A Brown Barn Primer: Bar Soap

We have soap.  We make soap.  We buy soap. We use soap.  We smell soap.  We love soap.

At Brown Barn the bar soap is one of our top selling items.  Each day we get a number of questions about Brown Barn soaps.  I've selected the top questions to answer here for all of our readers.

1. What is the difference between all of these types of soap you sell?

Brown Barn sells more than 110 "flavors" of soap.  They are categorized to make shopping for the perfect soap bar easier for our customers:

• All Natural - These soaps consist of ingredients that are all natural.  They contain no added sulfates or chemicals.  They are scented with essential oil.
• Nearly Natural or Handmade - This is one in the same.  We are in the process of changing our name for this category from Handmade to Nearly Natural because we feel Nearly Natural is a better definition.  These soaps have the same "base" as All Natural soaps but they are scented with synthetic (man-made) fragrance oil.  That is the part that keeps these soaps from being all natural.
• Organic - Made with basically the same formula as our other soaps but 85% of the oils are organic.  That means that these oils are pressed from plants grown without the use of chemicals. These oils are certified organic (just like in the grocery store!) however the product does not have the FDA Certified Organic seal on it because the lab has not yet been certified Organic. Many products at Brown Barn are by all means and definitions, organic products, however they are not advertised or certified as such due to the technicality of the lab needing to be certified organic.
•  Goat's Milk - Made with added Goat's Milk. Goat milk has a ph similar to that of humans making this soap less drying and more soothing.  This is a great choice for people with skin sensitivities and elderly or infant skin.
• Hand Poured Soap - These are soaps formed into beautiful and fun shapes such as flowers, dogs, snowflakes.  They are subdivided into types as well including bases of goats milk, nearly natural and Shea butter.

A detailed hand-poured rose soap.

• Shampoo Bars - These are soaps that are meant to be used as Shampoo. They are sold in tins.  This soap is specially formulated to be used as shampoo (and is quite addicting).  These soaps are considered All Natural.

2.  Do you make the soap yourself?

Yes and No. Sometimes and sometimes not. A little of this, a lot of that.

Brown Barn used to produce all of the soap it sold. Shortly after we opened our first store we found that our soaps sold so quickly and demand was much higher than we could handle ourselves.  At that time we found a fantastic soap maker who makes soaps by hand.  We now sub-contract some of our soaps from this company.  We also make soaps ourselves.  All of the hand poured soaps and shampoo bars are made by Brown Barn.

For years we have fought to get into the position where we can make all of our own bar soap. It has taken us this long to build adequate space to make and cure the amount of bars needed to keep up with Brown Barn sales. Our first in  line of "luxury" Brown Barn soap batches are finally being produced next week in our own lab!! This line will feature Brown Barn's fabulous infused oils made in our own greenhouse from plant materials harvested on our Wisconsin farm.

We will continue to carry the soap our sub-contractor provides as it is different from the Brown Barn recipe and allows us to focus our talents on the more unique soaps our customers deserve.  The customers will just have a much wider selection to choose from that will include soaps such as bar soaps with rose petals scattered thru them and unique swirls and scents. These bars will be available to purchase by Memorial Day!

3. I see the word "Vegan" on many of your soap labels, what does that mean?

Vegan status means that no animal materials are contained in the soap. We NEVER test on animals and do not use animal fat (lard) in our soap making however we do use Goat milk, Beeswax and Honey so that we may share in the wonderful animal products.  We indicate Vegan for those people whose belief system requires only the use of plant based products.


4. I am allergic to Coconut (or Chamomile or Lavender or Apricots), do your bars contain that ingredient? (Or on the flip side "I'm looking for a product that is made with Coconut Oil.")

All of our regular bar soap contain an ingredient listing on the back. Be sure to check all ingredient listings prior to purchase. Another option is to go to to our website and use the search feature to search out which products include the ingredient you are looking for. You can also ask any of Brown Barn's friendly Sales Associates for assistance.


5. I would like a soap made with x, y, z and the kitchen sink and scented in Purple Panic. Can you make that for me?

On occasion Brown Barn has been known to make special order requests. As we've grown and our workloads have become heavier, we've found it increasingly difficult to keep up with our production and provide special request services to customers. We've found the need to limit special requests to orders of 20, 50 or 100 or more depending on what is being ordered. We do not like to disappoint our customers and do have a list of other handmade soapers in Wisconsin who most likely would love these small special orders and always happy to refer if we cannot do it ourselves so please do ask!


6. I have an event coming up I'd like soap for. Can you help me with this?

Absolutely! Brown Barn soaps make ideal favors for weddings and other events. We are happy to work with you to help make your event special. Email special requests to thebrownbarn@gmail.com

I will get off my "Soap Box" now.  If you would like to learn more about Brown Barn soaps please visit our web-site at www.brownbarnlife.com or ask one of our friendly sales staff.

Chris Untiedt
Owner
The Brown Barn Company llc

Moisturizers and Facial Oil

This is the last blog in our series about facial care items. We'll be finishing out with a discussion of facial oil and moisturizers.

Probably by far and above the biggest question following serums is what is the difference between facial oil and facial moisturizer? Brown Barn's facial oil is an infused Olive Oil meant for assisting in fighting the effects of aging while moisturizers are a broader spectrum creamier mix available in a number of formulations with a a wider range of applications.

Facial Oil: 

Brown Barn's facial oil is a straight oil blend that is infused with essential oils and herbal infusions which have been selected to specifically address skin issues. Similar in concept to serums however facial oil molecules are slightly larger and take longer to sink into skin. Brown Barn's facial oil is made using artisanal infusion methods in a centuries old process. A hand picked selection of organic herbs are infused over time into a base of organic olive oil. We selected olive oil for its gentle moisturizing effects and amazing ability to fight the effects of environmental damage and aging.

The Brown Barn facial oil is then infused with essential oils of Frankincense, Myrrh, Rosemary and Clary Sage. Each of these oils carry a specific reason for being included.

Frankincense: For its incredible skin cell regeneration and ability to eradicate wrinkles. Heavy with anti-oxidants to fight environmental damage.
Myrrh: A strong anti-bacterial and promotes blood flow to skin cells.
Rosewood: Fades sun spots, scars, regenerates new skin cells and fights fine lines and wrinkles.
Clary Sage: Helps generate new skin cells and balances sebum production so is great for oily or dry skin.

Beyond the above essential oils, Brown Barn Facial Oil also is infused with a blend of herbs meant to address issues associated with aging skin such as fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and sun damage.

Facial oil can be used AM and PM but most of our customers choose to use the oil in the PM when they have more time to allow it to sink in. To apply simply apply a few drops to your face and massage in with circular motions. Avoid getting directly into eyes. At first the oil will feel greasy however in just a few minutes you will notice the oil sink deeply into your skin.

Moisturizer: 

Moisturizer is a lotion for the face. It is made just like body lotion however moisturizer's ingredients are selected to address specific skin types such as aging or acne prone. Brown Barn moisturizer is made up of oils and infusions bonded with aloe vera water for hydrating and essential oils for skin conditioning.

We recommend moisturizers for everyone but it is important to choose the right one for your skin type. Many of our aging customers reach for a heavy cream thinking more is better however Brown Barn's Regeneration Moisturizer is very light but by far the most effective moisturizer in our arsenal for fighting the effects of aging, especially when paired with serums and facial oil.

Our biggest Moisturizer diversion comes from people with oily or acne prone skin. They often want to avoid adding any further oils to already oily skin. The correct moisturizer for this skin type will actually work to control sebum production and over time will reduce the body's need to "over produce" oil. By reducing or starving skin of oil in an effort to reduce facial oil production we send our body the message that oil is needed, causing the body to produce more oil. If you apply oil or moisturizer to an oily face over time the message that there is no need to continue producing so much oil will tell the body to back off on the oil production.

Brown Barn's Revelation Moisturizer contains a blend of essential oils and extracts specifically meant to soothe and balance oily and problematic skin.

Moisturizers should be the last item applied in your skincare routine and they should be used both AM and PM.

This concludes our series on facial products. One last parting comment is that overall we notice far more women than men visit our skincare area in the store. Good skincare products are not just for women! We should all make an effort to encourage the men in our lives to at least use wash, facial oil (to soothe and condition rough skin from shaving) and moisturizer.

We invite you to contact us with any questions you may have in regard to selecting the perfect products for your skin type.

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

Facial Serums and Tools

Serums and Tools, Tools and Serums - OH MY! Oh, so many to choose from. So much confusion! What is a person to do?

It is astonishing how many serums have hit the market in the last years. With claims from being a miracle serum to reversing aging who can resist the charm of serums? And with prices of up to hundreds of dollars per ounce serums have become the darling of the skincare world.

Serum!

What is a facial serum? Why do we need it? Do we need it?!!

Serums are liquid based facial items designed with ingredients that penetrate deeply into the skin and target specific skin issues your regular moisturizer does not. Serums can be built to target anything from acne to spots to scars to wrinkles. Of course we love serums at Brown Barn, with their ability to boost your skincare routine who could not fall for their charms?

Brown Barn has two serums available and will be developing more in the future. First, we have a soothing eye serum that is meant to soothe tired eyes while reducing dark circles and puffiness using an all natural formulation.

We also have an overall all natural facial serum that acts as a brightening, tightening and toning serum. Our customers often laughingly refer to this as our "facelift in a bottle" because it gives the feeling of lifting immediately due to the honey extract used in the formulation. Cranberry extract brightens and lifts while protecting your skin from free radical damage.

Do I choose a facial serum or a moisturizer? Or both?

Brown Barn facial and eye serums are designed to enhance the Brown Barn moisturizer and oils. Because moisturizers are made from larger molecules than serums, moisturizers target the top layer(s) of skin while serum sinks in deeply to penetrate the lower layers. So the answer is you need both for maximum effectiveness.

How is it used?

Brown Barn serums are sold in small glass bottles with droppers. Simply drop a tiny bit on fingertips and gently massage into skin using upwardly circular motions. Alternatively you can drop the oil straight onto your face and massage from there. Avoid getting product directly into eyes. We recommend using Brown Barn serums AM and PM following toner and before moisturizer. Follow with moisturizer.

Tools!

One of my favorite products and often vastly overlooked by customers are facial tools. I wanted to take a few lines to point out Brown Barn's range of eye masks and facial exfoliators, brushes and pads. The right tool can greatly improve your skincare routine.

My favorite tool, as I've mentioned in a few past posts already, is our all natural wooden facial brush. I love to "dry brush" my face lightly first thing in the morning before washing. Do not wet the brush, just run the brush in upward strokes over face. This stimulates circulation to my face and helps with a gentle exfoliation to allow my skincare products to sink deeply into skin.

Another great tool carried by Brown Barn is our Boucle facial pad. I love this for washing my face. Again, it applies gentle exfoliation and scrubbing power to my facial wash.

Brown Barn also carries a range of eye masks that are perfect for soothing tired eyes.

The next time you visit Brown Barn's web-site be sure to peruse our tools section to learn more about the many fun tools available to make your skin and body care routine more fun and effective.

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

Steaming, Scrubs and Masks

This is the third installment of our facial blog series. Today we will focus on Steaming, Scrubs and Masks. These three items are the "extras" performed each week that take your facial routine from routine to fabulous!

Facial routines can vary incredibly with the dearth of products on the market. It's hard to know what is above and beyond vs. just plain good maintenance. Steaming, scrubs and masks each have unique benefits but overall they help to detoxify, deep cleanse, tone and increase circulation to your facial area.

Steaming: The steaming portion of my facial routine is above and beyond all else my favorite moments of the week. It's my time to escape into myself, meditate a little, detoxify. I just feel great after a good steam!

Facial steaming is a way to detoxify and cleanse you face while also enjoying the aromatherapy and relaxation benefits a Brown Barn steam provides. The moisture produced from a facial steam treatment softens up dead skin cells, dirt or oil build-ups so they can be whisked away.

Simply heat water to steaming, pour in a bowl. Drape a towel over head and shoulders and lean over the steaming water. Be careful not to scald yourself with too hot of water. A mild steam is best. You should expect to sweat, this is one of those few times when it feels really great to sweat!

Brown Barn sells a beautiful selection of whole herbs for use in facial steams. Brown Barn's Steaming Herbs is an herbal blend chosen for the benefit it brings to a facial steam including improving detoxification and relaxing mood. Simply toss a bit of the herbs in the steaming water and inhale deeply. (If you suffer from asthma or other breathing conditions consult a physician prior to using Steaming Herbs.)

We recommend Steaming once or twice a week as part of your facial routine. Steaming is best performed after washing and before using scrub or a mask to enhance the benefits of these items.

Scrubs: When interviewed regarding her recent 60th birthday, Cindy Crawford said one of her best beauty tricks is daily exfoliation. Why is exfoliation so good? Because it rids your body of the icky invaders of built up toxins, dirt, oils and dead skin cells. If you read our blog about facial washes you will recognize the importance of removing the "icky invaders"!

Facial scrubs run the gamut from foaming scrubs to soothing oil based scrubs. Brown Barn sells scrubs meant to be used a few times a week in conjunction with our other facial products. If you desire daily exfoliation we recommend using our natural facial brush to lightly dry brush your face before morning washing and to follow up a few times a week with Brown Barn facial scrub or a mask.

Scrubs are essentially a type of facial wash that includes an exfoliant. Scrubs can include items like sugar, seeds or plant fiber. Some even use sand or salt. Brown Barn sells a facial sugar scrub that leaves your skin feeling amazing. Scrubs are best used following a steam while the top layer of dead skin cells and debris are soften and easy to remove.

Brown Barn scrub is meant to be used two to three times a week in conjunction with other great facial products.

To use a scrub: Wet face, apply a small amount of scrub with fingertips and "scrub" by massaging skin in a circular motion. Avoid the tender eye area. If you are using Brown Barn's sugar scrub apply until the sugar completely dissolves. Start with a very small amount of sugar scrub so as not to waste scrub. Rinse and pat dry. Brown Barn sugar scrub will leave a rich layer of healthy oils on your skin.

Masks: It is mind-boggling how many masks are on the market! But why? What's so great about a mask? A good mask pull toxins and deeply cleans pores. We like clay based masks because the clay tones and pulls all kinds of icky invaders from our skin as it dries on your face.

When I was young (about 100 years ago) my favorite mask was a peel off mask that I delighted in peeling from my face. What high technology this was! We now know that many such masks are chemical laden and harsh. Brown Barn carries a nice selection of clay based masks to choose from (did I mention we like clay?)

Dry Masks: Brown Barn has two dry masks, one for each skin type of aging and oily skin. These masks are made from dried clay and herbal extracts that are then rehydrated with the addition of a little water or floral water in the palm of your hand. You can get quite a few uses from these jars of goodies. Our dry masks were formulated by us to compliment our Brown Barn all natural facial line.

How do you schedule all of this?! I perform a weekly full facial routine in which I use all of my products. You can find an outline of this on our web-site by clicking here. Or in our blog about the Ideal Skincare Routine.

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

Washing and Toning Your Face

Welcome to Facial Week here at Brown Barn!

Washing and Toning your face is today's subject! Usually when customers come to the store to purchase facial items they want to discuss our lotions and serums. Facial wash and toner are the workhorses of your skincare routine and deserve some attention paid when choosing products.

Why wash your face?

1. It's dirty. Even if you cannot see physical dirt on your skin...trust me....it's dirty. The world is full of bacteria, viruses and pollutants. Your skin flakes off dead skin cells. If you don't wash your face daily (we recommend washing your face twice daily - morning and night), these icky invaders will pile up on your skin.

2. Your face emits oil and sweat. Again, this will pile up on your skin causing break-outs and other skin eruptions if not swept away daily.

3. Your skin needs hydration. Washing your face removes the build-up of debris and oil so water can reach healthy fresh skin underneath.

4. Your body produces sebum - oil that travels outward to the exterior of your skin where it spreads out and produces a protective mantle or barrier on your skin. When you do not wash regularly sebum mixes with bacteria and debris, causing a back-up in the pores which can lead to acne and break-outs. When you wash you clear the way for a new layer of lipid armor to build up on the skin unimpeded.

How cold or hot should the water be when you wash your face?

I've heard many theories on this topic. The best rule of thumb is to use mildly warm to cold water. Many of our customers tell me they use very hot water to wash with. This is not a good practice as it can strip the layer of "good" oil from your skin. Warm to cold water will work effectively to remove the above mentioned Icky Invaders of bacteria and debris without stripping your skin of its important protective natural oils. Too hot of water can cause scalding, dilate vessels and cause irritation. It can also cause a flare up if you suffer from Rosacea.

What should you use to wash your face?

There are so many choices! Which one is for you? Often we find our customers are using too harsh of products and chemicals to wash. Customers often think like "if a little soap is good a lot will be great". Not so. You want to use something gentle that will not strip that important sebum/lipid mantle we just discussed but you also want something effective enough to remove bacteria and debris.

Brown Barn has a wide line of choices ranging from bars to wash. I'll review them here by skin-type:

Sensitive Skin: This skin type has special needs for one reason or another. We have two products we recommend for this type. First, our Honey Chamomile Facial Bar is made of soothing honey with added Chamomile extract. This is a very gentle bar and is available in our stores. You simply foam some up and wash, rinse. Second, we recommend our Regeneration Anti-Aging Facial Wash. This is a super gentle non-foaming wash made with lavender essential oil. If you are older and have sensitive skin you should reach for this choice.

Elderly Skin: Elderly skin has special needs because as we age our skin thins. Gentle cleansing is best. Again, we recommend our Regeneration Anti-Aging Facial Wash. Use cool water and gently remove with a soft cloth.

"Average" Skin: You can use anything we have you lucky soul! If you lean toward oily then opt for the acne-prone products. If you are just plain average stick to the gentler anti-aging or sensitive skin products.

Acne Prone/Oily Skin: We have two products that work especially well for this skin type. Depending on your needs you may want to consider one for AM and the other for PM after reading about both. Brown Barn's Deep Cleansing Facial Bar is a favorite of our staff and customers and is available in Brown Barn stores. It's a solid Goat Milk bar made with French Green Clay and infused with White Willow bark, Peppermint essential oil and Tea Tree oil. What I like best about this bar is the clay. You can foam it up and leave on for a few minutes to dry. The gentle clay will help pull debris and toxins from deep within your pores. Then just rinse off. This bar is gentle enough to use daily in this way. Like a mini-daily mask.

Second, we highly recommend our Revelation Facial Wash. Made with Black Willow bark and essential oils of lavender, bergamot and lemon, this wash was designed to gently reduce acne and inflammation.

What about washing tools like spinning brushes?

I do not use mechanical tools myself but we do have customers who just love them! If you decide to try a new tool always spot test first and be extra careful around tender eye areas. Brown Barn products all work well with these tools (per our customers!)

Brown Barn has a selection of facial pads and a really nice facial brush available to assist in washing your face. I use a washcloth or one of our soft boucle facial pads. I like to use the brush as a "dry brush" first thing in the morning. I simply brush my face with it! I avoid the gentle eye area and focus on areas I especially want to exfoliate. This loosens things up and also promotes great circulation to my face, prepping it for all the great Brown Barn products I use.

Astringent: Before we start on toners, I want to take one minute to talk about Brown Barn Astringent. Brown Barn's Herbal Astringent is a recipe that has been handed down for generations. It has countless uses but for facial use it works great as a spot treatment for blemishes. It also lightens sun and age spots, soothes inflamed skin and works as an overall cleanser. This item also works great as a sunburn soother and can be applied to scars or abrasions to cleanse and promote healing. We also like to swipe a little on a cotton swab under eyes to reduce puffiness and dark circles. (Do not get in eyes!)

Our astringent is made by hand and patience. It's an artisanal distillation of herbs infused in Witch Hazel, Rose Water and yes, a little Apple Cider Vinegar! We carefully hand cleanse the herbs and distill them for several weeks before bottling.

We find the best way to use this product is to spritz a little on a cotton swab and apply to affected facial areas. Be fore-warned this product smells strongly of cider at first but the scent dissipates quickly.

If you choose to include Astringent in your skincare routine be sure to follow-up with toner to return skin pH to normal range.

Toners!

What is toner? I get asked this all the time! It's a very confusing item because there are so many types of toners on the market and all seem to make a different claim. Basically toner is a light liquid based product that neutralizes or balances your skin's pH. We recommend using Brown Barn toner following wash or astringent to bring any imbalance caused by washing your face back to the happy neutral zone of 4-6.5

Sensitive Skin, Aging and Anti-Aging: Use our Regeneration Toner This toner is made with Cranberry Fruit extract with anti-oxidants to protect skin from free radicals. Cranberry is also a natural antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory powers. This toner includes Geranium essential oil to aide in cleansing and soothing skin.

Acne Prone/Oil Skin: Brown Barn has a specially formulated Revelation Toner to soothe acne prone skin types. This toner is made with the above mentioned Cranberry Fruit Extract but also includes essential oils of Lavender and Tea Tree Oil.

How do I use Toner? Either spritz on face and allow to dry or spritz on a cotton ball and apply directly to face. Brown Barn toners have the added advantage of having been formulated by our in-house certified Aromatherapist! You can use Brown Barn toners throughout the day as a refreshing pick-me-up as well as skin neutralizer.

This ends our tutorial on washing and toning your face! Please feel free to ask questions or contact us via email at thebrownbarn@gmail.com with questions.

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

The Ideal Skincare Routine

In 2013 Brown Barn launched a line of Brown Barn Skincare Products. After almost two years of research and development, Brown Barn is proud to offer this fabulous and unique new line of all natural skincare products.

Formulation:

When we set out to design our own facial care line we knew we wanted to harness the power of all natural skincare. We were tired of seeing high priced products on the market making ridiculous claims which were really nothing more than fillers and chemicals whose immediate results were actually causing long term skin damage. Our customers deserve better than that! We also knew that some of the oldest treatments were still the best and did not want to lose the legendary aspect of our belief system about skincare while incorporating our modern knowledge and skills.

With 20 herbal infusions, 19 all natural oils and 9 essential oils, the Brown Barn skincare line is nothing less than a testament to the power of nature. 

Testing:

While testing the products we found our skin went thru real transformation. 

I use the age defying "Regeneration" line (I am 52 years old). I have inherited my father's ruddy complexion and large pores on my nose and chin, something I've struggled with my entire life.  As I aged I began to also develop dark age spots in the exact same places as my Dad!  

At first my skin soaked the oils in as though drinking deeply. This was followed by a two week phase of light exfoliation similar to a micro-derm abrasion treatment and minor break-outs. I was immediately concerned by breaking-out at my age. However I know from my time spent with a homeopathic physician that the body often becomes "sicker" as it begins to heal using all natural devices, so I stuck it out without modifying our formulations to be "lighter". I am so glad I did!

This short phase of skin turbulence was followed by a fresher, smoother, softer complexion with tighter pores. Fine lines were softened, age and sun spots faded (and continue to fade) and blemishes completely disappeared. I have been on the complete, final program for over two months now and am still seeing positive changes in my skin. It took the entire six weeks before I began to see my age spots diminish but they are fading quickly now that they've begun to fade.  

Alyssa (my daughter, business partner and lead formulator) uses the acne/oily "Revelation" line (she is 25 years old). Alyssa has struggled with adult acne since turning 19. Nothing worked for her, she even tried working with a dermatologist, then a homeopathic physician, changed her diet, eliminating any allergy items -she tried everything. Now her skin is almost perfect, it's absolutely beautiful.  

The picture below was taken two weeks ago (Alyssa is the person without fur) - no make-up or touch-ups. Large break-outs have turned into tiny break-outs and are diminishing the longer she uses the line, her skin has a glow to it that I have not seen since she was a child and the angry red blotchy break-outs are gone. I looked for a "before" picture and realized I had none in which she allowed us to take her picture without make-up so you cannot really see how much acne she had. But even in the picture below you can see where the redness is still fading and some scarring is still lightening.

Facial Care Routine:

Because there are so many pieces to the line I wanted to guide you thru the routine we've developed. Whether you choose to use Brown Barn products or those of other companies, there is a certain order in which most lines proceed. Below I outline my personal skincare routine as an example of what works for me. 

Before we begin I should explain the new Brown Barn line is divided into three categories to make it easier for you to select items for your personal needs. You can choose to move between lines to customize the items for your particular skin type. 

Regeneration - Anti-Aging

Revelation - Acne/Oily 

Rejuvenation - All Skin Types

Our new line is so gentle we feel that most items will be easily used by sensitive skin types. But don't let its gentle nature fool you! Brown Barn's all natural facial line is also highly effective.

Although our line has several parts you will be surprised to find it only takes a few moments to use the items. This small time investment will reap huge rewards!  A good rule of thumb is to use any new facial item for six weeks before passing judgement as it takes a full six weeks for skin to demonstrate a facial cycle.

Morning and Night Each Day: I use our new Regeneration line for its anti-aging properties and I add in the Revelation Astringent just because I love that item so much. The serums come from our Rejuvenation line (good for all skin types). More information about the benefits of each item can be found in the item descriptions on our web-site at http://www.brownbarnlife.com under the "Brown Barn Beauty" tab.

Regardless of which line you use, you can follow these easy steps.

1. Wash - This should occur in the AM and PM. I conduct my PM facial routine about an hour before bedtime to allow all of the beautiful oils I've applied to my face time to sink in so they do not end up on my pillow.  Many of our customers like facial brushes. Any of Brown Barn's facial washes will work with a brush. I simply wet my face and use my fingertips to wash my face, paying careful attention to the area around my nose and chin because those are my problem areas. I rinse with a wet washcloth or facial pouf.

2. Astringent - Brown Barn's new all natural astringent is based on a centuries old formula that has been passed down through the generations. Making this astringent entails spending several weeks distilling herbs into a base which is mixed with Rose Water and Witch Hazel. I use the astringent by spraying it onto a cotton ball and applying to problem areas including sun/age spots and blemishes. This astringent is especially good for acne sufferers.

3. Toner - Toner balances the skin's pH after washing. You can either spritz toner directly on your face (close eyes first!) or onto a cotton ball to apply.

4. I wait a bit - get dressed or put my pj's on - to allow the toner to dry. You don't have to wait but I like the feel of the serum if I let the toner dry.

5. Eye Serum - You only need a tiny dab of this fantastic little serum. Only put it under eyes and at corners. Be careful not to get it into your eyes or they will really water - but interestingly I've not had burning when accidentally getting in the eye. The serum is designed to sink deeply into skin reducing puffiness and dark circles.

6. Facial Serum - I love this, it feels so good.  Again, just a small amount is needed. Apply over entire face. Designed to brighten, tighten and tone, you will feel as if you had a mini-face lift after applying.

7. Wait a minute - Again, you don't have to wait but I love how my face feels from the serum so I let it dry before going to the next step.

8. PM: Facial Oil Complex. If you have very dry skin or like the oily feel of the facial oil you would be fine using it AM and PM. This is an Olive Oil infusion I personally make by hand so I'm a little partial to it! It includes a fabulous infusion of herbs and several great essential oils specifically for fighting aging issues such as spots and fine lines. Apply a small amount all over face and neck.

9. Moisturizer - Again, apply all over face and neck. If you are not waiting between items you may find you have to pat a little to blend the moisturizer into skin. Don't let this throw you, the moisturizer quickly fades. Our new all natural moisturizers are extremely active, soaking deeply into skin quickly. It does not leave a greasy feel to skin (if you are experiencing any greasiness it would be from the Facial Oil in the PM).  

Some of our customers really prefer a heavy feel to their facial moisturizer. That's fine, you still have options! I am a big lover of the new all natural moisturizer so recommend you continue using the moisturizer and just add the cream of your choice afterwards however you may choose to simply sub one for the other. 

Weekly Maintenance: With this daily routine I also do a few things throughout the week.

1. Facial Scrub - This can be done as part of your at-home facial or do what I do - scrub your face when you use your body scrub in the tub. I keep my facial scrub jar right next to my favorite body scrub and do an all-over scrub once or twice a week for exfoliation.

2. Facial Steam Herbs - I do an at home facial once or twice a week depending on how much time I have and if I remember. The Facial Steam is the first step in this. I just heat up water with the tea kettle, pour it into my old glass bowl and add some herbs. Our directions recommend 5 minutes under the towel but I am claustrophobic so I rarely make it the whole five minutes. My husband loves this and will sit there for ten minutes or more!  The facial steam blend was made by myself and I carefully chose herbs for their unique properties such as detoxification or aromatherapy. The facial herbs should not only help your skin but also help your soul. (If you suffer from allergies or asthma please consult with a physician before using.) Brown Barn will be introducing Facial Steaming Herbs for sale this week in our stores and on-line.

3. Mask - I always follow my facial steam with a mask to finish the detoxification process.

Then I complete my at home facial with the items from my daily facial routine.

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to email us at thebrownbarn@gmail.com.  We are happy to help you!

Have a wonderful Sunday - relax, regenerate and rejuvenate!

Chris Untiedt

Founder

The Brown Barn Company llc

5 Brown Barn Products that will Change Your Life (Or at least maybe you'll enjoy using)...

Lately we've seen so many Facebook posts with the title "...will change your life" that we couldn't resist using this title for this week's blog! Here are our top five picks for "must try" products:

1. Brown Barn Sugar Scrub - Exfoliate and Hydrate while Increasing Circulation! The formulation of Brown Barn's sugar scrub is unique. This is a sold "emulsified" scrub made with a fantastic solid oil combination - no messy watery oils floating on top, just solid oil and scent. Sugar serves to exfoliate, leaving the way for skin loving oils to sink in deeply. The solid oils in this scrub melt the second the scrub hits warm skin, leaving you drenched in oil.. Simply apply a small amount of scrub with fingertips, scrubbing in a circular motion from fingers and toes to promote circulation while bathing/showering, scrub until sugar has completely dissolved, rinse, pat dry and go! Available in 100% all natural essential oil blends, in "nearly natural" fragrance oil blends and in our blending bar areas.

2. Soap Pouches - Extend the Life of your Soap Bar and Exfoliate! Soap pouches are bags that hold bar soap. They come in boucle, ramie and nylon mesh (like a pouf). Place a bar of soap in the bag and use the entire bag to wash with. You will experience great exfoliation and your bar soap will foam up much better. These bags work great for extending the life of your bar soap and are awesome for using up those little bits and pieces of bar soap instead of throwing the soap pieces out. Just pop them in the bag, you'll have a beautiful one-of-a-kind scent and save money at the same time!

3. Solid Lotion Bars - Solid Lotion Bars are one of the best kept secrets at Brown Barn. Great for everything from cracked heels to taming eyebrows. These solid beeswax based bars provide a barrier against the elements that will protect and soften problem skin spots. They also work great for taming little fly away hairs and other issues. We love them for adding a sexy sheen to arms and legs! Just rub your fingers on the bar and use as you would any hair paste. Choose from a variety of scents and our uber-popular "Rejuvenate" bar made with Brown Barn's exclusive Trauma Oil blend for extra strength.

4. Facial Scrub - This is my personal favorite facial skincare item. I keep this little jar of facial sugar scrub handy and grab it up every day during bath time. This scrub if formulated based on our solid sugar scrub recipe but uses oils and essential oils specifically selected for their skin care properties. Simply wet face, scoop out a tiny bit of scrub and apply with fingertips in circular motions. Scrub until the sugar dissolves. Rinse and pat dry. Your face will glow, old skin removed and leaving fresh skin ready to accept all the other Brown Barn facial goodies you apply!

5. Perfect Pedi Products - No matter which product you choose from Brown Barn's foot care category, they will improve your life. Our feet are so often neglected and ignored but so important to our overall daily comfort they deserve this bit of extra attention. My favorite is the Energizing Foot Scrub followed by the Perfect Pedi foot lotion. This is an easy quick treat I can apply daily. My feet free cooled and refreshed and provides a mental lift. Another fav is the foot soak, this is an easy treat to perform while watching television at night!

Fall Update 2014

Hi All!

What is it about September 1st that leaves me feeling as though the "Fall" button has been pushed? Does this stem from spending so many years of my life on a public school schedule? Is it that certain crispness to the air here in Wisconsin that heralds Fall weather? Whatever the reason, I often feel this particular season descend upon me every September 1st.

We've had lots of excitement around Brown Barn lately from adding new stores to new lines. With so much activity I thought it might be handy for our customers to get an overview of all that is going on!

NEW BATH LINES/Line Changes:

1. Goat Milk Products: Alyssa Untiedt, Brown Barn's formulator and co-owner, is busy putting the final touches on the formulas for a new line of Goat Milk lotions and Body Butters. Goat Milk is a wonderful lotion base, carrying with it many skin healthy properties. I've had the chance to test the new body butter formulation over the past few weeks and am absolutely in love with it. It's rich, creamy and oh so good.

This line will launch with three signature scents: Oatmeal, Milk & Honey (Brown Barn Style!), Japanese Cherry Blossom, and an as yet un-named Gorgeous floral custom essential oil blend from Alyssa's personal "vault". The line will become part of our "permanent" collection and be available year round. The body butter will replace our previous formulation and be available for custom scenting in our blending bars as well.

We are looking for a launch date on this in early October.

2. Gem Infusions: Those of you who have been Brown Barnies for a few years will recall our test launch of this line under the name "Gem Aesthetics". For those of you who are unfamiliar with the line, this is a line of lotions and washes made by infusing gem/crystals into the water phase of the product. The stones are hand selected by Brown Barn owner Chris Untiedt and the process is carefully overseen by her to ensure the greatest purification during all steps of the production process.

The stones are researched for their beneficial elements and paired with matching essential oils to bring strong emotional and physical benefits to users. We are just finalizing these scents but tentatively we are pairing Amethyst with a Lavender/Rosemary/Basil essential oil blend, Citrine with straight Orange (the most popular during our testing phase), Herkimer Diamond with a Grapefruit EO/Champagne FO blend (A little deviation with the fragrance oil but how can we resist combining Champagne and Diamonds??).

This line will be unveiled around November 1st to coincide with the opening of our new premiere store location in Chippewa Falls, WI. The line will also have it's own web-site with lots of information about crystals and other fun items.

3. Signature Line Retired Blends: We can't really call any blend retired since they will always be available in the blending bar, perhaps "put out to pasture" is a better term. With the addition of the custom blending bar we've found the following scents have received reduce sales and will be "retired" from our permanent Signature Collection: Lemongrass, Coconut Lime Verbena, Green Tea & White Pear, Orange Patchouli, Tahitian Vanilla, Orange Ginger.

Our Signature line will then consist of these favorites: Lavender EO, Bergamot Twist EO blend, Day at the Spa, Moonlight Pomegranate, Sandalwood Vanilla, and Black Raspberry Vanilla.

4. Build a Bath Bar (or what it will be called until we come up with a better name!): This super-cool display of individually packaged bath goodies will allow you to become your own formulator and create custom bath blends for yourself and others! It will include Brown Barn's new line of essential oils, a nice selection of clays, bath additives, Milks (such as Goat and Coconut), Salts and more - all individually packaged for home use. With this comes a selection of bath "recipe" cards. We'll also be offering pre-made kits designed for your own use and great for gift-giving. Look for this to launch first in our Medford location and on-line in about 2 weeks!

5. Bride's Line: With Alyssa (Brown Barn Owner/Formulator) getting married next year we are taking this opportunity to follow her lead and offer out for sale all of the wonderful items she creates and gifts for her own wedding. From Bridesmaid gifts to Pre-Wedding Relaxation kits...you're sure to love this new offering.

NEW "OTHER" LINES/Line Changes:

1. Look for more new Olive Oils & Vinegars to be added for some Fall Flavor. Most recently we added Sage & Onion and Cranberry Walnut which are sure to bring added flavor to your Holiday meals. We are working on providing more recipes and cooking information to our customers by November 1st.

2. Several new jewelry designers were recently selected to be added to our Brown Barn lines when Alyssa and Chris (Brown Barn Owners) recently attended a fashion buyer's show in Minneapolis. Look for these items to launch with the opening of the new Chippewa store location around November 1st. Also, look for expanded items in our current selection from Lizzy J and Gypsy Leather jewelry.

3. Wines and wine glasses are being added continuously. Medford store staff is currently obtaining their Server's licenses. As soon as all of them have been turned in we will apply for the seller's license and begin Wine sales. We have some very popular wine flavors and are working on pairing these with an expanded/revised food line for November 1st launch. Once all of the staff in both stores are fully licensed and trained we'll be learning/planning some wine tastings in the stores.

NEW STORES/Changes:

1. Medford, WI: As I'm sure you are all aware, Brown Barn added a new store in Medford, WI this summer. It has been doing great! It has been so fun to see our Medford customers more regularly and be able to provide them with easy access to their products while also making new friends. For those of you who are not aware, the store is located on the corner of Hwy 13 and Perkins in the location previously used by Eartha Naturals. This is a very very small store which poses some unique challenges in stocking. We keep saying the store acts like Hermione's purse from the Harry Potter books...we keep putting more and more items in it and the store keeps accepting the items!

Look for Medford store to see some new faces this fall as Lindsey Meyer moves to our Chippewa Falls location while she attends UW-Eau Claire and Megan Dallas moves to Chippewa in the role of Store Manager! If you are interested in applying for one of these newly vacated clerk positions please do so this week as we are interviewing now.

2. Chippewa Falls, WI: Our new Chippewa Falls, WI store location is tentatively slated to open November 1st. There is some renovation required in this location so pending all goes well our customers can look forward to a large, beautiful shopping space. The Chippewa store will then be Brown Barn's "premiere" location, launching what we hope will be a series of stores in more populated areas over the next several years.

This location has a dedicated private space which will allow Brown Barn to offer customer classes in Essential Oils, Soaping, Candle-Making and more. Classes have been requested repeatedly by our customers over the years so we are thrilled to have the space to not only offer the classes but be able to sell the supplies for use in home crafting as well.

The Chippewa Falls store will also house a fragrance bar, the entire selection of Bar Soap scents (over 110 handmade soap scents to choose from!), expanded/full-size Olive Oil/Vinegar tasting bar, expanded wine selection (pending licensure), and expanded gourmet items, Full jewelry and personal care lines, Bath Robes/Pajamas and so much more!

Follow our Facebook page here to see the store's progress over the coming months: https://www.facebook.com/BrownBarn

3. Holcombe, WI: In what can only be described as an unexpected chain of events we find our Holcombe, WI flagship store in Growing Pains right now. This store location is actually part of our manufacturing process. Because of reduced sales due to its remote location/seasonal sales the staff of this store also act as product finishers, bottle fillers, Internet Order processors, and shopping bag/sample producers. In this way, the store sales are supplemented by the needs/sales of our other stores and Internet sales which allow the store to continue to remain open during the very very quiet September thru May sales period.

Brown Barn has experienced a fantastic growth spurt in sales this year resulting in increased demand on the manufacturing/retail production side of the Holcombe store. We anticipate the new stores will increase these demands even more thru Christmas. This is wonderful news for our Holcombe staff! We've even hired two new employees (1.5 FTE) over the last few weeks and increased other employees hours to full or almost full-time.

We now find ourselves in a "Catch 22" type situation. On the one hand we have increased sales in Holcombe over the summer and the clerks are busier than ever with their background duties and on the other hand we know that with the opening of two new locations relatively near the Holcombe store that the Holcombe store will experience reduced sales from our customers who travel to the store from these areas and also from the usual sales dip experienced Fall thru Spring.

We had intended to reduce our sales floor in Holcombe to half so as not to require two clerks during busier days and to reduce our rent expenses so they are more in line with the anticipated reduction in store sales. At the same time, the neighboring Pizza Parlor also left the mall. We'd been using an unused shared bathroom area between the two businesses for temporarily housing unsightly empty packing boxes awaiting break-down or re-purposing and for serving as a waiting dock for the boxes of products being delivered to the other stores. It worked great because the driver could back the van to the door, load the boxes out of the bathrooms and drive away.

When the pizza parlor left we received a call from the landlord telling us we would no longer have use of the bathrooms for this purpose as he would need access to the neighboring unit and be dividing the units out for individual use. This means we have nowhere to go with the unsightly boxes and the cases of products awaiting delivery.

Our only cost effective option, after considering all of the available Holcombe rental locations, is to temporarily close the Holcombe store until we either find another location in Holcombe that can adequately house our production areas and retail sales OR until we build a building (preferable for many reasons). This retail store has to stay in Holcombe as that is where our lab is located. We entertained moving the store to another nearby town in order to serve our regular local customers but it just is not sensible to separate the manufacturing arms of the company at this time. Local sales alone are not enough to support the store acting as a retail store throughout the entire year. Without the additional financial support provided by the Internet order processing and manufacturing support the store would lose too much money to make it viable.

NO staff members will lose their jobs in the store closure. In fact, as mentioned previously, we've actually added staff and increased existing hours. This will continue to happen. Manufacturing and distribution will remain in Holcombe. The retail store will be closed with it's last day being Sunday, September 15.

I know many of you are dear friends of this store and will want to know where your favorite clerks and staff members are going to be working! Here is where you'll see them:

Ashley Jones will be in our Chippewa Store. This has always been planned as Ashley lives in Chippewa.

Brenda Anderson will be stepping back into her role as the Brown Barn delivery van driver, which was also planned previously. Brenda will then work in the lab continuing to finish bags, soaps and make samples on the days she is not seen driving around the area delivering to the stores.

Shelby Justus will be relocated to the lab where she will assist in all areas and learn to make lovely Brown Barn goodies.

Chas Dixon will continue in her role as Lab Manager with even more employees working under her watchful eye. (We also just hired another new part-time lab assistant whose name will be announced later this week!)

Amy Albers will be busy training new employees, smacking the bugs out of our POS systems, overseeing retail store production needs and assisting as needed.

4. Web Sites: The Brown Barn web-site is currently being professionally rebuilt using what we've been promised will be a "state of the art" platform. We are hoping to a see a completely new, more user friendly and beautiful web-site sometime this fall.

So here we have our fall line-up! We hope you continue to enjoy shopping our stores and on-line. We could not be more excited with all of the new growth of Brown Barn. Thank you to all of our lovely customers...you have been so supportive and such great friends.

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company

Organics - More than Just a Label

Lately I've noticed a new crop of businesses coming up within our handmade community. "Organics". With names that include "Organics" at the end, these new companies lead consumers to believe that their products are indeed - organic. With an abundance of what I like to refer to as "Kitchen Sink" style companies selling everything from Baby Wipes to Bar Soap I am especially wary of this free use of the word "Organics".

*What is Organic?

Organic means that the plants used in the product were grown without chemicals such as chemical fertilizers or chemical bug killers. It means that the products were grown in an all natural manner. Because using chemical controls is cheaper than all natural controls Organic products tend to cost quite a bit more than non-organic products.

In the cosmetics/soap industry if a product contains 80% or more Organic ingredients it can be considered Organic. The reason for this is that products such as bar soap include other ingredients such as lye, which are not organic.

*Is Organic the Same as All Natural?

No. Often I snatch up a product with the word "Organics" on its label or in the company name and flip it over to read the ingredient list. Many times I am disappointed to find the products contain sulfates, parabens, chemical preservatives and more.

All Natural means the product is made from materials that come from plant or earth based all natural origin. Most of Brown Barn's bases are all natural. If a Brown Barn product is scented with essential oil it is usually 100% all natural but not organic. If it uses a fragrance oil (such as Moonlight Pomegranate) it is what we like to refer to as "Nearly Natural" because the only non-natural ingredient is the fragrance oil.

Because of the 80% ruling, products can actually be made with USDA Certified Organic materials and still be "Nearly" Natural because they include fragrance oil or chemical preservatives.

*USDA Organic

There is a difference between a product being made with Certified Organic materials and the company/product/lab itself being certified Organic. The USDA has a stringent and rigorous program which allows companies to have their lab spaces certified Organic. This year Brown Barn has been preparing to undergo this certification process. This calls for taking measures to ensure the Organic materials do not mix with non-organic materials and that production facilities and methods protect against contamination of Organic material with non-organic materials. Because of this Brown Barn is looking to relocate its lab to a larger facility in order to better meet the requirements of the USDA.

*If a Company uses the word "Organics" in its name can I assume it is Certified Organic?

No. I recently contacted a company whose baby products we were thinking of carrying to find out more about them. This company has the word "Organics" in its company name however their product labels did not have the Certified USDA Organic mark.

Here is how this conversation unfolded:

Me: Do you make your own products or do you private label products that come from another maker?

"Other Organics" Company: We make our products in our studio behind our house. It's a really cute shed.

Me: Is your "Studio" certified Organic?

"Other Organics" Company: No - but we use ingredients that are certified organic from another company.

Now this tells me that this company may or may not be following protocols to ensure their products meet the criteria for being USDA Certified Organic. Because they've not gone through the process of having their work-space USDA Certified Organic we cannot know this for sure. This company, whose products are featured in many Baby magazines and used on thousands of babies is not Certified Organic, it just has the word "Organics" in its name. We are asked to trust them based on their word that the products they are making in the shed behind their house are being produced in a trustworthy manner that ensure the Organic materials are not mixing with/being contaminated by non-organic materials.

Because this company is not certified Organic but uses the word "Organics" in its name customers just assume that this company is providing an Organic product that meets all of the standards of Organic production. In reality, this company is not monitored by any agency and we must rely on their word that they are following good protocols.

Brown Barn uses Certified Organic ingredients throughout its line. We also use Organically Grown/Produced ingredients. We do not use the word "Organic" on our front label because we would never want to mislead a customer.

*What is the Difference Between Certified Organic and Organically Grown?

An example of a Certified Organic ingredient is the flowers from a Chamomile plant that is grown in a USDA Certified Organic Greenhouse where all elements are controlled and no chemicals have been used in the greenhouse. An example of an Organically Grown ingredient would be the leaves from a Birch Tree grown in the woods where no chemicals are present or a Chamomile plant grown outside in a field that has not been USDA Certified Organic but whose farmer promised he used no chemicals.

Unfortunately we cannot always just "trust" that everyone is true to their word. Because of this we strongly recommend that if you desire Organic products you either stick to companies that use the USDA Certified Organic mark on their label (it is illegal to use this unless you are indeed Certified Organic) or only purchase from companies you can trust.

Brown Barn hopes to be able to offer USDA Certified Organic products under its Sister Company label "Honest Balance" in the coming year. By becoming certified ourselves we hope to keep our costs down and be able to bring an Organic product to our customers that is affordable and maintains the high quality our customers enjoy from Brown Barn and Brown Burl.

The next time you pick up a product from a company with the word "Organics" in the name look for the USDA Certified Organic seal to be sure you are getting what you are paying for.

Have a great Sunday!

Chris Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

Brown Barn Artisanal - Who are we? WHAT are we?

When I look back over the last several years and my time in my business, The Brown Barn Company, I am amazed at the transformation - of us, myself, my family, our employees and most of all our brand.

Starting out with the goal of bringing the best quality handmade bath & body products available to our customers seemed simple enough at first - but then we found other products we fell in love with and wanted to share with our customers. Tea, Coffee, Cheese, Ice Cream..Wine, Chocolates, Olive Oil and Vinegar...wait a minute - those are not bath products (most of the time)! We had a problem - how can we sell all of this and still remain true to our original vision? Does our vision fit anymore? Now what?

We have spent the last 18 months pondering and striving to answer these questions and more.

- Have we changed? After much reflection and discussion, Alyssa (my daughter and business partner) and I realized that what we really wanted to bring to our customers had changed. We'd moved from wanting to provide a great bath product to wanting to provide great products that enrich the lives of our customers on many levels. We recognized that creating a soulful lifestyle is about more than a good hot bath (oooooo...I can't believe I just said that!!!). We looove our bath products, our bath products are our heart - our soul - but there is just so much more to share! A great bath is made better when it includes a small tray of chocolate truffles, a cup of tea or a glass of wine. A morning shower is followed by that perfect cup of coffee...Coffee with toast and yummy jam....Jam and toast on a pretty plate....A beautiful towel to dry the plate after you use it...the list just goes on. We find we love all of these products and soon found we wanted to make them all - but that was out of the question - we do a great job of making bath products but we can't make cheese, coffee, tea and towels. We can however, sell them!

- What do we sell? Brown Barn isn't just about baths anymore. Brown Barn is now a marketplace for Artisanal and other quality vendors. We have added culinary, gourmet and home decor products with clothing and jewelry coming next. Our goal is to bring you into our lives and share what we love - from bath to food to home items. We've removed the "bath" boundaries we'd self-imposed and opened our lines up to other vendors and products. Now we are only limited by our imagination and the lines we are able to locate.

- Who do we sell? Even though we've expanded our lines we are still being extremely fussy about who gets to be part of the Brown Barn product line. Vendors are carefully selected based on some simple questions - Will it serve the needs of our customers? Is it good for us and our customers? Is it made well? Packaged beautifully? Does the price make sense? Can it be reproduced so we can keep selling it?  And more importantly - do we, as the owners of the company - absolutely love it??

- How do we sell? We also recognized that it wasn't enough for the customers to walk in the store, pick something off the shelf and walk out. I was always a little let down when selling this way. I have a Master's degree in Education so perhaps its been ingrained into me to teach, and I was a real "hands-on" type teacher so putting up a poster and leaving it at that just is not enough for me. We want the customers to experience the products and the process, to learn and feel when they come into Brown Barn. It's taken us almost two years of research and trial and error but we feel we've fallen onto the right products and selling methods for Brown Barn and our customers seem to agree! When you visit Brown Barn stores now you will find a blending bar where you can sniff and blend your own fragrance and then watch your product being finished in front of you; you can sample a tea and coffee before purchasing; you'll soon be able to sample your own blends of Olive Oil & Vinegar before buying the perfect combination for your table; you'll be able to taste wines before buying. We want you to have a sensory experience as much as a visual. We want the store to be exploratory - smell, sight, taste, touch.

- What does this make us? Well - it makes us more than a bath store but less than a department store. We've been stewing on this question quite a bit. We think we are an Artisanal Marketplace. You may have already noticed a change in our logo to "Artisanal Products - Authentic Living - from Seed to Soul". We are focused on bringing great products from vendors we love and trust, trying to not only focus just on the small hand-makers but also celebrate the ingenuity and superior product lines of larger companies who do it well. We are not going to be locked into a small niche but we are going to create our own niche - the Brown Barn line.

We hope you enjoy your next visit to a Brown Barn store. We are planning on opening stores regularly throughout Wisconsin in the coming years and expanding from there. We are also working on new web-sites and trying to come up with ways to bring the store experience to our customers virtually.

Thank you to all who have remained on this journey with us and welcome to those who are just now joining us! We hope we are able to help you find the perfect products to feed your soul and warm your home.

Christine Untiedt
Founder
The Brown Barn Company llc

Brown Barn Blending Bar Fragrance Encyclopedia

Floral Scents:

Aloha Waikiki: Plumeria and Tiare with sun kissed Sugar Cane.

Day at the Spa: Notes of lemongrass and black currant with hints of patchouli and sugar cane. A great year-round fragrance infused with natural lemongrass, patchouli, and lime essential oils.

Gardenia: Brown Barn's Founders favorite summer scent and perhaps Brown Barn's most romantic floral fragrance. This Gardenia is sweet and soft. Heliotrope, Jasmine and Freesia keep this scent from becoming too sweet.

Green Tea and White Pear: Sweet succulent pears effortlessly complement the fresh green tea scent in this zesty fragrance. Notes of crisp citrus, pears and apples blends well with gardenia, lilac, powder and vanilla.

Honeysuckle: A true sweet honeysuckle.

Japanese Cherry Blossom: A Brown Barn favorite! Tender cherry blossom, sensual white lily and blushing violet petals blended with a hint of warm vanilla. 

Jasmine Vanilla: Beautifully garnished silk white jasmine petals. This engaging rose fragrance comes to full bloom with creamy vanilla and classic rose.

Lilac: This Lilac fragrance is so near to the real thing you will think you've been transported when you close your eyes. Not too sweet, just right.

Lavender Essential Oil: The true lavender, made from oil distilled from the plant. Great for relaxing and soothing aromatherapy effects.

Moonlight Pomegranate: Intensively purple with sparkling notes of Citrus, Dewberry and Cassis to dress up the deeper notes of Musk, Sandalwood and Vanilla. This fragrance is deep and sensual with a sweet tart twist.

Peony: An elegant, not to cloying or sweet, Peony fragrance. Sophisticated and summery.

Pink: Neroli and Peony with Violets and Juniper.

Sweet Pea: Very near to the real thing. Sweet and young, bright and fresh.

Tuberose Moss: Sophisticated honey Tuberose with under-notes of green moss. This elegant scent is quickly becoming a Brown Barn Summer standard.

Ylang Ylang: Sophisticated Ylang Ylang blends well with floral notes.

Fruit Scents:

Black Raspberry Vanilla: A Brown Barn favorite! Fresh, vine-ripened raspberries and blackberry notes mixed with Italian Bergamot, Pear with notes of Plum Wine, Vanilla Orchid and a silky, Cashmere Musk. Overall, it's sweet, silky and mouth-watering. 

Cherry Almond: A classic mixture of sweet cherries and rich almonds.

Coconut: A great blending fragrance, this smells just like a coconut picked fresh from the tree.

Coconut Lime Verbena: A tantalizing fusion of fresh coconut, lime and invigorating verbena soothed by luscious vanilla.

Country Apple: Fresh picked apples with a touch of peach, lime and musk have made this a Brown Barn favorite with in-store customers.

Lemongrass Essential Oil: Unique, citrus with a bite. Lemongrass will awaken and energize.

Lime: Another great blending oil, green and tart but not bitter.

Love Spell: Orange, Peach, Cherry Blossom and Jasmine make this popular fragrance a classic.

Monkey Farts: Fresh banana with sweet grapefruit, mandarin orange, kiwi, coconut cream, pink raspberries, strawberries and apples. A Brown Barn favorite, especially for the young or young at heart!

Orange Essential Oil: Another Brown Barn favorite with all customers. Uplifting, fresh and delightful. A sure to please choice.

Strawberry: A freshly ripened Strawberry fragrance. Very true to the real thing. Blends well with 'Champagne' fragrance.

Tart Lemon: A bright, pure, citrus lemon scent. Perfect for blending.

For Men (and Women!):

Black Tie: Sophisticated notes of black peppercorn and leather carefully blended with Patchouli, Musk and Citrus. A Brown Barn favorite!

Cedar & Saffron: Fragrant cedar infused with sensual Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vetiver. Eastern spices and a touch of musk finish this gorgeous blend out. Smokey and sexy.

Green Irish Tweed: A refined gentlemen's scent similar to the same fragrance worn by Cary Grant, Richard Gere and Robert Redford. Sandalwood, Lemon Verbena, Iris, Violets and Amber.

Zanzibar Spice: Mandarin leaf, agave nectar and African lotus perfectly paired with Cardamom, Nutmeg and Black Peppercorn. Undertones of Sandalwood and Tonka Bean make this a great choice for the sophisticated man (or woman!).

Other:

Cashmere & Cotton: Pomelo, bergamot, citrus, vanilla and sandalwood blend to an amazing rendition of fresh sheets blowing in the wind.

Champagne: A great blending fragrant oil, smells just like champagne. Perfect for any special occasion.

Eucalyptus & Spearmint: A beautiful blend of Eucalyptus, Sage, Lavender and Spearmint leave you refreshed and renewed.

Green Aloe & Clover: Fresh mown green fields, deep woods and touch of Jasmine.

Neroli: This fragrance is made with Neroli essential oil strengthened with notes of Cinnamon, Dill weed, Eucalyptus and orange fragrance. 

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey: A Brown Barn favorite. Warm oatmeal with sweet milk and honey.

Patchouli Essential Oil: Earthy and deep. Wonderful for blending, especially with Lavender, Rose or Orange.

Sandalwood Sensuous: Deeply fragrant with rich notes of mahogany.

Spearmint: Fresh and bright. Refreshing Spearmint.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil: A sweet, deep aroma of sensual flowers. The flower is a small delicate bloom from the Cananga tree native to rainforests. It is known for its ability to lift spirits, promote relaxation and enhance sexuality. Ylang Ylang is considered an aphrodisiac and has a soft, luxurious aroma. It is wonderful to sooth panic, anxiety and calm nerves. 

Vanilla Woods: Rich vanilla with earthy undertones makes this a deep and sophisticated scent perfect for blending.

Warm Vanilla Sugar: Rich and decadent vanilla and brown sugar with hints of musk.


Water:

Dancing Waters: This blend leaves you thinking of beaches and vacations. Cyclamen and Freesia round this scent out to complete loveliness.