example, which means it is taking some time to get in a position to sell my products.  Throughout this time I am faced with ethical choices and I also engage with other soap makers who do sell and face similar questions of ethics.

For me, ethics are a very important part of my plans. Continue Reading…

Eighth Soap – Goats Milk, Oats and Honey

This batch of soap was planned from the beginning with The Admirable Lady in mind.  That might seem a little sexist, of course, but there is something about it that I feel is just very lady-like – I think it could be the associations of bathing in milk and Cleopatra, or the inclusion of honey which lends it a more softer, feminine appeal. Continue Reading…

Sixth Soap – Pumpkin Seed Oil # 1

In Austria, a lot of people use Pumpkin Seed oil on their salads or in other ways when cooking. It has a rich, nutty flavour and the colour is a deep green. As is the case since I started soap making, I now look at all oils and wonder if it can be used in a soap! I was pleased to see that it is one of the options in the online soap calculator that I used (soapcalc.com) and so I set about coming up with a recipe using Pumpkin See oil, but still have a useable soap.
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Fifth Soap – Salt Bar # 1

This was a type of soap that I was particularly looking forward to making.  I had read a lot of good things about Salt Bars before, looked in to what made them so special and was eager to try it out for myself.

An average soap will not lather in salt water – the salt saturates the water and inhibits the way that the bubbles are formed.   With that in mind, it seems strange to add salt to a soap.

Salt bars counter this issue by Continue Reading…

Moisturising Bars – And Introducing The Admirable Lady

When on holiday in England, visiting the family, my sister gave me a recipe for something that is proving quite popular here in Austria.  It’s a moisturising bar made from Shea and Cocoa butters.  My lady wife was so impressed with it that we decided to also make products aimed not only at gentlemen, but also ladies.  From this moment, The Admirable Lady range was born!  This range will be used for all things made specifically for the fairer sex, who often require different formulations or scent combinations. Continue Reading…