Blue Jewel Handcrafted - Botanical Soap and Skincare

When I first began making skincare, I was determined to avoid preservatives altogether. I didn’t truly understand their role in water-based products and assumed they were all harmful. My background in the beauty industry had taught me to be cautious; over the years I’d learned about the risks of certain ingredients like phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde, which have been linked to potential cancer risks and endocrine disruption. But as I honed my craft and realized that not everything could be made without water, my perspective changed. I discovered that a high-quality, naturally derived, broad-spectrum preservative is not the enemy. It’s the key to creating safe, effective water-based skincare products that stay fresh and protects the people who use them. Why Preservatives Are a Must in Skincare – and Why That’s a Good Thing In the world of natural and handmade skincare, preservatives often get a bad reputation. They’re sometimes painted as unnecessary, “chemical,” or even harmfu...

As a young mother, I kept a small vegetable garden and stocked a few simple herbs in the medicine cabinet - peppermint for an upset stomach, chamomile tea to ease pink eye. But that was just the beginning . It wasn’t until I officially launched my soap business a few years ago that I truly began to explore the incredible potential of plants. That journey opened my eyes to their remarkable healing properties, and I came to see them not just as useful, but as almost magical allies in our everyday lives. In a world saturated with lab-made skincare formulas and complicated ingredient lists, many, like me,  are turning back to what nature has always offered - herbs. For centuries, cultures around the globe have harnessed the healing power of plants to care for the skin. Now, with a growing interest in clean beauty and holistic wellness, herbs and wild plants (some known as weeds) are having a major moment in skincare. But what makes herbs so special for our skin? Let’s explore how some...