Cultivate Soap and Skincare

Last year, around this time, I planted my onion sets. This was my first time ever planting onions, and after looking into a few different ways to start onions, I decided to try onion sets, which look like mini onion bulbs that you plant in the ground, similar to planting garlic. I also tried starting them from seed. It seemed to be the biggest hit in the YouTube home gardening space, but I found it an absolute pain. Cheaper? Sure, but the time you spend babying them to hopefully get onions is just not worth it. They came out smaller than the sets, were far more delicate to handle, and I think I got maybe 6 to 10 small onions out of the twenty-plus seeds I planted. The videos and blogs I read said onion sets are more prone to bolting, smaller final bulbs, cost more, and have poor storage quality.
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I did not experience any bolting.
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I got my sets on sale, so the price wasn’t bad, but even at the original price, the little effort it takes to plant and care for them is far worth it compared to the seeds.
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I do wish the final bulbs were bigger, but they were larger than the ones I started from seed. ​
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I was unable to test out the storage quality because we used them within 2 months. So they did manage to last two months.

I also think I planted them close together.

I purchased my onion sets from www.groworganic.com/

I wish I would have grown more! We go through a lot of onions and they where so good! So this year I am going to try them from sets again and also try plants. I’ve ordered 100 plants, 50 yellow and 50 red. I will keep you in the loop on how they turn out. ​

#growingonions #homesteadlife #homegardeners #onionsets

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3 months ago | [YT] | 4

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

Here is one of my favorite tea blends I created and started drinking in 2024. It is a combination of herbs I grew in the garden and herbs you can easily grow too! I created this blend in an attempt to make an herbal tea that just tasted good.

So I went with the base being the variant tastes of lemongrass and tulsi (holy basil). From there, I added the subtly sweet, slightly bitter calendula flowers with just a hint of sage and the green taste of marshmallow leaf. Resulting in a lemony, mildly sweet tea that I enjoy drinking morning or night.

You may be wondering what the benefits are, but that was not my focus. I was really trying to explore the flavors and how they work with one another. While many of these herbs do have traditional uses, most medicinal herbal teas need to be brewed strongly and consumed multiple times daily to see specific effects. This tea blend is simply meant to inspire you to slow down and enjoy herbs for what they are.

If you’re interested in growing these, stay tuned for more gardening and growing tips! If that's not your thing, check out my blog post to see where you can purchase organically grown herbs and to learn more about my thought process behind crafting this tea.🌿

✨Blend Recipe✨

¾ cup calendula flowers
¾ cup tulsi
¾ cup lemongrass
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp marshmallow leaf

Tip: If your calendula flowers are fully intact, gently break them apart before mixing for a more even blend.

Blog Post: www.cultivatesoap.com/s/stories/a-tea-crafted-for-…

4 months ago | [YT] | 0

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

I grew evening primrose for the first time last year. There are many different species of evening primrose, and I couldn’t tell you the specifics of mine. I got it from a local business that collects and sells native seeds and plants. It was on my list of favorites that I grew and watched grow. This is because I did not expect a 6-foot-tall plant with hundreds of little yellow blooms. A bird even decided to make a nest amongst the stocks. I assumed it would get to be about 3 feet tall.

My goal this past year was to simply grow it and watch it grow. I have yet to work with this plant topically. I look forward to growing it again and experimenting with it in skincare.

It is a native (to Alabama), biennial plant, meaning it comes back for only two years before dying. The plant continues on through reseeding. I won’t be planting it in the same location because it gets pretty tall and wild. But it will likely reseed due to the many seed pods on a single stock, each containing hundreds of seeds.

Evening primrose is a popular skincare ingredient, specifically its oil, which is pressed from the seeds. For its ability to rejuvenate the skin through encouraging cell turnover, smoothing wrinkles and dark spots, and soothing dry, flaky skin.

I did not have the best video of when it was at its peak height. The last video is the best I got, when everything was overgrown, and I was getting ready to cover it so I could plant my cover crop for the fall.

Check out my recent short to learn a bit more about evening primrose!✨🌿🙂

#eveningprimrose #nativeplants

4 months ago | [YT] | 1

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

Harvested and dried mullein the other day for a future salve. When we harvest herbs, we’re intentional about the time of day and the stage of growth—we try not to pick too early or too late. This helps us get the most benefits from the plant.

I love using mullein in our Mullein Mint Salve vapor rub because it’s an anti-inflammatory and an expectorant—perfect for soothing congestion and supporting the lungs.

I also use mullein as one of the main ingredients in my a lung support tea I make. It’s incredibly helpful for easing irritation and supporting overall respiratory health.

Let me know if you’d like the recipe😉

#harvestingmullein #harvestingherbs #dryingherbs #herbalsalve #herbalrememdies #mulleinleaf

10 months ago | [YT] | 1

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

Picked up some fresh lavender from a local farm this week💜 We grow a bit of our own, but it’s not enough — so I’m always grateful to source herbs locally when I can. While processing it, the whole house smelled amazing. ✨

I used the leftover stems to whip up a lavender simple syrup — and wow... it turned out so delicious. I thought it may be to bitter. Who knew the stems could be so good? Don't mind my garden nails lol 💅

#lavenderseason
#localingredients #smallbatchsoap #cultivatesoap #herbalgoodness #naturalskincare

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11 months ago | [YT] | 0

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

🌿Did you know our Body Oils double as facial oils?

Yes, our handcrafted body oils are truly multi-purpose! I’ve personally been using them as my daily facial moisturizer for over 4 years, and will never go back to conventional moisturizers.

✨Why oils over most commercial moisturizers?

Typical store-bought creams are often packed with alcohols, synthetic fragrances, and fillers to make the product cheaper and last longer that can disrupt your skin causing irritation. Instead of working with your skin, they work against it.

🌱Our body oils are made with simple, skin-loving ingredients: Organic carrier oils, essential oils, and whole plant infusions. That’s it. No unnecessary additives—just pure, intentional skincare. Overall there are fewer harmful ingredients in using body/facial oils.

🚫 Ingredients to avoid in body and facial oils:
– Synthetic fragrance or perfume

– Industrial oils like soybean, canola, and rapeseed

– Refined oils (these are often processed with high heat and solvents, stripping them of
nutrients your skin can benefit from)

- Products that lack transparency —freshness matters! Whenever possible, choose small-batch makers who craft intentionally and don’t have products sitting on a shelf so you know exactly what you’re putting on your skin and avoid receiving something that is rancid.

💚 At Cultivate, we only use:
– Certified organic carrier and essential oils
– Herbs that are either locally sourced, organically grown, or cultivated by us for maximum skin benefits

Ready to simplify your skincare and nourish your skin with nature? Learn more and explore our oil blends at www.cultivatesoap.com 🌿✨

#CultivateSkincare #NaturalBeauty #FacialOil #BodyOil #OrganicSkincare #CleanBeauty #herbalcare #slowbeauty

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1 year ago | [YT] | 1

Cultivate Soap and Skincare

Comfrey is one of the key herbs we infuse into our Jojoba Body and Facial Oil. Known for its emollient and vulnerary actions, comfrey helps to cool sensitive inflamed skin, promote healing, and protect the skin.

✨ Emollient: soothes, moisturize, and protects irritated skin or the external mucosa

✨ Vulnerary: supports wound healing and skin repair

🌿 Energetics: cooling + moistening
This makes comfrey especially beneficial for oily, red, acne-prone, or inflamed
skin—particularly if you’re someone who tends to pick at blemishes.

We grow our own comfrey to ensure it’s fresh and packed with the potent properties your skin deserves. Experience the difference in our Jojoba Body and Facial Oil—crafted with care, from seed to skin.

#comfreyleaf #comfreyoil #workingwithherbs #herbalinfusion #herbalbodycare

1 year ago | [YT] | 1