Monday Feature: Javanated Soap Company

When one thinks of early mornings, especially early winter mornings (you know, those ones where you feel like you woke up at 2:30am because it's so dark, but really it's 6:30am) one may think of that darn bed logic that kicks in. What else could I possibly skip doing this morning that would allow me to stay in my nice, warm bed, just a few more minutes. You all know what I'm talking about, because I'm sure each and every one of you has done it. The dialog with yourself, "Do I really need to shower today? I could just pull my hair up for work. I'll wear this and that and then I don't need to iron anything. I can skip the hot breakfast and just have cereal."

But there are two things that, in my opinion, make it worth crawling out from under those covers. 1: Coffee. 2: A long, steamy shower (although, depending on how long you stayed in bed, it may be a short, steamy shower.) So why not put those two together! Say what?

Since getting pregnant with my wee one, I have hardly been able to taste the scrumptious hot beverage that is loved by so many, much to my own dismay and sadness. But I do so love the heavenly aroma of coffee still. Thus, missing my coffee has been difficult, but due to today's feature, I'm still enjoy the remarkable benefits of this satisfying drink, even though I'm not actually drinking it. I enjoy it, like I said before, whilst taking a nice, hot, steamy shower. It's true!

Javanated Soap Company is a unique business that puts coffee grounds and extract right into it's product. It's absolutely brilliant. Not only does the product smell fantastic, but I pleasantly discovered that coffee grounds are THE best exfoliant EVER! My skin has never felt so smooth and soft. The oils used in these products, mixed with the coffee grounds, absorb into the skin amazingly well and every time I step out of the shower, my skin feels so wonderful and moisturized that I have no need to lotion up. This is a relief during the winter months, as I tend to slowly shrivel up into a prune, for lack of humidity. Most other body scrubs leave my skin feeling dry and itchy. The Javanated scrub leaves a wonderful, tingling sensation, almost as if all your skin cells were jumping for joy and cheering! Probably because they just got a caffeine jolt :) Oh, and did I mention that I smell amazing afterwards?

Coffee Salt Scrub! 

So how does one come up with the idea of putting coffee into soap. Well, Ken Braun, creator of Javanated Soap Company, gives us a little insight to how this all came about. Ken recalls, "I grew up in Fort Macleod, AB. I have 2 great kids and I have been a carpenter for 20 years; 7 of which I have run my own business. I have always dreamed of doing something different, I just wasn't sure what it was I wanted to do. I am a huge coffee lover and about 2 and a half years ago thought about opening a coffee shop."

"I thought I had a really original idea as far as my business concept was concerned. It turned out my "original" ideas were not so original, and a good friend of mine in the industry said, "You don't want the frustration with this industry." I was dejected, but not deterred."

It was at this point that Ken went back to his office and sat at his desk and began the thinking process all over. "I really wanted to do something with coffee, but I wanted to do something really different." Ken began by googling anything to do with coffee. As it so happened, this is how he stumbled across some studies done in the late 1970's and early 80's, on the topical effects of coffee on human skin.

NATURAL INGREDIENTS

The finest ingredients make the difference. The best in shea and cocoa butters, vegetable and essential oils combined with the benefits of the highest quality fair trade coffee.

"This led to more digging and I began to develop the idea over the next year, of a soap and skincare company, with coffee as its main ingredient."

"When I'm asked (and it's a regular question) 'How did you come up this this?' I usually answer, 'Serendipity.' It really has been a serendipitous process. We started with a few bar soaps, then came lotion bars and salt scrubs, lip balms and shower parfaits. Our most recent product is a coffee butter, which is a body butter that utilizes the benefits of coffee, as it is made with coffee extract and is a product which is in contact with skin for a longer period of time, as opposed to a soap bar, which has limited contact."

Javanated's soap bars are available in No Grounds, Fine Grounds, and Regular Grounds options. Here's a few of the flavours offered.

                                              Hint of Mint                             Coffee Chocolatta

                                        Pumpkin Spice Latte                 Maple Ginger Frappe.

                                             Mit schlagg                                    Licorice

                                 (looks like a cup of coffee 

                                 with whipped cream, sliced

                                 down the middle)

Coffee has some awesome benefits for our skin.
Here are a few of those benefits:

1- Coffee has the same pH level as human skin. As we age, our pH balance changes. Maintaining a healthy level ensures skin that is capable of healing faster and is less susceptible to damage.

Vanilla Foaming Bath Parfait

2- Coffee is a natural deodorizer, perfect for soap products.

3- Coffee has natural UV properties.

4- The antioxidant properties of coffee help fight skin conditions like acne and eczema.

5- Caffeine acts as a vascular restrictor, meaning it restricts blood vessels, which help fight the appearance of varicose veins and wrinkles. (can I get an Amen!)

Javanated Soap Company auditioned for the Dragons Den last year and received a great response. They took the product line back to Toronto for the show executives. Ken was told that the company was too young (not yet a year old) to make it on the show, but asked him to come back this year. Maybe we will see him on the show! Good luck Ken!

Ken wants to take Javanated Soap Company globally and he's always interested in talking with people who think they may be able to help them do that. Please contact Ken directly if you'd like to help or if you have any further questions, by email at javanated@gmail.com or phone at 403-894-2260.

If you would like to read more about the individual products, learn more about Javanated Soap Company, or to purchase some of this incredible product, please visit their website at www.javanatedsoap.com.

Javanated Soap Company is also on facebook and you can "like" them here.

Javanated is also giving Growing Green readers a special PROMO CODE, just for you! Simply use the phrase Get Javanated and when you purchase one item you can get a second item of equal or lesser value at 50% off! 
Also, sign up on Javanated Soap Company's contact list for more specials and contests, and put in the memo that you heard about them from Growing Green. :)

Enjoy your early mornings with a new coffee twist!

next week's feature hint: silver memories