Newly Blended, Beautiful and True

Two new cold processed soaps - full of charm, grace and unusual sophistication.

Hmmm . . . how does that really sound? Arrogant, presumptuous, or petty? Maybe just downright, well, boring - right?

These two pretties are the upcoming "children of spring" for my Etsy store.

The first, the swirling coffee colored bar, is Sandalwood and Virginia cedarwood essential oil. Full of naturally exfoliating ground apricot kernel and a triple mint base in an 8 month old infused oil blend. That's a lot of sun shining on that mint! The soap should come out beautifully once it's finished it's cure. I'll be cutting it up tonight.

A base of eleven oils will make this the superfatty king of my Etsy store! Superfatty means lots of oils that are rich and emollient - potent moisturizing that keeps your skin soft while getting you clean. No dry out means happy cellular tissues that can readily heal after being cleansed. How many soaps can you use every day that won't dry you out, especially during this cold snap?

The second bar, the one that looks like a scrummy pile of brownies, is actually pomegranate with hibiscus flowers. I have nicknamed it "Flash" because of the almost irritated attitude the lye exhibited while blending with the organic pomegranate juice. :o) When lye meets juice, any juice or wine, it isn't not a pretty smell. All the organic matter gets eaten and the color fluxes from the original juice color (ruddy red inthis matter) to something darker and digested. This is why the bar is now a rich choco brown.

Making soap takes time and care. Researching materials, gathering data like what will hold up under the chemical strain of mixing with lye, and following your heart are crucial elements to exploring the process of saponification. It's fun - don't get me wrong! But you can't go in expecting miracles and fantasies with your first batch. If anything what I found to be the most frustrating was the price of some materials, esp. soap boxes. These are large, flat bins for pouring a batch into one it's traced in the pot. I finally had to ask my brother to make me some in exchange for a year's supply of soap. Good thing I have a crafty brother!

All else aside, one of these two lovelies will be gracing my shop as early as next week. The Pomegranate and Hibiscus soap will bear the name Nefera to express it's rich, sensual appearance. Nefer means beautiful in old Egyptian. Nefera will be available for purchase as early as March 20th, though I am considering a Pre-order status listing just to get it up on the shop.

More magic to come, more magic to create. These slower days offer the blessings of such fortunately. Not to mention the cold days.

Blessings of Light!