Soap Designers!

I hosted six friends who became "soap designers" at my house this morning.  They were all new to the process of using melt and pour soap base to create their very own soaps. When you make things for yourself you are in charge of the ingredients and the process so you know exactly what's in your soap.  

We started by talking briefly about the history of soap. 

• No one knows when soap was discovered, but there is a legend that after animal sacrifices, rain would wash animal fat and ash that collected under the ceremonial altars, down to the banks of the river. Women washing clothes in the river after heavy rains noticed their clothes were much cleaner. 
• By the 1500s and the reign of Queen Elizabeth soap consumption in England was greater than in any other European country. Evidently, the Queen took a bath every four weeks "whether it was necessary or not.“ 😲
• Bathing came into fashion in the late 1700s resulting in the need for soap.  
• In the 19th century, Louis Pasteur proclaimed that good personal hygiene would reduce the spread of diseases which helped increase the demand for soap.  

Our process of designing soap started with answering the who, what, why, where, how questions.  I want my soaps to be free from chemicals and other irritants.  So I introduced them to my Young Living essential oils. In soap, essential oils are used for adding fragrance and for their therapeutic properties.  Here are the oils we used:

ESSENTIAL OILS  FOR FRAGRANCE

CITRUS OILS

Lemon— Smells like “clean”.

Lime-- The uplifting fragrance of this oil will make you happy! 

FLOWER OILS

Geranium—calming, flowery scent

Lavender—one of the best-known flower fragrances used in soaps, lotions, etc. 

HERBS/PLANTS

Patchouli—musky scent makes it popular in soaps and perfumes.

Peppermint A great way to wake up; fresh, invigorating smell. 

TREES

Fir—warm woodsy, outdoor smell

Pine—refreshing, invigorating smell, first investigated by Hippocrates

ESSENTIAL OIL THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES

ANTIBACTERIAL

Lavender--Helps to shrink pores and balance oil production, lessens dry skin, is calming and relaxing, promoting a good night’s sleep

Peppermint—Medicinal oil from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Reduces itching, skin irritations. 

ANTIOXIDANT

Frankincense—an ancient oil and one of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. It visibly improves the appearance of skin, helps with wrinkles, scars, and sun/age spots.  Perfect for daily facial care.

Thyme—reduces free radicals with cleansing and purifying effects for the skin

ANTISEPTIC

Cedarwood-- This oil has antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties.  Soothes irritated skin, redness and itchiness , and dryness that leads to cracking.  Great for balancing oil on skin. 

Tea Tree—germ fighting properties for bacterial and fungal skin conditions. Natural hand sanitizer

ASTRINGENT

Grapefruit—naturally reduces excess oil and tightens skin

Lemon—used to treat acne, eliminate excessive grease from skin and hair, good for skin toning

We had lots of fun silicone molds to choose from and they were all so creative . . . . here are some of the pictures:

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