Here at Rainwater Farm, we love summer and the warm weather it brings, as well as the farmer's markets and craft fairs that come with it. However, there is one thing about summer that we for sure don't like -- the insects and bug bites it brings along with it. Thankfully, though, we have a few things up our sleeves to help combat these pesky little critters, so if you're someone who needs help fighting bugs like us, read on to see what we love to use.

Camper Soap

This was the first of our bug repellent products. Although you may be confused as to how a soap can keep bugs away, it's really quite simple. The essential oils we put in this bar soap help to repel bugs. As you shower with it, the essential oils permeate your skin and are absorbed into your body. When used regularly, your body builds up its stores of the essential oils, which then naturally repel insects when outside. 

Our Camper Soap is perfect for our customers who are mosquito magnets -- people who can't go out to the mailbox without getting bit by mosquitoes. Using the camper soap helps to provide constant defense without having to reapply bug repellent each and every time you step outside. If out for a long time, though, especially in those long summer evenings, our mosquito magnets may want to double up with our Bug Repellent Spray as well.

Bug Repellent Spray

Though our Bug Repellent Spray was something I threw together in a frenzy at my daughter's graduation party, we've heard from customers time and time again about how amazingly effective it is. Our Bug Repellent Spray is made using the same essential oils as our Camper Soap, providing all-natural and non-toxic protection from pests. This is in contrast to conventional bug repellents made with DEET. According to the CDC, many safety precautions should be taken when using DEET, such as not applying to any broken skin, using the minimum amount necessary, not applying underneath clothing, and washing the DEET off as soon as possible to prevent complications and irritation. This all points to the fact that DEET can be very harmful to the human body and skin. However, none of our products contain ingredients that are unsafe for your skin. In fact, the reverse is true: our products are actually beneficial for your skin and body! 

Bug Repellent Stick

Being the strongest of our bug repellent products, the Bug Repellent Stick is perfect for hikers, campers, all-day gardeners, and anyone else out in nature for long periods of time. The base of our Bug Repellent Stick is the same as our Silken Skin Conditioner, but the essential oils we put in it are identical to our other bug repellent products. The lotion bar can simply be rubbed onto the skin and provides strong, long-lasting defense against insects such as mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. And because of its base, it's moisturizing as an added bonus!

Listen to me talk more about our bug repellent products and how they came to be in this video:

Welcome to our new educational series, where you can learn more about the making of Rainwater Farm and our products.

Chances are that we have been passionate about making soap as long as you have known us, but that has not always been the case. A couple years before Rainwater Farm started in 1992, we had a family friend visiting, and when she left, she left behind a bar of handmade soap. Although I thought it rather unusual, curiosity won the day and I decided to try it out. After using it, I realized I could never go back. This led to trying to find the perfect soap recipe through books, trial and error, and advice from my friend who had left the bar behind. After asking many questions of my friend, she finally relented and gave me her recipe for soap. What began as a small endeavor to make good quality products for my family and friends quickly grew into a business of selling my products to members of the community.

Fast forward all these years, and we now ship products on a daily basis all over the country. Although we make a wide range of products now, still in my basement, bar soap, specifically Oatmeal Lavender Bar Soap, will always hold a special place in our business and hearts since it was the first of our products that we made.

What makes our bar soap different from products that you can buy in the store? I'm glad you asked. The base of our bar soap is fats and lye, whereas the "soaps" (they're actually detergents) that you buy in the store are made from a variety of chemicals that are harmful to your skin. These chemicals are not only harmful for your skin, but they also strip your skin of its natural oils, therefore drying out your skin and often causing irritation. Another difference between our bar soaps and products found in stores is that our products are made using only essential oils, no synthetic fragrances. To contrast, almost all products found in stores include synthetic fragrances, which studies have found to be harmful to the human body. Even many products advertising to be made with essential oils will often include minute amounts of essential oils and large amounts of synthetic fragrances, therefore still causing harmful effects to the body and far outweighing any potential benefits of the essential oils in the product.

Here at Rainwater Farm, we vow to always use the highest of quality in ingredients and to never knowingly mislead our customers in any way, especially when it comes to the health and safety of your skin and body.