eyebright
01-16-2012, 03:02 PM
So, after a couple of weeks away from the soap studio, yesterday I actually got around to making soap. I warmed up with an unscented batch for sensitive skin and while I was at it, played around with two different lime blends and two different types of lavender to see which I liked better (the more expensive one – funny how that works!). This morning I got up early to start a second batch which turned into lots of individual trial pucks: one coconut and one coconut almond (both fragrance oils), two pucks of a menthol/mint blend at different strengths, a lily of the valley fragrance oil (Mughetto di Maryland, anyone?) and a kinder, gentler tea tree blend (lavender, rose geranium and tea tree). I made half a dozen pucks scented with lime essential oil and another six using a blend that I call Marrakesh:Virginia cedarwood and aged dark patchouli with petigrain, lime, oakmoss and spices. In a couple of weeks they’ll all be ready to try – if there’s something that you are interested in, send me a pm and we’ll talk about it. The ones that I made as trial pucks will be cut up and given away as samples, but I really need feedback on the fragrances so if you are a lime aficionado, a coconut connoisseur, a lavender snob or a menthol freak please step right up!
My dh brought home 48 small glass jars today so that I can begin my mad scientist bay rum experiments…so far I have about 16 different versions that I want to try out using various combinations of the traditional pimenta racemosa bay oil, citrus and spice oils. It takes a couple of weeks for scents to mingle and mature after they’re mixed so by the time today’s soap is ready, I should know if I have an eo blend that I prefer to the Bay Rum fragrance oil that I’m using now. Then it’ll have to be tested in soap, on the skin, so I’ll be looking for more guinea pigs (aka testers) soon.
My shaving soap is made with tallow from grass fed beef, unrefined fair-trade shea butter, castor oil, extra glycerin, avocado oil, palm oil, stearic acid, aloe vera and bentonite clay. It’s an Italian-style soft soap made without coconut oil so it's very gentle. A four ounce puck in a travel tub costs $10.50 plus shipping by USPS. I accept Paypal and most credit cards (but you have to phone me with cc info if you want to pay that way – sorry!) I’ll try to change my website this winter to make it easier to order. I have some Bay Rum (fragrance oil) soaps available now; the new ones (Lime, Unscented and Marrakesh, plus the test samples) will be ready in about 2 weeks.
In case you’re wondering why you might want to add yet another artisan soap to your collection, here’s one recent user comment:
“I continue to be astounded by the skin friendliness of this soap. I am not exaggerating. It leaves my skin feeling better than it did before the shave. And understand, after nearly a decade at this traditional shaving, I give up that sort of praise begrudgingly, and ONLY when honestly warranted. It is warranted here. I love this soap.”
I hope you'll like it just as much! Michelle
P.S. The coconut soaps are going a toasty light brown - a natural color variation not due to added colorants, it's just something scents with a vanilla component do.
My dh brought home 48 small glass jars today so that I can begin my mad scientist bay rum experiments…so far I have about 16 different versions that I want to try out using various combinations of the traditional pimenta racemosa bay oil, citrus and spice oils. It takes a couple of weeks for scents to mingle and mature after they’re mixed so by the time today’s soap is ready, I should know if I have an eo blend that I prefer to the Bay Rum fragrance oil that I’m using now. Then it’ll have to be tested in soap, on the skin, so I’ll be looking for more guinea pigs (aka testers) soon.
My shaving soap is made with tallow from grass fed beef, unrefined fair-trade shea butter, castor oil, extra glycerin, avocado oil, palm oil, stearic acid, aloe vera and bentonite clay. It’s an Italian-style soft soap made without coconut oil so it's very gentle. A four ounce puck in a travel tub costs $10.50 plus shipping by USPS. I accept Paypal and most credit cards (but you have to phone me with cc info if you want to pay that way – sorry!) I’ll try to change my website this winter to make it easier to order. I have some Bay Rum (fragrance oil) soaps available now; the new ones (Lime, Unscented and Marrakesh, plus the test samples) will be ready in about 2 weeks.
In case you’re wondering why you might want to add yet another artisan soap to your collection, here’s one recent user comment:
“I continue to be astounded by the skin friendliness of this soap. I am not exaggerating. It leaves my skin feeling better than it did before the shave. And understand, after nearly a decade at this traditional shaving, I give up that sort of praise begrudgingly, and ONLY when honestly warranted. It is warranted here. I love this soap.”
I hope you'll like it just as much! Michelle
P.S. The coconut soaps are going a toasty light brown - a natural color variation not due to added colorants, it's just something scents with a vanilla component do.