Confession: Sometimes I have a name before I even have a soap for it! Names came like lightning for a while – quick, bright, and devastatingly perfect.
Lately, though, I’ve been stuck. I go around and around in my head trying to find a balance between catchy and memorable, masculine and feminine, creative and familiar.
I was going to call this one Sunburst, until I saw it, and smelled it.
It’s scented with Lemongrass and Litsea Cubeba essential oils. It’s more golden than yellow, and to me, it smells like lemon Pledge.
Yeah. I’m less than thrilled with it, but the funny thing about scent is that it’s very subjective. Someone out there probably loves this scent, while it makes me think of housework!
This is also the soap that I thought was ruined because I left out the castor bean oil. I’ve tongue-tested it for zap, and strangely, there isn’t any. I’m glad, because it’ll probably at least be a useable soap.
It’s also the first time I tried an in-the-pot swirl, and I’m not sure if the results would have been different if I hadn’t forgotten the castor bean oil.
The next soap is my proof that Hayley from Paintbox Soaps is right: Soap Everything. For some fragrances, there is a tremendous difference from the bottle to the batch.
This next soap I made with a fragrance oil that I thought was a bit stinky in the bottle, but something about it intrigued me enough to give it a chance.
I used some madder root infused olive oil, too, at 40% of the total olive oil, but it did not turn out as dark as the madder infusion in Island Time, as you can see in this picture, where they’re side by side, Island Time on the left.
If I make this one again, I’ll increase the amount of madder. I like the pale pink, but it could be a titch darker and I’d be happier. I’m calling this one Berry Blush for now.
The final soap of yesterday’s round was another version of my shampoo bar, Head Strong. This one has always been a palm oil-free bar, since I wanted to keep the creaminess of the lather down. I absolutely love this scent, too. It’s a peppermint rosemary Aveda type that is so bright and refreshing.
I did this batch without the rosemary and nettle tea. I like it better, the color is cleaner looking, a pale ivory.
I’m plotting my next order of fragrance oils now. Will definitely buy more lavender, but I’d like another floral. I may try Baby Rose from Bramble Berry.
Oh so you are a lover of shampoo bars like me? Lately I have been experimenting more. Today (leg permitting – recently injured) I will be making a carrot-coconut milk shampoo. My favourite so far has been with beer. Your soaps look lovely. Maybe one day we will do a swap? xo Jen
I was really nervous about using one – read a lot of comments from people who said you typically needed to give your hair at least a week to get used to the difference. Since my hair is thin, I can’t even skip a day, but I never had one bad day using my shampoo bars. It’s crazy, but I really thnk my hair looks fuller, too! I still use commercial conditioner, though, by a company I really like called Paula’s Choice.
I’m on the scented batch now – the one with Wake Up Rosemary – my absolute favorite scent. I think one of the key ingredients is the cocoa butter, but I bet coconut milk is lovely! Beer – I remember rinsing my hair with beer in high school! It’s really nourishing, but tends to upset the parental types when you use dad’s beer without asking! That would make or a good shampoo, though.
I would love to swap! We’ll get details over email.
I hope you like the Baby Rose! It’s great in CP, especially compared to other finicky florals =)
Hi Anne-Marie – thank you for commenting! I can’t wait to get it. The Berrywine soap was a revelation – such a great sparkling, berry scent – I can’t put it down!