Thus far, out of dozens and dozens of batches of soap I've made over the years, two didn't pass the face washing test, and those are actually sitting in a box in my office, and I'll probably shred them for laundry soap.
What went wrong? Well, I used two different recipes I use often, but both had fragrances I purchased from one company. Both made my face feel warm. It didn't burn or dry my face, but I really didn't like the effect, so they're off the shelf. Which is too bad, they were gorgeous! I won't be buying fragrance from that company anymore.
So on to tonight's test batches.
CUCUMBER MINT
This is my favorite cucumber-yogurt recipe, all vegetable and scented with a blend of mint and rosemary, anchored with a touch of patchouli.
This recipe is touchy to make, largely because of the yogurt. Between that and the cucumber peel, the soap turned a beautiful light yellow, and is colored with Titanium Dioxide and Green Oxide for the swirls.
This is one of my gentler soaps, good for body and face, normal to dry or sensitive skin. Its has luxurious, rich lather and the fragrance is fresh.
This one is a total win.
MIMOSA
A traditional soap, I don't have the recipe right in front of me but its one of my Hemp recipes. I didn't think I'd like this, its fragranced with a champagne fragrance, mixed with orange essential oil. The orange faded down just a bit, but it leaves just enough scent to give the impression of a Mimosa. Its bracing and effervescent. The soap is silky (it does have silk in it) and surprisingly mild. The later is rich and bubbly. This is good for body and face, normal to dry skin.
DEAD SEA MUD
This one is a mild olive-heavy soap made with Dead Sea Mud and a touch of sea salt. I was truly surprised at how pretty it turned out, I touched up the greenish brown mud with a tiny bit of green mica and it came out lovely. Its a softer soap than most I make, but will harden with time. Its scented with a mint EO blend and a touch of rosemary essential oil
This is great for normal to oily skin, face and body. (though I have dry skin and I use it on my face almost daily.) Its mildly exfolliant, largely due to the mud grains. You'll want to use a washcloth when you wash your face with this one.
SUMMERTIME DREAM
Another silk and hemp soap. This fragrance was the first I ever bought for soaping, probably a decade ago. I loved it back then and for nostalgia's sake, I bought another small bottle just to see if it was as wonderful as I remember.
It is!
The scent is a blend of summer fruit...apples and pears and peaches. It reminds me of sitting in an orchard on a warm day. The lather is fluffy and creamy, the texture of the soap is silky and fine. Of the four I have in the shower, I reach for this one just out of pleasure. This one is good for all skin types and is very mild. Its colored with mica colorants.
That's it for tonight! Over the next couple days, I'll be posting a few others. These will be going up on Etsy soon, so keep an eye out for them!
