New Soap - Green Woods

In this post I already explained that I have become obsessed with lanolin. It is my new 'to die for' soaping ingredient. Strange how we all have some particular preference for a period of time, while continuing to explore, learn and experiment with new materials. This is not to say that the ingredients I used to favor are now fallen out of grace in my soaping kitchen. It's rather the fact that I added a new member to my Walk of Fame selection.

Green Woods Shea Butter & Lanolin Soap

At the beginning of my soapy adventures, I was excited by the olive pomace oil, then I raved about coconut oil, got myself absolutely in love with shea butter, flirted for years with cold pressed avocado oil and finally I reach the stage of the worst teenage crush on lanolin.

I've used so far between 3 and 5 % of my oil weight in three different cold process soaps. Although the difference with or without of lanolin is clearly visible (and tangible), I must say that I didn't not notice any difference between 3, 4 and 5 percentage. However, it does speed up a bit the trace and rocks on CP soap to the full gel. Because of this, there might be a chance for overheating and slight cracking on the top of your soap, so if you want to prevent this, I suggest you put your soap in the fridge. I was so impressed by the effect I got in the Rainbow Sherbet soap, so I decided to use it into this soap designed for my gentlemen clientele.

Well, let me tell you about this soap. Not only that it contains lanolin, but the fragrance oil I've used for it smells out of this world. Seriously people, you can't go wrong with this one. Every soapmaker knows that FOs can be deceiving and from time to time, we end up with what we didn't expect at all. Fragrance notes listed in company's official descriptions may not be present at all, or if yes, not in such a high concentration you hoped for, or the some of the notes can evaporate completely over the course of the curing period. Or the fragrance can evaporate completely. This is by far the worst option, at least in my book, as I hate rebatching and hate to see all that work (and money!) go to waste. Generally, the whole business of describing the fragrances is so personal and almost completely subjective, that usually there is no chance for you to know in advance if you're going to like a certain smell or not.

Three Handsome Fellas :)

This fragrance was a gamble as I bought the biggest bottle completely blind. Well, I read other people's reviews, bit after all, that doesn't prove anything. When I got my order, I was delighted that from more than 20 FOs, this time I got only one that I didn't like on a first sniff. I consider that a good purchase!

Before I got my smelly package, I already had in mind the design and the name for this one. I wanted it to be green, orange and white, with a delicate hanger swirl and peaky tops, and I shall call it 'Green Woods'. I realized recently that I don't have in my current line-up many products that are men-oriented, so I wanted to fill the gap. The design was inspired by the colors of the famous French haute couture fashion house Hermes. As much as I love their bags and clothing, I do not fancy their perfumes although I admit that they are indeed a work of art for themselves. Their simple, reduced beauty, almost transcendental just does not fit in my vision of soul-inspiring pleasures. Well, the fragrance oil I used for this soap is absolutely stunning to say at least. It is a rare thing that an FO for soaping is so complex. The opening is mild and spicy, with notes of cardamom and clove with a hit of cinnamon bark in the background. Then it opens to Amyris (Indian) sandalwood captured in the luscious amber accord (labdanum, benzoin and vanilla), and the whole composition sits on a dash of smoky patchouli. In one word - heaven! I wish I could be so poetically descriptive in Serbian too, but I always found it quite difficult to describe perfumery notes in my mother tongue as I guess, nobody ever talks or writes about them in a way that it reaches broad public, so we are quite handicapped by the utter voidness of literary tools. But that may be only my personal impression after all.

A Close Up

Anyway, back to this soap. Although it was thought to reach men consumers, I can definitely vouch that women will go crazy about this one too. My whole house was filled with this fabulous smell for a month, and I couldn't wait the cure time to be over that I can get one of these babies into shower!

Now add to this equation lanolin that I am raving about, and you get one  handsome, perfectly smelling soap, which gently cleans and moisturizes your skin while you enjoy the fabulously rich and thick bubbly foam.

I really hope that this soap will find enough followers so that I can keep on making it many times in the future. If you try it, let us now her what you think of it.

I love the crackle-marble look in the middle layer 

Ingredients in the Green Woods  soap are: Virgin Olive Oil, Distilled Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide (saponyfying agent), Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Fragrance Oil, Pigments (color).