Meet Deborah Davidson! She runs the online shop Sunny Bungalow, based out of Springfield Massachusetts.
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Debbie & Jon "A selfie of my BFF (Jon) and me"[/caption]
Sunny Bungalow’s beautifully unique products are handcrafted with all natural ingredients. REAL Soaps, Bath Bombs and Oil Cleanse Method Serums. (with new and exciting products on the rise) Prices range from an amazing $3.00 to $18.00.
Hi Debbie Thanks so much for joining us here! <3Tell us a bit about your shop, benefits of your products & what got you started:
I have always had extremely sensitive dry skin. Years ago I purchased some handmade soap and noticed a revolutionary difference in my skin. At the time I really didn’t understand why the handmade soaps made such a difference. It was like night and day after the first use. I started digging a bit deeper into soap production and I was astounded at what I learned. Most commercial bars of soap in your local grocery stores and other big box stores are detergent bars. The labels will say “Beauty Bar” or just the name of the soap without stating anywhere the word soap. Detergents have all but replaced soap-based products for laundering, dish washing and household cleaning. Detergents (alone or in combination with soap) are also found in many of the bars and liquids used for personal cleansing. True soaps are the result of a chemical reaction between vegetable or animal fats, water and lye. When combined they transform into soap and glycerin, with no lye remaining in the soap. This reaction is called “saponification” which literally means “the making of soap”.
I wanted to go back to the old-fashioned simple remedies. Naked products with only the essential ingredients added. I started making soap with some high quality soap crafting bases. For beginners this is so much fun! Especially if you have young ones, everyone can get involved since there is no lye involved. As time moved on, I really wanted even more control over the ingredients that were in my soap. I started researching how to make real soap with the butters and oils of my choosing. For me this is when the fun really started. I was making soap almost every day when I would get home from work. By the way, I work full-time as an RN.
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Sunny Bungalow on Etsy![/caption]
A friend of mine encouraged me to hang a shingle on Etsy. I was completely intimidated because there are a lot of seriously talented folks there. But here I am ...and having a blast! I love creating new recipes or just putting a twist on an old-established one. My Etsy sales might subsidize my insatiable need to create. I am constantly making new items to try, so come back often to visit.
I have over 30 years’ experience in the medical profession as an RN. Our skin is our largest organ. Most items on the shelves are filled with synthetic ingredients to increase shelf life, texture, and appearance. I started experimenting and researching more economical and handcrafted ways to make the same item. The items that I would make myself I preferred and I knew they were healthier for my skin. I pride myself on using only what’s needed to produce a soap or skin care item. If there isn't a distinct purpose and/or benefit, I leave the item out. Most items are scented with only essential oils. Because not all scents can be recreated with essential oils only, some products will contain fragrance oil. All items will be marked with what scent or essential oil was added.
I produce small batches of each item in my shop. This helps me maintain a fresh and accurate inventory. It also helps me artistically so I can keep creating new products with different twists. My wish is that you think of Sunny Bungalow as your little shelter against all the toxic ingredients out in the marketplace that we are rubbing into our skin. I always try to include the benefit of each product in my website description so folks can choose items that will help with their individual skin needs.
What is your most favorite ingredient to use in your products, and why?
It is so hard to choose just one item because the best soaps are made with a combination of oils. Instead I will explain
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Beer Soap![/caption]
a few of the items I use that make Sunny Bungalows soaps extra special. I love substituting different liquids for the distilled water. For instance I have soaps that the water has been substituted with Champagne or Beer or Aloe Vera juice. Sometimes I like to add a pinch of Bamboo Silk. This adds a nice luxurious slip and creaminess to the soap. A lot of soapers use Tussah Silk, but in order to obtain that silk, many silkworms are killed. I just couldn’t have that on my conscience, so I use Bamboo Silk. Dead Sea Mud is my most recent new addiction. It is so detoxifying and pampering to your skin. I also love using local wool to felt soaps. They are so cute it’s like soap in a blanket. The wool has natural antibacterial and exfoliating properties and shrinks around the soap as it melts.
Another product that I just started experimenting with this past week is Black African Soap (BAF). BAF is renowned for its skin moisturizing capabilities. It is naturally a wicked soft soap. I originally wanted to make it from scratch but I hit a few roadblocks. Black African Soap recipes are closely guarded secrets. Very little information is available online to produce the real deal. The other stumbling block was the potash. The potash they use is created from burnt plaintain leaves, almost impossible to get over here. I have sourced some real BAF from Ghana for rebatching. Rebatching is when you melt down soap and add your own touch and remold. Keep your eyes out on my website for this new creation.
What are your Ultimate Goals and Dreams for Sunny Bungalow to accomplish?
My five-year plan is to eventually have my own little soap shack. I would love to have a little shop near my home where I can teach soap making. Initially it will only be open on weekends, since I work full-time. The shop will have soap supplies that folks can purchase and soap classes for cold process and melt and pour. It will also have a section where students can put any items they make up for sale. What a wonderful vision where folks can come together out of this busy technology filled world and make something that our ancestors have made for centuries.
{I love this idea! What an amazing goal to have! I can't wait to see photos of the grand opening when your dream becomes reality!}From where do you draw your inspiration from?
I wish I could list one place I draw inspiration from. I think about soap all the time. I can’t shut it off. Between my probable ADD and OCD, it’s fantastically overwhelming! My family gives me so much inspiration! Jon, my partner in life, has endless encouragement and assistance for me 24 hours a day.
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Jon all decked out (Looks like something out of Breaking Bad right?)[/caption]
My two kids Haley and Parker (19/16) are always asking to try out a new soap I made or giving me an idea they saw and would like to see recreated. My customers also give me a lot of inspiration. They might request a special scent or moisturizing property.
My most recent weird inspiration came from some graffiti I saw. The color combination hit me so hard and I had to create it immediately. 
Sometimes I get a new essential oil or fragrance and I imagine the color combination then run to create. The Dead Sea Mud I mentioned earlier was originally purchased for face masks, but of course I had to try it in soap. Pinterest is always inspiring me as well as Etsy.
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Pineapple Orchid Soap with All Natural Sustainable Sea Sponge[/caption]
The soap sponges you see were originally inspired by Tropical Sea Sponges on Esty. He is a diver who obtains sustainable sea sponges. His girlfriend had some soap sponges posted on their Etsy shop. I emailed her and asked if she would mind if I did a sea sponge soap like hers. She loved the idea! She said she only posted her soap sponges to help her BF sell more sponges.
Tell us about Sunny Bungalow's Future Products:
Right now I am readying for some home soap parties and Holiday craft fairs. Keep your eyes on the website for these up and coming potions I am working on. Lip Balms - all natural, made with some local organic beeswax. I have had a ton of requests for Yoga Mat Sprays (to cleanse the mat after class). Facial toners are brewing as I write this. Witch Hazel infused with Rose Hips, Rosemary, Orange and a few more to be named. I am currently perfecting a shaving soap up in time for the holidays. See? I told you, the flood of ideas never stops lol
What's your favorite product to make?
My favorite product to make is soap. I love the process from start to finish. It is so Zen for me. Gathering the oils, carefully mixing the lye, swirling in additives and the final un-molding. Every time I un-mold a soap, I feel like I get a personal gift from the universe. The process is so magical to me. My next favorite product to make is the oil cleansing serum. The special essential oils used are added drop by drop into the carrier oils. Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist with my serum bottles and droppers.
What's your favorite to use and why?
Is it weird if this changes all the time? Currently my first favorite item to use is my facial oil cleansing serum. There are no harsh chemicals involved, no suds. Nothing to strip your skin of its oil. This is preferable because, when you strip your skin of its sebum, it goes into overdrive, trying to create more, which leads to clogged pores, blackheads, white heads, and irritation.
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Facial Oil Cleanse - All Natural Handmade[/caption]
This week my other favorite item is my Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Bar. This is made with 100% coconut oil and Pink Himalayan Sea Salt 1:1 ratio. Increased circulation, antiseptic effects, soft skin without a greasy feel and reduction in fluid retention are just some of the benefits. The fine sea salt throughout the bar slowly dissolves as the soap is used. Over time, the soap takes on the appearance of a smooth stone.
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All Natural Handmade Pink Himalayan Sea Salt[/caption]
Thanks so much for sharing with us Debbie! I loved learning all about your process and faves as well as your inspirations. You are definitely one talented crafty lady! Here are the amazing items Debbie sent over for me to try
(and at the bottom of this post you can find all the amazing items she included for the GIVEAWAY!)
Thank You SO much Debbie for your generosity! The items are absolutely exquisite and smell divine!
The Herbal Healing Mama's Reviews: <3
Nag Champa is one of my all time favorite scents & this blend is truly amazing! A beautiful mix of patchouli, sandalwood, and dragon's blood working together to create a spiritual experience. (exactly as it states on Sunny Bungalow's Etsy page)
I
love the texture of this bar, the colours and swirly pattern make it very unique. It was a
wonderful surprise that the bar's colours started shimmering when I started using it! So beautiful!
This bar has such a thick rich lather and an amazing aroma that filled up the bathroom nicely for an extra relaxing experience. I have this bar sitting out in my bathroom tray and it continues to keep the bathroom smelling
amazing!
This bar is made with
olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, castor oil, & Nag Champa Fragrance Oil making it especially nourishing to the skin. This is definitely my new favorite Nag Champa blend!
This is a soap and aromatherapy session all in one!
____________________________________________________________
This scent is PURE! It brings me back to when I had a massive Lilac bush on my front yard! It inspired me to be sure to plant another at our new house.
Again, I have to compliment the texture of this bar! I love how beautiful it is!
This bar is made with coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil & Lilac FO making it amazingly soft and silky! My skin felt so moisturized after using this bar! You can actually watch the lather sink its moisture into your skin.
The scent lingered long after my bath. I probably looked crazy to everyone, continuously smelling my arms. ^_^ Same as the Nag Champa, this bar has built in therapeutic properties. The scent is so light and calming. I could see this being a perfect 'before bed' bar. Absolutely delicious!
I have wanted to try one of these SO BADLY! I must admit - all the hype is true! This soap is AMAZING!
This bar is made with coconut oil, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt & Grapefruit Essential Oil. I have to admit, I am not typically a fan of grapefruit scents (as eating grapefruit makes me sick :( ) BUT I am absolutely addicted to this scent! It's light and beautiful!
This salt bar is so exfoliating! I loved how the pink salt started to show through when I started using it. It had the perfect amount of lather and moisture.
The really neat thing about this bar, is after a few uses, it starts to take on the appearance of a smooth stone.
The shape of this bar is perfect! It curves perfectly to fit in your hand while you exfoliate away. I Loved this bar!
IT SPARKLES!
This bar is lovely! It's ingredients include: coconut oil, unrefined shea butter, olive oil, sunflower oil & castor oil.
It's absolutely moisturizing with a nice light lather. This bar was absolutely perfect for shaving with.
Both boys (Hubby & Son) in the house said this one was their favorite scent. My son tried it out as well and loved it. He said it made his bath extra relaxing. (He is so right!)
About the Scent: (Straight from Sunny Bungalow's Etsy Page) Yuzu, also referred to as Japanese Grapefruit, is not your ordinary grapefruit scent. Yuzu begins with top notes of mandarin, tangerine, lemon satsuma, and ruby red grapefruit, middle notes of bergamot, and base notes of oakmoss.
I enjoyed this one very much!
This bar is seriously so gorgeous I didn't want to get it wet! ^_^ BUT believe me, it was SO worth it!
As soon as I started using it I watched it fill the tub with shimmer and sparkles! Beautiful!
This scent is heavenly! Made with
shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, love, bamboo silk, champagne & jasmine fragrance oil.Yes, you read correctly! Champagne! Mmm. Such a thick nourishing lather, leaving your skin feeling amazing!
This is definitely a moisture rich bar! One of my favorites!
I am so happy I got to experience these amazing soaps! I 100% recommend Sunny Bungalow's Products! These are some of the finest and most nourishing soaps I have ever had the pleasure of using. Each bar has it's own unique purpose. Each scent is accompanied beautifully by the look and texture of the bar. I enjoyed each and every single one of these and am so thankful that Debbie sent them out for us to try!
FIND SUNNY BUNGALOW ONLINE!
NOW FOR OUR GIVEAWAY
of All Natural, Handmade items
- WHICH INCLUDES:
From Sunny Bungalow:
From The Herbal Healing Mama:
- Calming Lavender Rose Bath Blend - 6oz (Included is a reusable bath tea bag)
- OM- Aromatherapy Herb Jar Necklace (stress release)
- Chakra Votive Candle
- 2 Coconut-Champa Tea Light Candles
- Organza Baggie full of Calendula
Thanks everyone for joining us here. Good Luck! <3
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
We had an amazing 4469 entries! That you all so very much! <3
(Check your email & fb tab for the winner)
<3
If you are interested in applying for shop spotlight of the month - please see the Opportunities Section of the blog.
Thanks Friends. <3
