Soap!

Normally we tend to prefer making large, rustic bars of soap, with less concern for the appearance of the soap, and more attention to ingredients and lather.  Usually, the soap is poured into five-pound loaf molds and cut into generous slices which can be cut down into smaller sizes.  Sometimes, we make smaller bars or use molds in different shapes.

What we've been up to lately: 

Hot Cocoa Salt

Salt bars are soaps that contain a high percentage of salt, often as high as 50%.  It's sort of like a salt scrub in bar form.  They are nice at the kitchen or mudroom sink and great for use after gardening.  Salt bars should not be used to wash cut or broken skin, because the salt can cause stinging.

The Hot Cocoa Salt bars have a mild scent reminiscent of hot chocolate and are topped with espresso powder and coarse sea salt.  Some are decorated with a single coffee bean.  The ingredients are Babassu Oil, Coconut oil, Castor Oil, Cocoa Butter, Pomace Olive Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap),  Himalayan Salt, Coffee Grounds, Cocoa Powder, Fragrance.  Decorated with Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt, Espresso Powder, and Coffee Beans.

All Spruced Up

This soap was made using the hot process method.  In the hot process method, the soap solution is heated to accelerate saponification.  After saponification but while the solution is still fluid, fragrance ingredients are added.  We do it this way because prior to saponification, the solution is at a very high ph, which may alter the quality of some of the ingredients.  After saponification, the ph is a bit lower.  The hot process method tends to create a more rustic appearance to the soap, but we prefer it because we think it generally yields a better quality scent.

The soap has an invigorating spruce scent.  We added different plant materials in layers to create various shades of green and topped it with a layer tinted with green oxide.  The different layers are reminiscent of the sensation of walking through a forest, with different layers of vegetation underfoot.  The ingredients are Coconut Oil, Sustainable Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Cocoa Butter, Refined Rice Bran Oil, Pomace Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap) Yogurt, French green clay, essential oils of Spruce, Cedar, Amyris, and Pine, also contains Spirulina, Chlorella, Alfalfa Leaf,  Mica, Fragrance, Sea Salt, Sugar, Tussah Silk, Sodium Lactate, and Vitamin E T50.

Golden Mimosa

Golden Mimosa was created for a pampered bathtime experience.  It contains mimosa floral wax and mango seed butter and is scented with notes of mimosa, sandalwood, and ambergris.  When you look at the soap, you may see a white film in places.  This film is called soda ash and sometimes occurs naturally while handcrafted soap is curing.  Many soapmakers go to great lengths to formulate their soap to avoid soda ash, or they may rinse it off after the soap is cured.  Our practice at this time is to leave it on - it doesn't harm anything, and it rinses off easily during the first use, and it demonstrates that this is truly a handcrafted soap.

Ingredients: Oils of Olive, Coconut,  Sustainable Organic Palm, Castor; Mango Seed Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Mimosa Wax, Sandalwood Essential oil, Vitamin E T-50, Fragrance 

Eventide

Scented with Jasmine Sambac Wax, Jasmine Grandiflorum Wax,  Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Frankincense Essential Oil, Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil, Petitgrain Essential Oil, Patchouli Essential Oil, Mandarin Essential Oil, and Jasmine Essential Oil, this soap is superfatted with luxurious Mowrah Butter.  It's perfect for a special night, or just for special pampering.

Ingredients:   Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Mowrah Butter, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sweet Woodruff, (processed into soap) Jasmine Sambac Wax, Jasmine Grandiflorum Wax, Essential Oils of Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Pink Grapefruit, Petitgrain, Patchouli, Mandarin, Jasmine Also contains Fragrance, Sea Salt, and Vitamin E T50

Unconquered Sun

Unconquered Sun has a mild evergreen scent with a hint of clove and citrus.  Ingredients: Oils of  Coconut,  Olive, Castor,  Palm, Shea butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Glycerin, Essential Oils of Orange, Frankincense, Bay Laurel, Myrrh, Vanilla, Juniper Berry, Fir Needle, Pine Needle, Nutmeg, Clove, Vitamin E T-50, Salt

Pumpkin Swirl

This soap was made with pumpkin puree and was poured into a mold with a Celtic knot design.  It smells like pumpkin spice.  Ingredients: Oils of  Coconut,  Olive, Sunflower, Castor,  RedPalm, Shea butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Pie Spices, Essential Oils of Orange, Clove Bud, Frankincense and Vanilla, Vitamin E T-50, Fragrance Oils, Salt

HHGB

This soap has a woodsy, earthy, almost smoky scent.  Similar to King of the May, but much earthier and more primal.  Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sweet Woodruff, (processed into soap) Essential oils of Fir, Rosewood, Pine, Sage, Coriander, Katrafay, Rosemary, White Thyme, Cajeput, Cedarwood, Birch Tar, Benzoin, Copaiba Balsam, Vetiver, Patchouli, Myrrh, Vanilla, Frankincense, also contains Fragrance, Sea Salt, and Vitamin E T50

Honor Bars

This soap has a fruity, citrusy scent.  Ingredients: Pomace Olive Oil, Sustainable Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap), French Red Clay, essential oils of Orange, Lemongrass, Coriander, Frankincense, Myrrh, Sea Salt, Vitamin E T50, Also contains LabColors Orange for soap (Red 40 & Yellow 5) and Gold Mica, (Mica, Iron Oxide)

Queen of the May

Perfumed with Rose and Benzoin, this luxurious soap gets its dark color from the Bulgarian Rose Wax and Vanilla Essential Oil.  Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Mowrah Butter, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sweet Woodruff, (processed into soap) Bulgarian Rose Wax, Essential Oils of Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla, Frankincense, Benzoin, Rosewood, Palmarosa, Jamarosa  Also contains Fragrance, Sea Salt, and Vitamin E T50

Mayflower

Light floral fragrance.  Ingredients: Oils of Coconut, Olive, Shea Butter, Castor, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Fragrance Oils, Vitamin E T-50

King of the May

King of the May has a woodsy, earthy scent.  Ingredients: Oils of Olive, Coconut, Sunflower, Castor, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap) Crushed Dried Sweet Woodruff Herb, Essential Oils of Frankincense, Sandalwood, Cedar Wood, Benzoin, Vetiver, Pine, Sage, Vanilla, Geranium, Ylang-Ylang Vitamin E T-50, Fragrance oils of Oakmoss and Sandalwood 

Desert Seeker:  Goat's Milk Bar and Shave Bar

Desert Seeker is a masculine scent, with notes of musk and desert creosote.  It's available in a goat's milk hand and body bar, and in a shave soap, and is available as a set or individually.  You may notice the soda ash on one end of the goat's milk bar.  This occurs naturally during the curing process and will rinse off right away the first time the soap is used.

Desert Seeker Goat's Milk ingredients:  Ingredients: Oils of Olive, Coconut,  Sustainable Organic Palm, Castor; Goat’s Milk, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Fragrant Oil

Desert Seeker Shave Ingredients: Ingredients: Sustainable Organic Palm Oils, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Pomace Oil Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Sodium Lactate, Sugar, Vitamin E T -50, Fragrant Oil 

Mighty Lugh: Full Sized Bath, Half Sized Bath, Salt Bar, and Shave Bar

Mighty Lugh was intended as a masculine scent, but some describe it as unisex.  It has notes of green apple, apple blossom, lavender, and oak.  It's available in a set or individually.  You may notice that the salt bar looks uneven and rustic.  This is because salt bars harden very quickly after they are poured and can be a challenge to cut evenly.  The round shave bar is a slightly different color than the rest, due to the addition of  Bentonite Clay.

Mightly Lugh Ingredients: Pomace Olive Oil, Organic Sustainable Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter Jojoba Oil, (Processed into soap with Sodium Hydroxide), Essential oils of Frankincense and Lavender, Vitamin E T-50, Fragrance

Mighty Lugh Salt:  Ingredients: Organic  Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil (Processed into soap with Sodium Hydroxide), Sea Salt, Vegetable Glycerin, Essential oils of Frankincense and Lavender, Vitamin E T-50, Fragrance

Mighty Lugh Shave: Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Pomace Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Sustainable Organic Palm Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, (processed into soap,) Bentonite Clay, Glycerin,  Lavender Essential Oil, Frankincense Essential Oil, Fragrant Oil, Sugar, Sodium Lactate, Vitamin E T -50

Random, Ugly and Naked, aka Runner Bars

When you love to make soap as much as we do, you are bound to have a lot of leftovers.  Some pieces are more misshapen than our usual rustic bars or have larger air bubbles.  They may be the last lonely piece left out of a batch or the scent may have faded.  Sometimes when we are developing new formulas, we will create test batches, trying several ingredients from different sources until we find the perfect one.  They wind up in a bin without labels.  The soap is still wonderful and mild, it's just... random, ugly, and naked.