Autumn 2023
Magic and wonder, peace, and joy to the world – winter’s special gifts both indoors and outdoors are the inspiration for these new seasonal soap scents. ‘Tis the season to load up on all the goodies. How nice it is to have a little stash of treats on the shelf waiting for you, or to share something you love with a friend.
The short list of new menu items is here. If you want to read descriptions of these products and the full text of our recent Winter Holiday 2020 newsletter, scroll further down:
New Soap Scents (Winter Holiday 2020):
Winter Solstice
Comfort & Joy
Red Currant & Fir
Almond Chai
New Aromatic Spray Scent:
Winter Forest
Helping Hands Soap Sets
Gift Giving & Care Packages:
See our Gifts page for a full selection of gift-wrapped sets and care packages.
“I pray this winter be gentle and kind - a season of rest from the wheel of the mind. "
--John Geddes
Hi there Sudsing Ninjas!
As the days grow shorter and the air takes on a crisp edge, there’s a collective sigh of relief – a shared anticipation of the arrival of Autumn. Chucking this record-breaking summer of heat domes into the history books, we’re looking forward to a nip in the air and a change of seasons. Finding comfort in the gentle warmth of cozy sweaters, spice- filled hot beverages, woolley socks toasting by the fire, we thirst for quiet time and the joy of simple pleasures.
This time of year is a reminder that change is not only inevitable but beautiful. As the leaves release and fall gracefully to the ground, we too can shed the old and welcome the new, or rest in the spaces in between. It's a season that reminds us to slow down, to savor life's fleeting moments, and to find comfort in the rhythm of nature's cycles.
AUTUMN SEASONAL SOAPS
Fall paints a canvas of sensory delights – the cozy aromas of spices and baked treats, the gentle pitter patter of falling rain, and the colorful mosaic of leaves splashed across the trees. It's the season of harvest festivals, where the bounty of nature is celebrated with joyous feasts that warm the soul. This year’s Autumn Harvest soaps are inspired by our favorite fruits, spices, and comforts, taking the best of the season and honoring its magic. ($6 ea)
PISTACHIO PUMPKIN: It’s pumpkin spice season and we’re all in. This new delectable blend is delicious pumpkin pie, warm, toasty pistachios, a dash of spicy nutmeg and cinnamon, laced with a hint of vanilla cream. Rich and earthy, spicy and warm, it’s the pure essence of fall. Real pumpkin puree in the recipe gives it extra creamy lather, plus beautiful moisturizing benefits and skin nourishing vitamins. I think this year’s pumpkin fragrance is the best one ever. I know I said that last year, but I mean it this time.
HONEY APPLE CIDER: Fresh picked apples, juicy and crisp, squeezed into the jug with warm, golden honey and cinnamon sticks, this scent is perfection. Sunlit apple orchards, crunching through the leaves, harvesting bushel baskets of fruit, and happy memories of all things fall are swirled up in this quintessential apple fragrance.
RED ROSE & SPICE: Delicate, romantic red rose petals elegantly blended with deeper notes of amber, vanilla orchid, a hint of cinnamon and orange zest. It’s a beautiful and sophisticated rose fragrance like you’d find in a fancy boutique hotel. It’s equal parts floral and spice, alluring and opulent, in a rich pink color.
AUTUMN EQUINOX: A cozy blend that captures the essence of fall - natural woods of sandalwood, cedar and birch, with bright, citrusy orange and bergamot, and warming clove spices. Sweater weather in a single sniff, this comfy, nostalgic scent will be a staple in your autumn showers.
BACK IN STOCK
One of our beloved regulars on the menu, HAVANA SOAP, is back after a break this year. While we’ve been busily adding extra seasonal scents and playing around with possible new additions, this long-standing scent took a back seat. Customer requests have put it back on the menu this month. If you’re fan of this pipe-tobacco fragrance, stock up now as there are limited quantities.
PUMICE SOAP, the sandy scrubber for working hands, is also restocked due to popular demand. Limited quantities of this bar also for the rest of the year as we focus on holiday soaps for the next few months.
AUTUMN AROMATIC SPRAYS
Several of our aromatic sprays are perfectly suited to add a welcoming air to your home this season. Unlike potpourri or candles, these sprays can be used to scent table linens, a quilt in a guest room, freshen bathrooms and closets, spritz a note card or gift box, and a million other ways too. ($7.00 each)
SANDALWOOD ORANGE adds the inviting fragrance of woods and citrus to your snug hideaway. HOLIDAY SPICE is festivity in a bottle, a blend of cranberry, orange, spices and greens. And WINTER FOREST brings the beautiful scent of snowy woodland evergreens indoors.
THE JOY OF GIFT GIVING!
Can you believe it? The holidays - the season of gift giving - is almost here! Do you know what feels even better then receiving gifts? It’s the GIVING of gifts! Science has proven it. The gratification we get when do something for someone else is actually neurotransmitters in your brain lighting up. Oxytocin releases (the love hormone), giving us a sense of belonging and connection, longer lasting than any momentary pleasure.
Human beings are hard-wired to be generous and take care of each other. Doing something kind, helping someone out, giving to charity, and yes, giving little tokens of happiness to somebody who needs a lift – these are the small acts that give us joy. Can something as simple as gifting a bar of beautiful handmade soap really make your day? Yes! If I’ve learned anything over the years from reading your notes, it’s that sharing your favorite things with family and friends is a win-win - everyone gets to feel good. And if it smells yummy and makes their skin feel great day after day? Does it get any better than that? A bottle of wine only lasts an evening. A bar of soap lasts for weeks.
Under the “Gifts” tab on the website, we have a wide selection of soaps, sprays, totes and sets. You’ll find all the best gifts there!
Let autumn’s magic allow you to pause and cherish the small moments, to linger a little longer, and to celebrate the beauty of change that's woven into the very fabric of the season.
Winter Holiday Seasonal Soaps
Magic and wonder, peace, and joy to the world – winter’s special gifts both indoors and outdoors are the inspiration for these new seasonal soap scents. ‘Tis the season to load up on all the goodies. How nice it is to have a little stash of treats on the shelf waiting for you, or to share something you love with a friend. ($5.00 each)
Winter Solstice – A drop dead gorgeous blend of holiday greens and winter magic. Juniper, balsam, spruce and fir are the main body of the scent, but dancing in the background are notes of green moss, and stacked firewood. Bring the clean, pure, freshness of the outdoors into your shower.
Comfort & Joy - Sweet orange, a bit of ginger cream, with a tiny pinch of cinnamon clove. Delicate and mellow this fragrance is a melody of happy citrus and comforting spice treats, hitting all the notes of holiday cheer.
Red Currant & Fir –Bright red currants are zingy little berries, equal parts tart and sweet - and this fragrance is fully fruity and brightly festive. I would describe red currant as similar to cranberry in tanginess, but a little bit blackberry in depth and lushness – so good, completely modern, not your usual sugary berry scent. I’ve added a hint of juniper berry to keep it icy, frosted, clean and crisp. This dark purple red bar is the holiday mood you can’t live without.
Almond Chai – Almond milk infused with rich chai spices – cardamom, cinnamon stick, clove, black pepper and cardamom. A bit unexpected, this is a subtle understated spice scent in a mug of warm milk. Creamy with just a hint of peppery notes, it’s the perfect touch of coziness.
NEW - WINTER FOREST FRAGRANCE SPRAY
The Holiday Spice aromatic spray is our own little holiday tradition around here, but this year we’ve added a Winter Forest scent too. Natural evergreen boughs of balsam, spruce, fir needles and juniper bring the beautiful scent of garlands and freshly-cut Christmas tree indoors.
It’s just not the holidays without all the smells. We spritz around the house just before guests arrive, and they coo about how great the place smells. We spritz gift boxes, cards and stockings too before sending them off -- family and friends get a whoosh of holiday happiness when they open their presents. Hard to decide which one? Get one of each! (4 oz bottle - $ 6.00)
HELPING HAND SOAPS – GIFTs THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Our incredibly popular mini soap sets are back with new scents for the season. Helping Hand Soaps are a set of 5 small square soap bars in different scents (2 oz ea), a sampler of our very best seasonal soaps. Half the proceeds are donated to Kiva.org, the world’s first and largest person-to-person micro lending group. The loans go directly to women entrepreneurs with small businesses, offering a helping hand to make their work sustainable for themselves and the families they support. We are committed to providing a step up for women following a similar path in places where the struggle is a lot harder. Over the years, the proceeds from these soap sets have been continuously re-loaned as they are paid back, becoming an expanding trust of opportunities for women all over the world.
Stacked up and tied with bakery twine, this sweet package has scents of: (top to bottom): Almond Chai (ivory), Winter Solstice (green), Frankincense & Myrrh Wood (golden brown ), Comfort & Joy (light orange), Red Currant & Fir (dark berry). It’s an excellent way to sample several of our best seasonal scents, AND they 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. ($12 each)
GLAD TIDINGS OF COMFORT & JOY
From decorations to parties, shopping lists to festivities, this year will look a little different. But one thing hasn’t changed, the desire to send cards and gifts to the ones we love - especially if we aren’t going to see them in person. Choosing the perfect, thoughtful gift while keeping it simple and meaningful, doesn’t have to be a struggle.
Soapworks Studio’s small gifts of soap and bath goodies check every box. Everything is handmade in small batches, reasonably priced, with a wide variety of gift ideas big and small. You’ll find something for everyone on your list at SoapworksStudio.com. Click on our “Gifts” tab for a wonderful variety of customizable made-for-you items. Lots of new canvas tote style containers, boxed sets, our holiday collection of Swedish dishcloths – there is a sleigh full of ideas. Or give the gift of soap all year long with a Sudscription – our “soap of the month club” - available in 3 month, 6 month or 1 year subscriptions. Shop handmade, support local makers and businesses, and get the very best gifts possible. That’s how we make this holiday special.
No matter what is weighing on your heart, rest knowing that tomorrow is a new day filled with solutions, fresh starts and miracles beyond what you can imagine. Next year is a new adventure. I am wishing a brighter year for each and every one of you.
Peace on Earth. Good will to all.
Heidi Risse