The Best Benefits, How to Use Kefir in Skincare

December 17, 2025December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Kefir Health Benefits

What is kefir and what are the best benefits? Kefir is said to originate from the Caucasus Mountains over 2,000 years ago. For centuries, it has been used in traditional medicine to treat ailments and for improving the immune system.

Kefir grains are used to ferment fresh milk to make a probiotic drink similar to Kombucha tea. The grains look like a clump of cauliflower. Sometimes they come in smaller pieces. They will grow and increase in size with each fermentation. The grains can be reused indefinitely to make new batches of kefir drink. You do not need to buy new cultures.

Kefir drink is rich in vitamins and calcium. Like most probiotics, it helps with digestion and improves gut health.

How to Make Kefir

To make kefir, you need fresh milk kefir grains and milk. You also need a glass jar and cloth or paper towel to cover the jar. You will also need a plastic sieve, a plastic spoon and a rubber band.

Fill the glass jar with one cup of milk, add in two tablespoons of kefir grains. Cover the jar with cloth or paper towel, and secure with the rubber band. Leave the milk to ferment at room temperature for 24 hours or until the milk thickens. It takes longer in colder weather to ferment.

When the kefir is ready, stir it with a plastic spoon. Then, strain the kefir grains from the milk using the plastic sieve. The milk is ready for drinking. Use the kefir grains to start a new batch of milk again.

Benefits and Uses of Kefir

The best time to drink kefir is before meals. It helps with digestion. You can also drink it before bedtime to promote a good night’s sleep.

Kefir in Skincare

Kefir is used as an ingredient in skincare to promote healthy skin. The probiotic properties in kefir can reduce inflammation and fight acne bacteria. Vitamins and calcium in kefir promote collagen production and reduce inflammation. Kefir has lactic acid that is a gentle exfoliant for dead skin cells.

You can apply kefir directly on the face as a moisturizer, cleanser, or toner. When mixed with other skincare ingredients like honey, clay or olive oil, you have a kefir facial mask.

Benefits of Kefir Soap

Bring your bath time to the next level with a probiotic soap! If kefir drink is good for our system, why not use it on our skin? Like all our handmade soaps, our kefir soap is made with natural ingredients that are beneficial to the skin. We even ferment our own milk kefir to make our cold process kefir soaps. That is to guarantee we use the best ingredients in fermenting kefir. This probiotic soap cleanses and nourishes your skin, leaving it soft and hydrated. Probiotics can reduce inflammation and promote healthier skin. Kefir soap is gentler and less drying, so it is suitable for all skin types especially dry and sensitive skin.

Our soaps are extremely nourishing and hydrating, made with cow’s milk kefir, premium oils, and pure essential oils. We made them to suit all skin types. Our focus is especially on dry and sensitive skin. This is the focus of our handmade soaps. All ingredients are natural and are suitable for face and body.

Our products are

Palm Oil Free
Parabens Free
Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free
Phthalates Free
Synthetic Fragrance Free
Cruelty Free
100% handmade in Australia

How to Get the Best Benefits of Kombucha in Skincare

December 17, 2025December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

What are the best benefits of kombucha in skincare?

First of All, What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, beneficial bacteria, and yeast. To make kombucha, prepare the sweet tea first and allow it to cool to room temperature.

A scoby is then added to the sweetened tea to start the fermentation. The scoby is light brown. The word SCOBY stands for the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The yeast converts the sugar to alcohol, and the bacteria converts the alcohol to acetic acid. This process takes a couple of weeks. The fermented tea becomes fizzy and has a little tart taste like vinegar. Longer fermentation time will make the tea more acidic and it will taste vinegary. Kombucha is like fermented food like yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir and kimchi.

Benefits of Kombucha Tea

Probiotics have beneficial bacteria that support gut health. Kombucha tea is not only good for your gut but also beneficial to your skin. It has antioxidant properties and is rich in vitamins, especially B1, B6, B12 and vitamin C. These vitamins help the body produce healthy cells that strengthen your hair and nails.

The Best Benefits of Using Kombucha in Skincare — Kombucha Tea

Kombucha for Skincare

The emergence of fermented skincare ingredients has been a rising trend in recent years. Fermented ingredients contain antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Probiotics can improve skin health. They also reduce signs of aging.

The anti-inflammation properties help to reduce irritation on the skin caused by eczema and acne.
It keeps away harmful bacteria from irritating your skin.

Kombucha contains lactic acid bacteria. This acts as a mild exfoliant. It can help to remove dead skin cells and reduce hyperpigmentation.

Some skincare products include Kombucha as an ingredient in their toners, essences and cleansers. Kombucha, in its concentrated form, can be too acidic for the skin. It is to be diluted or mixed with other skincare ingredients to balance out the benefits of using each ingredient.ss

Benefits of Using Kombucha Soap

We brew our own Kombucha tea for making our cold process kombucha soap. That is to guarantee we use the best ingredients in brewing this fresh Kombucha tea.

Our soaps are extremely nourishing and hydrating, made with Kombucha, scoby, premium oils, and pure essential oils. We made them to suit all skin types. They are especially beneficial for dry and sensitive skin, which is the focus of our handmade soaps. All ingredients are natural and are suitable for face and body.

Availability

We have limited supply of kombucha soaps in small batches. If you need a larger quantity, please contact us.

Our products are

Palm Oil Free
Parabens Free
Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free
Phthalates Free
Synthetic Fragrance Free
Cruelty Free
100% handmade in Australia

Soap Care: How to Make Your Soap Bar Last Longer

September 14, 2023December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Tips on how to care for your soap

First step on how to care for your soap is to place your soap on a self draining soap dish. Standing your soap in water will make it soggy and messy. Soaps last longer when kept dry in between uses. Allow plenty of fresh air to keep your soap dry and it will last longer.

Care for your soap – Use a soap pouch

You can put the soap in a soap pouch. Hang it up in the shower to dry after using.

Try to use handmade soaps within six months of purchase. Natural soaps are free of preservatives and best to use them fresh.

Storing and care for your soap

We should store all unused soap in a cool, dark and dry place. Do not store natural soaps in warm and humid places.

We can store handmade soaps in ventilated wooden or cardboard boxes. Do not put them in closed plastic containers – this is a very important step to care for your soap.

Our products are

Palm Oil Free
Parabens Free
Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free
Phthalates Free
Synthetic Fragrance Free
Cruelty Free
100% handmade in Australia

Ingredients

Please read ingredients description carefully before purchasing our handmade soaps. All our products come with a full list of ingredients that are used to make them.

If you are allergic or sensitive to any of the listed ingredients, please do not place order. Every body is different and we can’t guarantee you will not get skin irritation or allergic reaction. Please be mindful of that when choosing our products. If you are unsure, please do an allergy patch test on a small area of the skin.

Which One is Better – Let’s Compare Soap and Detergent

March 2, 2023December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Soap vs Detergent a comparison — Soap or detergent

Let us look at the different advantages and disadvantages of using soap and detergent.

What is the difference between soap and detergent? Most of us use them for the same purpose, that is cleansing our body, clothes and around the house. Both can help to remove dirt and grime from surfaces. Yet soaps and detergents are quite different.

Soap

Soap is a sodium or potassium salt of a carboxylic acid. The end product of a bar of soap is a soap salt and glycerol. Products labelled as sodium stearate and sodium palmitate are actually soap.

Soap manufacturers produce their soaps using natural ingredients like vegetable oils and animal fats. The vegetable oils can be olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc. Excess oil and fat is used to keep the content moist in handmade soaps.

Soaps are biodegradable, which means they break down naturally without the aid of artificial additives.

In hard water, soaps form precipitates and less lather (or bubbles). Normally made in a solid form, soap takes time to dissolve in water.

We mostly use soaps for washing hands and our bodies. We use soaps for washing kitchen utensils too.

Detergent

They usually make detergents of sodium or potassium salts. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate (SDS) are chemical ingredients commonly found in most detergents.

Manufacturers produce detergents using synthetic products from petroleum or petroleum fractions.

As petroleum is one of the ingredients, many detergents are not biodegradable. We cannot dissolve non biodegradable wastes using natural agents and will remain on earth for thousands of years.

Detergents do not form precipitates and bubbles well in hard water. This is because of the addition of a substance called sodium zeolite in detergents.

They sell most detergents in liquid form and they take less time to dissolve in water.

We use detergents for laundry, dishes and cleaning our homes. Body gels and shampoos are detergents. The ingredients are synthetic and contain chemicals.

Soap vs Detergent

We should all think about whether we should be using soap or detergent on our body. To understand why using soap is beneficial, you can find some information in this article Why Use Natural Soaps.

You Need To Use Handmade Soap Made With Natural Ingredients

November 2, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Artisanal Handmade Soaps — Natural Handmade Soaps

There are reasons why we should use handmade soap made with natural ingredients. Handmade soap using the cold process method is a great way to create natural soaps using nourishing oils and butters. Botanicals such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano can be infused in oil to make cold process soaps. Roses and lavender are favorite additions to cold process handmade soaps. This cold process method is best for preserving the benefits of plant-derived oils and butter.

Handmade soaps are made with oils, butters, lye and water. The ingredients combine and go through the process called saponification to produce soap and glycerin. There should be no lye remaining in the final bar of soap. Soaps made with the cold process method requires 4-6 weeks to cure. The curing process allows the saponification to complete and excess water to evaporate. The fully cured soap bar will last longer and does not melt away quickly in the shower.

Why You Should Use Natural Handmade Soap

Handmade soaps are not cheap. A bottle of body wash or shower gel lasts much longer in the shower. It lasts three times longer than a bar of handmade soap. So, you may ask why should I buy handmade soap?

Most people are not aware that commercial soaps are full of chemicals, toxic additives and could be carcinogenic. These additives are the main cause of dry skin, rashes and skin redness. In fact, the additives are what you would find in detergents. Laundry and dishwashing detergents are great for clothes and dishes. However, you do not want to use detergents for your skin.

Soap that is handmade with natural ingredients is the best for your skin. It washes away dirt and impurities without stripping the natural oils of your skin. Natural handmade soaps do not contain harmful chemicals or toxins. These soaps are good for people with sensitive skin. Commercial cleansers may add some natural ingredients to their products. However, the quantities are usually too small to be beneficial. Their main ingredients are synthetic, that cause more harm than good. Commercial soap also lacks glycerin that is naturally found in handcrafted soap. While the soap cleanses your skin, the glycerin helps the skin to restore and retain moisture.

Natural handmade soaps are biodegradable and environmental friendly. There is no need for plastic bottles that are used for body gels and cleansers.

It is amazing to know we can make natural soaps with a few simple ingredients. These ingredients are good for our skin. The soaps can cleanse and moisturize without causing irritation or allergies to our skin. Check out Braulio & Co for their range of moisturising handcrafted soaps that are great for all skin types.

The Best Benefits of Goat Milk for Healthy Skin

October 31, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Goat milk has gained popularity as an ingredient in soaps, cleansers, moisturizers, and serums.

What Are The Benefits of Goat Milk?

It is a natural humectant and draws moisture to the skin, thus it soothes and nourishes the skin. It also reduces itching and redness in irritated skin. Goat milk soap is creamy and rich in lather. It is very nourishing and is great for all skin types. These are some benefits of goat milk products.

Natural Moisturiser

People suffering from eczema and psoriasis have dry and sensitive skin. They usually find most commercial bath products too harsh for their skin. The ingredients found in shower gels and shampoos are often full of harmful chemicals. People with dry and sensitive skin should try goat milk products. These include natural handmade soaps and goat’s milk moisturisers.

Gentle Exfoliator

Impurities and dirt can affect the health of our skin, causing itchiness and inflammation. The high concentration of lactic acid in goat’s milk makes it a gentle exfoliator for dead skin cells. Goat milk soap naturally exfoliates dry skin. It helps to remove impurities. This leaves the skin refreshed and smooth.

Goat milk can calm troubled skin. If you have sensitive skin, you will benefit from using goat milk products. Look for goat milk products that are made with natural ingredients. Start with goat’s milk cleansers and moisturisers.

Check out Braulio & Co for their goat milk soaps. They also offer other moisturising handmade soaps. These are great for all skin types.

The Amazing Benefits of Cold Process Handmade Soaps

October 22, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Techniques in Soap Making

Two popular methods of making soap are the cold process and hot process. We can use fresh ingredients like milk and plants in cold process method. This method requires the curing process of 4-6 weeks. The hot process is like the cold process, but the ingredients are subject to heat to speed up the saponification. We can use almost immediately a hot process soap after making. It does not require curing time.

Cold Process Method

Cold process soaps are created by combining oils and sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is also known as lye. This mixture starts a chemical reaction called saponification. The reaction produces heat, glycerin and soap. We choose the oils, butters, fragrance, colorants, and other ingredients to formulate the recipe for making cold process soaps.

Handmade soaps using the cold process method are a great way to create natural soaps using nourishing oils and butters. Botanicals such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano can be infused in oil to make cold process soaps. Roses and lavender are favorite additions to cold process handmade soaps. This cold process method is best for preserving the benefits of plant-derived oils and butter.

Soaps made with the cold process method requires 4-6 weeks to cure. The curing process allows the saponification to complete and excess water to evaporate. The fully cured soap bar will last longer and does not melt away quickly in the shower.

Benefits of Cold Process Soaps

Cold process soap is good for the skin. It is made from natural ingredients. It does not contain harmful chemicals that are toxic to humans. Glycerin is a natural by-product that is produced during saponification. It is also a humectant that is beneficial to the skin.

The nourishing plant oils and butters in handmade soaps create a rich creamy lather that is moisturising to the skin. Cold process soaps lack the harmful chemicals found in shower gels. These chemicals can strip away the natural oils on your skin. Using cold process soaps may prevent skin irritation, dryness and other allergies.

Check out Braulio & Co for their moisturising handmade soaps that are great for all skin types.

Do You Know The Most Harmful Chemicals in Body Wash

October 15, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Do you know what are the most harmful chemicals in body wash? Or what are ingredients in the shower gel and shampoo you are using? Here is the list of most common harmful chemicals in body wash, shampoos, cosmetics and skincare products. Some of them are carcinogenic and could cause severe allergies.

Parabens

What are parabens? They are used as preservatives in soaps, hand wash, shower gels, shampoos and a whole range of skincare products. Parabens disrupt our hormones and fertility. They cause irritation to the skin that leads to rashes and inflammation. The parabens commonly found in beauty products are ethyl paraben, butyl paraben, propylparaben and methylparaben.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are forming agents. Each chemical is an emulsifier. Found in everyday cleaning products including shampoos, shower gels, hand soap, washing detergents and toothpaste. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate allow chemicals to penetrate the skin. They cause an imbalance in the natural moisture of the skin. Both are common skin irritants. The combination of SLS and SLES with other chemicals form a toxic substance.

Triclosan

We find Triclosan in commercially in soaps, toothpastes and deodorants. It is an agent to reduce bacterial contamination. Studies found triclosan interferes with thyroid and testosterone activities in cells. They have linked Triclosan to the development of allergies in children.Overuse of antibacterial products in young children increases the chance of them developing allergies.

Triclosan reacts with chlorine in water to form chloroform, a probable carcinogenic compound.

Dioxane

Dioxane acts as a solvent in cosmetics, detergents, paints, lacquers and waxes. High levels of dioxane can cause drowsiness, headaches, vertigo and irritation to some parts of the body. It is carcinogenic to humans.

Diethanolamine

Diethanolamine is known as DEA or DEOA, it is not a natural occurring product. It acts as an acid neutralizer and solvent in the production of detergents, cleaning products, and fabric solvents. DEA can cause burns to the skin and impair vision if exposed to the chemical. Breathing in DEA can cause severe shortness of breath and lung damage.

Propylene Glycol (Antifreeze)

The chemical propylene glycol is used to preserve moisture in food, cosmetics and industrial products like antifreeze compounds. Propylene glycol can cause some side effects like nausea and stomach discomfort.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

A foaming agent used in shampoo and body wash is cocamidopropyl betaine. It can cause skin allergies and eye irritation.

Synthetic Fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are petroleum based. There is nothing good with artificial fragrances. Some of these fragrances are carcinogenic and are harmful to humans.

Conclusion

Remove all the harmful chemicals in body wash and shampoos. It is not too late to make the switch today to natural products like handmade soaps. Products made from natural ingredients are free from toxic chemicals. Check out some lovely handcrafted soaps available at Braulio & Co. They offer products made with natural ingredients. Premium oils, natural clay, charcoal, and pure essential oils are the ingredients for making traditional handmade soaps.

What Are the Benefits, How To Use Activated Charcoal Powder

October 13, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Where does activated charcoal come from? Activated charcoal is produced by burning coconut shells, wood or bamboo. They are exposed to high temperatures. The charcoal becomes porous when subjected to high heat. The final product is black and odourless. Sold in chemists and health stores, it can be supplement tablets or in powder form. We use the activated charcoal powder for personal care, medicinal purposes, pet care and skincare. They use charcoal in treating certain food poisoning cases in emergency hospitals. Charcoal has antibacterial properties. Activated charcoal is a common item in fish aquariums. It effectively filters toxins and improves the quality of aquarium water.

Uses of Activated Charcoal Powder

Charcoal is one ingredient in products for teeth whitening, facial wash, shampoos and also in soap making. This black powder is very light and fine. We must handle it with extreme care. Do not use charcoal powder in front of the fan. It can get very messy and very hard to clean up. Wear a filtered mask if you are handling and blending large quantity in handmade soaps or gels. The fine particles can get into your lungs.

Charcoal Used in Skincare

Facial wash and soap products that contain activated charcoal powder are perfect for cleansing your body. The charcoal draws out impurities from your skin as you wash. Charcoal has antibacterial properties. It is suitable for cleansing problematic skin prone to acne. There are people who may be allergic to charcoal products. It is best to do a patch test on your inner arm with a new skincare product. If the new product does not cause skin irritation, you can use it on your face. If there is no allergic reaction, it is safe for body use.

Charcoal toothpaste can cause staining to the teeth if used every day. It may wear down tooth enamel, as charcoal is mildly abrasive. That will cause tooth sensitivity.

Activated charcoal supplements are available in chemists. Before introducing charcoal into your diet, it is best to consult your doctor first. Taking too much charcoal can cause vomiting and nausea.

Where to Buy Natural Charcoal Soaps

Check out Braulio & Co for their moisturising charcoal soaps that are great for all skin types.

Matcha Green Tea : A Great Ingredient For Facial Mask

October 12, 2022December 17, 2025 admin Blog Leave a comment

Matcha is green tea leaves that have been grounded into fine powder form. They widely use green tea extract in skincare products, food colouring and culinary purposes in parts of Asia. They use matcha powder for flavouring and food colouring.

Green tea leaves are rich in antioxidants. We often used premium grade matcha for tea because of its freshness and subtle taste. Drinking green tea can have positive effects on cholesterol, blood pressure, and mental health. Matcha tea is rich in antioxidants that provide anti-aging and health benefits.

Culinary grade matcha is cheaper and has a bitter flavour, we use it in cooking and flavouring dishes. It has a vibrant green color and an aromatic flavour. Matcha ice-creams, lattes and green tea milkshakes are some of the popular desserts in Asia.

Matcha Benefits in Skincare

When used as an ingredient in skincare, it can absorb matcha powder can be absorbed through the skin. Some of the matcha benefits in skincare include:

Anti-inflammatory
Promotes even complexion
Protects against sun damage
Antioxidant
Protects collagen in the skin
Controls acne
Improves skin health
Enhances the skin barrier
Prevents premature aging

Make A Green Matcha Mask

Combine one teaspoon matcha powder and one teaspoon honey, mix into a paste. Apply to face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off.