Did you know May 4 is National Herb Day? We love any reason to celebrate using herbs! So let’s learn how to make an herb infused oil :) It can be difficult to incorporate herbs into products, as many botanicals wilt, fade, or (ew) mold in products. But one method that is fairly reliable is making an oil infusion for use in any oil-based product! You will need: ~ dried herbs ~ olive oil or another long shelf life oil like high oleic sunflower oil ~ glass jar with lid Our herbal expert & Nova Studio teacher Alice Duvernell infuses herbs in different ways. One of her methods uses oil! Step 1 ..read more

Student Question: Can you give me a ballpark estimate of the cost of buying all the ingredients for your Lotions & Creams eClass, and having them shipped? Lori’s Answer: Oh gosh… it’s really hard to give an estimate for ingredients cost because prices & availability fluctuate, and because you have choices for what you can buy and where. You can buy carrier oils online, or at Trader Joes, for instance. I always share where I personally get things. The last page of my handouts is “Recommended Suppliers” with details of WHAT I buy & WHERE from. Anyone who’s been in a class with me or ..read more

Now that the weather is warming up and I’m showing a little more skin I’m really relying on my well made lotions & creams to keep me feeling comfortable after every shower. But the key to a good lotion is an expert preservation technique. Nothing ruins a great experience with a lotion or cream more than a spot of mold…yikes! Check out these incredible bundles that will help you become a preservation expert: 3 eClass Bundle: Lotions & Creams, Face Creams, and Preservation & Product Testing The most complete option for learning about emulsions and preservation is this 3 eClass Bundl ..read more

Are you wanting to dive in to the world of lotion making, but are tired of terrible online recipes and wasting ingredients on instructions that result in flop after flop? The key is investing in recipes that can promise results – recipes that we’ve made hundreds of times, have been teaching for years…recipes that some of our students make & sell exactly as written! Making Lotions & Creams from Scratch Video eClass Have you ever wondered how to make lotions & creams completely from scratch? Making your own lotions & creams is easier than you might think – especially when you st ..read more

Question: The coloring soap naturally class looks interesting, but I was wondering if the soaps were observed after they were cured to see if all these natural colors stayed or changed? (Essentially… are there any natural colors in CP soap that are fade-resistant?) Answer: Thanks for your interest in our Coloring Soap Naturally eClass! Ruth’s eBook, that comes with the eClass, mentions that all pics were taken with a fully cured bar of soap (at around 6 weeks). As you might have heard… colors can/will fade over time… especially natural ones. So, it’s a good question to ask which colors are ..read more

Did you know that gel phase can impact your natural colorants? One of the most exciting things Ruth did in her Natural Colorant Testing as part of the Coloring Soap Naturally eClass is test her colorants 6 ways: ~ Adding the colorant at trace ~ Adding the colorant at trace & gelling the soap ~ Using an oil infusion of the colorant ~ Using an oil infusion of the colorant & gelling the soap ~ Adding the colorant to the lye ~ Adding the colorant to the lye & gelling the soap Are you asking yourself – how much of a difference can gel phase really make? Ask no more! We just released an ..read more

We love highlighting the generous individuals who have helped make The Nova Studio what it is today. This month, join us in celebrating someone we truly admire! Someone who has poured (pun intended, lol) herself into helping fellow soapmakers achieve beautiful CP soap designs, through natural colors & decorative techniques, for the past decade & a half. Soapmaking teacher Ruth Esteves has been a part of The Nova Studio for 15 years! If you’ve had the pleasure of learning from Ruth, you know how skilled she is… not only at soapmaking, but also at teaching. Her relaxed, clear, and infor ..read more

David pours a BIG batch of CP soap into his custom mold! Legend David Critchfield has been our go-to expert on all things soapmaking for decades. He even used to have a “Critchfield’s Corner” segment in our newsletter… answering student questions about making cold process soap, from scratch. Most of it was loooong ago, so even if you were a Nova Studio email Newsletter Subscriber way back when, that info is probably lost in the dark recesses of your email purgatory. But, since we are Celebrating David’s 20 Years with The Nova Studio this month, we decided to revive them! See below for soapma ..read more

When you’ve been in business for awhile, like we have, big landmark events can sneak up on you. David made Lori a “Soap Cake” for our 4th Anniversary back in 2007! It’s hard to believe, but soap legend David Critchfield has taught for The Nova Studio for 20 years! Shortly after opening The Nova Studio in Point Richmond in 2003, I noticed someone else posting soapmaking classes nearby… in Fremont (also advertising on Craglist)! My initial thought… “Uh oh… I have competition!!” Afterall, the reason I started TNS is that I couldn’t find any classes near the SF Bay Area. But, instead of being wo ..read more

IF you make soap/bath/body products, the thought of creating fully compliant product labels is overwhelming. Most makers struggle with labeling… it is one of the trickiest parts of getting handmade products ready for sale. Even after purchasing Marie’s comprehensive book on labeling (which is an excellent reference guide!), for some reason I still struggled when I sat down to actually create my labels. I don’t think I’m alone in this feeling. If you can relate, we created this for you (and me, lol). Marie worked with us for months to create a very thorough, yet accessible for everyone Product ..read more