Summer 2020
Hello Friends,
I hope you and your family are safe, healthy and doing ok – feeling well in every way. “May Day” has a little extra meaning as we head into this new month of physical distancing, sheltering in, and figuring out what’s next. It’s a distressing time as we head into summer with so much uncertainty.
Our everyday routines are disrupted and summer plans on hold. School’s been out for awhile now but there’s no vacation scheduled. The sun is out, days are heating up, yet we’re still hanging out at home – maybe undercover after that new home hair cut? As we navigate the constant change and evolving rules, we’re still thinking about sunshine, warm breezes, and the possibility of heading outside and enjoying a taste of summer’s fun.
So many of our regular summer activities are still right here under our noses – grilling on the patio, just with less friends and more s’mores. Mowing the lawn and poking around in the garden aren’t chores to be rushed through, but all day activities for any time. Ice cream treats, runs through the sprinkler, yard games, movie night in the back yard or a drive-in theater – with a little creativity and ingenuity, we can still cook up some memory-making fun this year. Maybe we’ll even get working on some of those “summer projects” we never usually have time for!
Cool, refreshing, and light - that’s what you’re looking for on a hot summer day. We wanted to make your summer splashing fresh and fun. Most of this year’s seasonal soaps are personal requests - scents from a previous year that were such faves, you just can’t live without them. These are only available for the next few months and are made in limited production. ($4.50 each)
Neroli Mint – I originally made this one for myself, just to hoard for personal use. It’s an homage to my beautiful Cali house, which in late spring is absolutely divine with the scent of orange blossoms (neroli). My yard has a huge Navel orange tree, some lemon trees, limes, and blood oranges too. The scent of citrus blossoms is what heaven must smell like. I blended this with just a bit of peppermint, to give it a touch of coolness, like the icy freshness of the pool this time of year, lol. I thought it would work really nicely together, and not be so heavy and single-note floral. It turned out so perfectly that it became a cult favorite the last two years. Back by request. (No color -100% natural)
Beach House – Many moons ago I introduced this little number which, over the years, became the most beloved soap of summer. It even inspired an aromatic spray, which is now a regular on the menu. Having taken a couple of years off, it’s clear that it’s not truly summer without this in the shower. A dreamy blend of salty ocean air, pretty lavender, and sprig of rosemary - this scent is clean and light as a breeze. With a Zen-like calm, its soothing marine fragrance and beautiful translucent sea glass color transports you directly to the spa. My imaginary seaside cottage has a little pile of these in every room.
Green Detox – Last year’s “Deep Detox” got an update. Everyone loved the scent, the silky feel, and the way it deep cleaned, but the black suds – not so much. So I swapped out the activated charcoal (black color) for mineral rich Russian Cambrian clay, and added spirulina and sea kelp, for a gorgeous green hue, and the nourishing sea minerals that detoxify, nourish, hydrate and help heal skin.
This is a deeply cleansing soap bar utilizing clays and seaweed ingredients which work synergistically to pull toxins from deep within skin’s pores, drawing them to the surface and releasing any impurities or bacteria. Antimicrobial essential oils of litsea lemon, eucalyptus and oregano, give this soap a fresh, citrus/herbal scent. The essential oils blend into something unique and captivating – lemony at first, sliding into kitchen herb garden, much like a fresh lemon verbena. This makes a great facial bar, especially for breakout skin, but it’s wonderful for all over too. (100% natural)
Coconut Milk & Almond – Another personal request – this was a really yummy one from a few summers back. Real coconut milk makes this creamy bar extra moisturizing and gentle. The mouth-watering scent is a blend of toasted coconut, sugar cane, vanilla and almond milk. It’s a treat for your skin and your senses. Comforting and luxurious, it’s also a gently soothing way to nurture a bit of sunburn.
Lavender Petitgrain – NEW! This is an all-natural, 100% essential oil soap, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Years ago, before I ever dreamed of making my own, I fell in love with a fancy soap from Spain called Maja. It was deep and sexy, definitely floral, yet spicy and earthy too – in that way that is both feminine and masculine at the same time. Timeless, elegant, it smelled “expensive” and a touch exotic.
Fast forward, it’s been how many years now? 24? Oy. I was playing around with some essential oil blends using Petitgrain, which is extracted from the green leaves and twigs of bitter orange trees. And suddenly I hit upon a blend of things that smell exactly like that Maja soap, or at least how I remembered it to be. A beautiful, sophisticated European perfumed soap, with a pretty dark purple hue, made from Brazilian clay – this one truly feels expensive, in the best possible way. It’s once again, my new favorite thing in the shower. (100% natural)
HELPING HAND SOAPS - NEW SCENTS
Our super popular mini soap sets are back in stock – and with a new combo of scents for summer! Helping Hands Soaps are sets of mini 2 oz bars in 5 different scents, a sampler of our very best selling soaps. A portion of the proceeds are donated to Kiva.org, the world’s first (and largest) person-to-person micro lending group. These funds go directly to individual entrepreneurs, other women with small business, needing a helping hand to make their work sustainable for themselves and the families they support. It takes so little to offer a step up for others following in the same path in places where the struggle is a lot harder. These loans are continuously re-loaned as soon as they are paid back, becoming a growing fund of opportunities for women all over the planet.
Stacked up and tied with bakery twine, it’s a sweet little package with scents of: (top to bottom): Neroli Mint (white), Lemon Ginger Carrot (orange), Beach House (blue), French Lavender (purple), Green Detox (green). It’s a great way to sample several of our best, but these also make perfect small gifts for any occasion. Cleaning up not only does a body good, it makes a difference in people’s lives too.
By the look of the grocery store shelves, we’re all comforting ourselves by our practicing baking skills while staying home. But we’re obviously thinking about and missing our friends and family who are cooped up in their own homes.
It’s easy to feel distant while we face these new restrictions and difficult times. What better way to send some comfort to someone you’re missing than with a care package? Goodies that say “I love you” “I’m thinking of you” “Be well” “Stay safe.” We’re all washing our hands a million times a day, so using the good stuff, treating yourself to some nice moisturizing healing salve to keep the chap away - kind of seems like the right thing for right now.
We have new gift packages made with that in mind. Our Comfort Package is a canvas zipper pouch with 1 soap, 1 scrubby mitt, and a tin of our Healing Salve. The Dopp Bag is a canvas travel-style bag with 2 bars of soap, 1 scrubby mitt, 1 Healing Salve and a round soap dish. Or the 3-bar burlap sack, just soap. The website has a full selection of gifts to choose from, all customizable. Mother’s Day is coming up! Birthdays too. Share a fave of your own, or choose something you know they love. We ship directly from our (ultra clean) studio to their house, with a message from you. Keep them close while staying apart. Let’s all stay clean, safe and healthy in every sense.