4 posts tagged “soap today”

This week I've made more Lemongrass Sage (on sale, btw, at Soapyhollow.com), Fig, and Pearberry.  I've just now put a big batch of Sandalwood Vanilla into the molds.  I need to gear up for Xmas shopping, so sometime in the next week I'll probably do Three Kings soap (Frankincense, Myrrh and gold mica) and Babylonia (Frankincense, Rose of Sharon, Spikenard, Cedar, Myrhh, Hyssop, Cinnamon, Cassia, Calamus, Aloes, Sandalwood, and Styrax).  Although perhaps I'll drop the Three Kings and just do Babylonia.  I dunno.  I'm not a huge fan of just Frankincense and Myrrh by themselves.  The blend just seems too harsh.  Not enough mellow notes.  I think maybe I'll use the Babylonia EO blend and call it Wise Men or something. 

There are a ton of people who are imitating my Three Kings soap, except they're doing it with cheap fragrance oils, rather than using the actual essential oils and resins...and it seems to be cheapening the brand.  Since I'm one of the only people in the industry who's got the middle eastern connections for the oils I use in Babylonia, I'm tempted to just do that, since it can't be imitated.  At least, it can't be done cheaply.  There are no synthetic versions of a lot of those resins. 

I dunno.  Three Kings does sell well.  I can't decide if I want to do both or not.  The problem with doing Three Kings by itself is that if it doesn't sell out by January, I'm kinda stuck with it.  I'm sure the shelter would love to get it, as they seem to love when I give them boxes of soap, but my goodness, it's such an expensive soap to make that I hate to have to remainder any.  Whereas Babylonia I can sell after the holidays.  And I'm really starting to run out of space, so I may have to eliminate some product lines, just so I've got enough storage for everything. I just can't make up my mind...    

I've been a busy, busy soaper.  Yesterday was all about custom traditional bars, cucumber melon jojoba cream scrubs and Neroli bath salts.  (I smelled like a summer salad by the end of the day.  Hee.) 

Today I'm making lots of Spicy Mint.  Both because I'm almost completely out of stock, but also because the essential oils are fabulous for clearing up allergy sinus and headache issues.  (Always a problem for me in the spring.)  The Spicy Mint has Basil, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Spearmint.  And it's a heavily scented soap, so it'll make my studio (and possibly entire house) smell like a therapy spa for a couple of weeks while it cures.  Yum. 

Tomorrow I've planned new batches of Forbidden Fruit (Pomegranate, Apple and warm spices), and Clove Orange Green Tea. Then, I might be almost caught up.

I still need to come up with what I'm going make my "Summer Special Soap".  I can't decide between "Bananarama", which is sort of a banana coconut mango thing, or something really citrus-y like Neroli and Litsea. 

Also to do:  Order spritzer bottles and find bath bomb packaging solutions so I can get both of those items back in the shop.

Today I'm making Spicy Mint soap.  This is one of my favorites for winter.  It's got cocoa butter and white kaolin clay for super skin protection during the foul weather, and it's loaded with peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, basil and rosemary essential oils for upper respiratory relief.  Nothing is better than a steamy, minty, herby shower when you feel ooky.  

If I've got time, I'm going to try and get a batch of Fire and Ice done too, but that may have to wait until tomorrow.  Also have a ton of bath bombs I need to get made before the humidity gets any higher.  Those things are so temperamental about weather conditions. 

I hope everyone had a happy Turkey Day!  Now that the triptophan has worn off, and my Mother assures me that all is well, despite her house catching on fire, it's back to making soap. (And shipping a ton of Gardener's Delight to my mom to help get all the soot off her and the various workers who kept the house from becoming cinders...)  So, todays batches:

Chocolate Seville (Orange Chocolate)  This soap is a big component of the "Just Desserts" gift basket...it's also one of my faves to make, especially during the "Give me chocolate or you die" week.  I make it with 3 different chocolate oils, fair trade organic cocoa powder and 5x Orange Essential oil.   You know those chocolate oranges you get around the holidays?  The ones where you whack em on the table so they break into little orange slice segments?  (I love those!)  This soap smells exactly like those chocolate oranges.  So yummy!

Jojoba Parfait Scrubs:  Fluffy cream soap laced with emerald jojoba beads.  It's so pretty!

Monoi Whipped Body Butters:  Monoi oil is made in super limited quantities in Tahiti.  It's made by crushing Tahitian gardenias into virgin coconut oil, then steeping the flowers for months until the oil picks up the delicate scent of the flowers.  I melt the monoi, add first press cherry oils, jojoba oils, and shea butter and whip it together as it cools until I get a finely tempered thick creamy butter of oils that smell of island escapes and sunny escapades.  I don't add any scents to this mix, letting the Monoi do all the talking.  (A note for fellow soapmakers...a commercial KitchenAide standing planetary mixer is your best friend for making body butters.  The whipping can take up to 45 minutes.  Commercial chef's tools make that a whole lot easier. Plus, you can do other stuff while your KA is doing the heavy work.)