Fragrance? Essence? Scent!

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  Sometimes good, and sometimes bad.  I have made some acquaintances in my life, and I am certain that some of them have come into my life for specific reasons.  One of my good friends came into my life in a really random sort of way, such a random way that I know she's supposed to be here. 

A couple years ago I had the honor of meeting a lady with a ton of drive, and a giant smile.  She is actually the one who encouraged me to start my own business, making products that I love.  Her name is Shanna and she's the talented owner of Simple Soaps for Simple Folks.  My mom was given a bar of Shanna's amazing goat milk soap, and from that bar of soap, we set up a class to make soap, and within a year of that class I had moved from Minnesota, to North Carolina, and back to Minnesota.  When the dust settled, I ended up living about 10 minutes away from Shanna, and I was given the opportunity to work with her, selling and making soap! 

I had never really been interested in making soap, but the more I helped Shanna, the more I enjoyed it.  She encouraged me to start making bath bombs, which led to other fun bath products, which led to The Lemon Dahlia!

One of the first things I learned from Shanna, that is actually something I didn't know, was the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils.  You may already know this, but in case you don't, I will tell you!

Essential oils are the real deal.  They are straight from the plant, oil that has amazing qualities, and bright fragrance.  Fragrance oils are synthetic.  They are man made scents that are used in perfumes. 

So, which is better?  That depends... essential oils are fantastic for people who have skin sensitivities.  Because they are so natural, they are great for your skin, and they have a ton of other health benefits.  I am still learning a lot of these, but I am amazed every time I find another one and all of it's medicinal qualities.  Did you know that peppermint is helpful with headaches?  Or that different citrus essential oils such as lemon grass or lime are great for perking you up.  Frankincense (yes, the one that the 3 wise men brought to Jesus when he was born) helps with depression, and tea tree has amazing antibacterial and anti fungal qualities.  Honestly, it keeps going with the different oils and their benefits.  Essential oils are amazing, and their smells are very potent in some cases.  This can be good or bad, as sometimes it can be sort of extreme.  

Now, fragrance oils, what's their deal?  As I mentioned, they are not genuine plant derived, but there is nothing wrong with them.  You see them every day in perfumes and lotions.  There are some fragrances that I absolutely love, and I know just doesn't exist in the essential oil world.  The scent also can last quite a bit longer than essential oils.

I use both of these in my products.  If you ever look at the descriptions of bath products, you now know!  Beware though- there are many products out there that claim to use only essential oils, but many commercially made products use a tiny drop of essential oils, and the majority of their oils are fragrance.  Be sure to check the labels, and do your own research!

Out with the bad, in with the good.

I have always loved taking baths.  I probably spend a good portion of my evening with pruney fingers and toes because I stay in the bathtub too long.  I had a friend tell me once that her therapy consisted of the three B's.  Beer, books, and baths.  I could not agree more.  

So, if you are like me, and you enjoy the relaxation of a good bath, why not enhance that experience with something that smells good, and is good for you?  Bath salts will provide all of the above.  For a long time I had no idea what the point was of bath salts.  They seemed like something I would like- but I had no idea what I'd do with them.  Well guess what?  Now I know.

Bath salts are literally salts for your bath.  When you put them in the hot water they dissolve and help to pull negative toxins from your body.  They are said to also help promote positive moods.  There's nothing wrong with that!  The other ingredients in my bath salts are scent oils (either essential or fragrance) and glycerin.  I don't want to overwhelm you right off the bat, so I'll save those for later this week.  

I would like to show you a picture of my salt though!!  I use a combination of Epsom salts and sea salts.  You will see that it's quite pretty though because I add pink Himalayan sea salts.  What do you think?

Here's a link to some of the bath salts in my shop, and trust me, there will be more to come: Bath Salts!

So here's the question of the day: What is your favorite bath product that you use now, or what do you wish you had that someone could invent for you?

Wanna win some free loot?

I'm going to be giving away some ridiculously cool stuff... how do you enter??  Look here: Click!

Welcome!!!

Welcome to The Lemon Dahlia!  It is my pleasure to have you here!  I'd love to tell you a little about me, and what exactly  is going on in this little corner of the Internet.  

My name is Laura, and I have always wanted to run my own business.  I love making people smile, and I feel that people don't give nearly enough genuine compliments, or pamper themselves enough.  These ideas thrown together brought about the idea of The Lemon Dahlia.  

Do you like to take baths?  Weird question, I know, but a valid one nonetheless.  Do you ever take time to just sit and enjoy the moment?  It seems that the majority of the world doesn't.  Everyone is running a million miles an hour, and barely get enough time in to sleep.  The Lemon Dahlia was born of the concept that relaxing is a key aspect of life, and it shouldn't be so expensive that only the rich can afford it. One other thing here to point out is that I am a firm believer that handmade is better than store bought.  Much better.  

So if you take all of those things: Relaxation, afford-ability, and handmade, you get The Lemon Dahlia!  

The Shop! 

All right, why do I need a blog to make handmade bath and body goodness?  Here's why.  Have you ever been to the store and picked up what looks like some really cool bath products, then taken a peak at the ingredients and the list is so long and complicated that you have NO idea what you are actually buying?  Why would you put something on your skin, that will then soak in and get into your body, that you haven't the slightest idea what it is?  In this little blog I will be introducing you to my products, and also what is in them.  I would also like to tell you why I use the products that I do, and what benefits they have for your skin, health, and state of mind. 

Stay tuned everyone.  Lots of good stuff coming up.  I really want to share this with you, and I want you to share your opinions with me.  Good, bad, and honest.  Thanks for taking a minute to check out my new blog, and come back soon!!!