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New Organic Hydrosol Toners/Tonics 20% off Special Introductory Pricing!

*NEW* Organic Hydrosol Tonics and Toners

Our brand new tonics and toners are made from pure, organic hydrosols, also known as floral waters. Real hydrosols are produced from steam-distilling plant materials and are similar to essential oils in that they contain all the essence of the plant in each drop, but are much less concentrated. This makes them useful in applications where essential oils would be too strong. They make incredibly therapeutic facial toners, body perfumes, air fresheners, and linen sprays.

I am using the Lavender mist ($13 but only $10.40 now) on my face right before applying our rich Organic Facial Serum.  I’ve found that the toner enables the oils to soak more deeply into my skin.  The lavender also reduces redness and puffiness, and smells incredible. My skin feels so soft and hydrated when I wake up the next morning!  This is a great choice for oily or combination skin, and it makes an excellent linen spray.

I love the Tea Tree Mint tonic ($13 but only $10.40 now) for my hair on the days between hair washing.  It refreshes and nourishes my scalp, gets rid of bed head, and helps moisturize and tame flyaways.

The Calendula and Chamomile mist ($15 but only $12 now) is perfect no matter what your skin type.  There are so many uses for this one.  Use as a facial toner, spray on rashes or eczema, use to clean a baby’s sore bottom, etc.

Morrocan Rhassoul Clay Facial Masque ($6)

Rhassoul clay is a high end, spa quality clay full of trace minerals from the Atlas Mountains of Morroco. It is one of the best clays for your skin! Mix 1 teaspoon of clay in your hand with a few drops of water, or even better, one of our nourishing, soothing hydrosols, and spread a thin layer all over your face. Allow to dry.

The clay will draw out impurities while allowing your skin to absorb the healthful minerals that will feed your skin cells. When you rinse off the mask, you’ll be saying good-bye to dead skin cells, and hello to smooth, radiant, revitalized skin. A 2-ounce jar will provide enough clay for 20 facial treatments. Use once per week for full benefits.

We’ve decided to debut our new Tonics and Toners along with our new Morrocan Rhassoul Clay Facial Masque by offering a special introductory price of 20% off through the end of February.  This is our way of giving you a chance to try out a new product for a good deal.

Want a better deal?  Bundle our new Organic Facial Serum with ANY of the toners/tonics for only $25.

Even better?  Add a Morrocan Rhassoul Clay Facial Masque to your bundle for only $3 more!  ($37-$39 value!!)

Closing Up Shop in March!

Just a reminder that our baby is due very soon, so we’ll be closing up shop for the month of March.  When we open back up in April, we will have some new products that you have been asking us to carry for a long time now!

• Multi-purpose, all natural, Organic Liquid Castile Soap in Lavender Garden, Mint Twist, Citrus Splash and Unscented.

• All natural, Organic Foaming HAND Soap in the BEST refillable dispenser imaginable!  Also available in the above varieties.

• 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils in our favorite singles and 6 amazing blends.

• The top four carrier oils used for essential oils: organic jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed and apricot.

We will also have most of our shampoo and body bars BACK in stock!  If you haven’t noticed, we are experiencing some growing pains, and keeping up with the demand has been somewhat of a challenge.

We’ll touch base with a baby announcement when the time comes, and we plan to celebrate his/her arrival at the beginning of April with a generous Giveaway Package…so be sure you are signed up for e-mail updates so you can get in on the fun!

Warm Sudsies to you all,

The Klejwas and Apple Valley Natural Soap

 

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February Giveaway Winner Plus Deals You’ll LOVE!

 

Love is in the air!

I just have to tell you that your Organic Argan Oil was a real healer for me this last week. I had my hip replaced on the 16th. The Dr. put me on a new blood thinner, and I ended up with hives from the top of my head to the tops of my feet…an allergic reaction. I was miserable! (I had started using the oil when I got home from the hospital because it came in the mail while I was there) After the Dr. changed my medication, I continued using the Argan oil on my face and head and the itchies and redness were gone within a day. (The rest of my body took another day or two to clear up.) I continue to use it on my face and head daily, and I love the feel. I am so glad I had the forsight to order the oil and some soap before I went to the hospital.  I will continue to use the oil and the different soaps. I now want to get the rest of the family using your soaps.

Thank you so much!

No Longer Itchy…

Donna

This Month’s Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Sande!  In celebration of chocolate and smooches, you win a FREE Cocoa Butter and Vanilla Bean Body Bar AND a free Mocha Smooch Lip Balm!  Thank you for being such a LOVE-ly bi-monthly blog update subscriber!

Prices to LOVE

  • Interested in our super luxurious Organic Facial Serum?  For the month of February, we are going to offer this new product at the introductory price of $15 (reg. price $18) while supplies last.  We think you’ll not only LOVE the price, but your face will LOVE the extra tender care!  (We have just started packaging this LOVE-ly serum in a delicate, moss colored organza gift bag.  Don’t forget to pamper yourself!)
  • Want to double the LOVE?  Our one pound Global Therapeutic Salt Soaks can now be custom scented to smell like any of our soap bars for an additional dollar…BUT…for this month ONLY, you may request a CUSTOM SCENTED salt soak at no extra charge!  We will scent your salts in ANY of our soap bar essential oil combinations.  Just let us know what scent you LOVE at check out, and it’s all yours!  (These would make a fabulous gift paired with your favorite bar in the same scent.)  Also, you can now get the benefit of our five salt combination from around the world in an unscented version for only $8.  (Wondering what’s so great about a salt soak?  Find out!)
  • Everyone LOVES a smooch in February, so our Mocha Smooch lip balm made with coffee butter, cocoa butter, and luscious Madagascar vanilla bean infused organic jojoba and argan oils is $3.00 (reg. price $3.50).
  • And finally, all orders over $50 (not including tax/shipping) get a FREE Lanolin Lemon Limited Edition Body Bar tucked into their package.  Think of it as a happy hug of LOVE from us to you!

February’s BOM (bar-of-the-month) is…

Our baby-friendly Calendula Castile Body Bar!  One of our most be-LOVED bars, this gentle, 100% olive oil wonder is perfect for the month of LOVEOnly $4.50 while supplies last.

We Already LOVE Our Soon-to-be-Born Baby!

We’ll be taking the month of March OFF to enjoy the birth and first few weeks of our baby!  We are hoping to have AVNS up and running again April 1, but in the meantime, be sure to stock up on your essentials before our baby-break begins.  (And we’ll be sure to send you all a blog update after our new little LOVE is born.)

With many warm wishes and (of course) lots of LOVE,

The Klejwas

P.S.  Not so sure you LOVE us anymore?  That’s OK!  You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link below! 

Do ya LOVE us a LOT?  Feel free to share the LOVE on Facebook or Twitter!  Those are great ways for you to introduce us to all the folks YOU LOVE!

 

 

 

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Which Bar is Best for Me? Plus…a New Limited Edition Body Bar

New Limited Edition Bar: Lanolin Lemon Ginger

For a limited time, grab a bar of Lanolin Lemon Ginger.  Perfect for super dry skin, this bar is loaded with lanolin, an unequaled emollient and skin softening ingredient derived from sheep wool.  Lanolin locks in moisture, leaving your skin protected and silky soft.  In these harsh winter months, your body will appreciate the benefits of this bar!

Review of Our New Citrus Sugar Body Polish

Wow! The new Citrus Body Polish is amazing! I am a huge fan of the brown sugar scrub, and thought I’d give the new variety a try. I am not exaggerating when I say that the citrus scent personifies the concept of ‘aroma therapy’. The bright, fruity smell is so invigorating, it just makes you feel so good! And the product, with it’s exfoliating properties and moisturizing essential oils, leaves my skin silky smooth–no need to apply body lotion. Thank you so much for another magnificent, luxurious, and affordable product. AVNS rocks!

-Kerrie

If you want to learn how to make awesome scrubs yourself, I highly recommend a new eBook by Stacy Karen of A Delightful Home.  Click on the button to find out more!

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give

 

Which Bar is Best for Me?

We often get asked to give specific recommendations of our products based on individual skin care needs.  Because everyone’s skin is so different, and each individual has unique issues to take into consideration (allergies, skin sensitivities, personal preferences, etc.), we can only make some general recommendations.  Please refer to the detailed descriptions of the various products on our website for more information.

That said, here are some general recommendations to consider:

Skin Care Recommendations:

 

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New Skin Care Products for 2012 and January Specials!

January’s Drawing Winner

First, we have a winner for January’s drawing!  This month’s winner will receive one of our brand new Wild North Shampoo/Body bars AND our new Lanolin Intensive Lip Therapy balm.  Congratulations JOY PETERSON!  Thank you for subscribing to our e-news and for your interest in our products!

All active subscribers are automatically entered into our monthly drawing for a free product.  To remain on the “active subscriber” list, all you need to do is open the e-mails we send.  Our goal for 2012 is to send out two e-mails per month.  One e-mail at the beginning of the month will let you know the monthly specials, the Bar of the Month, the Drawing Winner, and the Limited Edition for that month.  Another e-mail will go out mid-month that will give skin care tips, more detailed information about our product line, and maybe even a recipe or two for you to make your own skin care products at home!

New Products for 2012

  • Organic Virgin Argan Oil:  2 ounces of “liquid gold” and my new FAVORITE skin and hair care product!  I use this rich moisturizer on my face every morning.  I also LOVE to rub 3-4 drops in the palms of my hands and apply to damp hair after a shower and before blow drying.  Talk about SMOOTH and SILKY feeling hair.  I don’t know how I lived without it!

  • Organic Facial Serum:  Five of the most balancing, anti-aging, anti-oxident, protective oils on the planet: argan, rosehip seed, carrot seed, evening primrose, and jojoba.  Essential oils of lavender, ylang ylang and rose geranium add their own unique benefits to this serum.  ALL ingredients are certified organic so you know you are putting the purest and best that nature has to offer on your face.

  • Himalayan Pink Grapefruit Tea Tree Pedi-Scrub:  Mineral rich, pink Himalayan salt saturated with avocado and almond oils as well as anti-bacterial and anti-fungal pink grapefruit and tea tree essential oils.  I use this in my shower to scrub my feet and leave them feeling soft and smelling tingly sweet.  It makes an awesome foot soak too.

  • Citrus Sugar Body Polish:  Can’t get enough of our Vanilla Sugar Body Polish?  Add our new Citrus Polish to your shower regimen and spice things up a little!  It’s yummy, all natural, lemon-lime goodness for your skin.

Improvements on Old Favorites

We’ve updated a few products as well.  Our Minnesota Winter is now called Lanolin Intensive Lip Therapy, and we are now using only medical grade lanolin and virgin, organic argan oil to upgrade this from incredible to outstanding.  You won’t find a better lip balm for the worst lip issues.  Our Almond Joy lip balm is now called Vanilla Bean, and both the Vanilla Bean and the Mocha Smooch have been upgraded with virgin, organic argan oil.  Once I tested this new formulation, I could NOT go back to the old version.

Our Soothing Herbal Salve is one of our best selling products.  How could we make it better?  It is now completely organic!  All of our herbs were organic in the old version, but now we are committed to only using organic, extra virgin olive oil as well.

Looking for the Tropical Tangerine bar?  You’ll find it with a few minor changes in our Honey Carrot and Tangerine Body Bar.  Raw honey now makes this bar even better for your skin, and you’ll love it on your face!

January Specials

  • Our BOM this month is the Herbal Emu Shampoo and Body bar…only $4.50 while supplies last.
  • In addition, all orders over $25 will automatically receive one of our discontinued lip balms FREE while supplies last.

We wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to serving you and your loved ones in 2012!

Warm Sudsies and Soft, Healthy Skin to You,

The Klejwa Family and Apple Valley Natural Soap

 

 

 

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Twelve Hour 20% Off Sale This Thursday!

We reached our goal of 1000 Likes by Christmas! To thank you all, we are having a store-wide 20% sale from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time this Thursday, December 22.

Since PayPal does not allow a merchant to create/use discount codes (don’t ask me why…seems like that should be a no-brainer option), and we don’t want to edit all our payment buttons to reflect the 20% price (which would take for. ev. er.), we decided the simplest thing to do would be to REFUND you 20% of your retail total once we process your order.

So you will get a 20% refund within a few hours of placing an order on December 22. We have a low stock right now due to the higher holiday demand.  This includes our skin care products, most of which are almost gone.  We are improving the recipes on several of those items (for example, the Soothing Herbal Salve will be 100% organic in 2012), so we don’t want to make a new batch of the old formulations.  That means when our current stock is gone…it won’t be back until 2012.

Feel free to come on over this Thursday and nab a few favorites anyway!

Here’s another reason you’ll want to stop by Thursday: when we close down at 8:00 p.m., we won’t be back open for business until January 9th. BUT…we can’t wait to introduce some brand new, exciting products your hair and skin will adore in January!

In the meantime, we wish you a very blessed Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year,

The Klejwas

 

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Winter Skin Tips and Recipes

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home today where I’m sharing some of my best tips to keep your skin in tip top shape during the dry winter months. (Pssst….I’ve got some of my secret recipes over there too! So if you are a fan of some of our products, you might want to try your hand at making them yourself!)

Just a reminder that we will be closing up shop from December 23-January 9. We wish you all richest Christmas blessings with your loved ones!

 

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Heading to the Windy City!

Our family is taking a short vacation to Chicago to see the sights for four days this week end.  If you want to get an order shipped before we go, be sure to place it by Thursday night.

All orders placed Friday-Monday (November 11-14) will be shipped on Tuesday, November 15.

Also, we are taking our bars to an annual Holiday Craft Fair on November 18-19.  We typically sell out of a lot of things there…so if you are hoping to make some gift purchases for Christmas, you’ll want to get your orders in before that event for the best selection possible.

Warm Sudsies to you!

The Klejwas

 

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A Solution for Hard Water!

Are you a victim of hard water?  Can’t use shampoo bars?  A customer recently informed us that their daughter, who had been using our shampoo bars with great results at home, went off to college this fall…and had a horrible experience using them with the hard water at school.  Their solution?  A Culligan Filtered Showerhead for only $25 on Amazon!  Problem solved!

Here’s what the customer said:

It works!  She now has softened water for her shower and the shampoo bars work just as perfectly there as they do here at home.  And her two roommates are happy with the softer water, too!

Here’s what the ad on Amazon says:

With the powerful filtration system of the Culligan Level 2 Wall-Mount Showerhead, you can reduce the chemicals in your water for a cleaner shower and softer skin. Featuring an anti-clog rubber spray nozzle and sleek chrome finish, this showerhead offers the choice of five spray settings. The Culligan Wall-Mount Showerhead provides filtration against sulfur, chlorine, and scale for up to 10,000 gallons of water, and it meets NSF standards for water safety.

Reduces Chlorine and Scale Buildup for a Softer Shower
The Culligan Level 2 Wall-Mount Showerhead offers a refreshing shower experience by reducing harsh chlorine levels and damaging scale buildup. The filtration system removes up to 99 percent of chlorine, as well as the impurities within water that can damage hair follicles and result in dry, itchy scalp. Additionally, by reducing the amount of scale (a hard, filmy residue created by minerals in water), the showerhead is able to give you more of the hydrating nourishment your skin and scalp need.

Five Spray Settings to Suit Your Mood
In addition to offering a cleaner, more nourishing shower, this showerhead offers five spray settings to suit your mood. Choose from a full-body spray for maximum water coverage, to an invigorating pulse for a relaxing muscle massage.

Showerhead Installs in Moments
This lightweight Showerhead can be installed within minutes using the included Teflon tape. Just wrap the tape around an existing shower arm, and attach the head–no tools are needed. You’ll immediately benefit from pure, clean water.

Safe and Long Lasting
Certified by the NFC, the Wall-Mount Showerhead provides your family with chemical-free showers. In addition, this showerhead effectively filters water for six months–or 10,000 gallons–before it needs changing.

The Culligan Level 2 Wall-Mount Showerhead is backed by a manufacturer’s limited five-year warranty.

Replacement shower filter cartridges are only $11.

Let us know if you find this to be your ace in the pocket!

 

 

 

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Apple Valley Natural Soap Video: Behind the Soap

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Transitioning to Shampoo Bars

I’ve been using shampoo bars for almost three years now, and my hair has never been healthier, softer, and more manageable!  But I STILL have to go through a “transition” phase every time I…

  • go to the salon to get my hair “done”
  • go to the cabin where I am forced to use hard well water
  • find that our water softener is out of salt…making our water hard again

I remember the first time I went to the salon after having used the shampoo bars for several weeks.  The next morning when I went to wash my hair, it was super sticky when it was wet…and when I got out of the shower and tried brushing through it…it was a horrible, sticky mess.  I tried blow drying it and ended up with STRAW for hair.  What happened to my soft, shiny locks???  I was freaked out.

So I hopped back in the shower and did an apple cider vinegar rinse (more on that in a minute) and washed again with the shampoo bar.  Now it felt a little better…but not totally.  So I did another ACV rinse…washed again with the shampoo bar…and finally…it felt “normal” again.

Now I just know that this has to be my protocol whenever my hair is treated to traditional shampoos (even organic ones!  I go to an organic salon now…and I have more trouble after coming back from that salon than I did from the other ones) or hard water.

Hard water is full of minerals.  The chemical reaction between those minerals and the shampoo bar (which is a pure soap…unlike the “soaps” or liquid shampoos you buy in the stores) causes the minerals to adhere to the soap molecules.  This ends up “sticking” in your hair…and the only way to get it out is to do an gentle, natural, acid rinse…apple cider vinegar (cheap, has an odor when your hair is wet, but works best) or lemon juice (expensive, better smell, and works fine).  You can also use a clarifying shampoo, but I think the natural rinses work a lot better.  We do not recommend the use of our shampoo/body bar combos for your hair if you have hard water.  However, you can still use them for your body!

(For more information about a shower head filter that can remove most of the minerals in your water, see our article HERE.)

Even if you have soft water, you’ll need to balance the ph of your scalp periodically as pure soap errs on the alkaline side.  An AVC rinse does the trick and also serves to gently rinse out any build up on the hair shaft caused by the shampoo bars or hair styling products.

To do a natural rinse after I’m done shampooing, I have a bottle of apple cider vinegar in my shower.  I have another plastic bottle that holds 10 ounces of liquid and is empty…also in my shower.  I just pour about 1 T. of ACV in the empty bottle, fill it up with hot water from my shower…and pour evenly over my head.  Sometimes I’ll do another bottle’s worth for the ends of my hair since my hair is long and thicker.  I let it sit a bit…then rinse it out with water…and put a little conditioner in my hair. The smell of the ACV goes away completely once your hair is dry.

How often is this necessary?  It depends on YOU!  I feel it necessary for my hair type and my hair styling habits to do it about once per week.  And I LOVE ACV rinse day!  My hair looks and feels so soft and shiny.  There’s a reason “Grandma” used ACV on your mother when she was a little girl!

Are you new to shampoo bars?

You might find that your hair feels “different” at first.  Almost like there is a residue still left over in  your hair.  That could be the shampoo bar reacting with the residue build up from all of your other hair products.  Most people find that if they persist in using the shampoo bars…after a couple of weeks that feeling goes away and they find their hair to be cleaner, brighter, softer, and more manageable.  Why?  Because shampoo bars actually CLEAN your hair and scalp without stripping it of its natural sebum.  Many people have reported that their scalp issues clear up…and I’m thinking it’s because their body is not reacting anymore to harsh chemicals.  God designed our bodies to heal themselves.  But we need to take care of them and protect them from chemicals that do damage and prohibit our cells from functioning normally.

I think that most folks will find that shampoo bars are the solution to a lifetime of “bad hair” days!

Warm sudsies and happy hair to you! : )

The Klejwas