Outside the studio window, the garden has woken up, the snow is gone, and time outside sounds more and more appetizing. This collection isn’t necessarily a true reflection of what we grow, because feeding a family of our size includes growing a lot of “boring” vegetables, BUT this collection is a culmination of all the plant-based soaps that I have been dreaming up. 

First, I want to highlight the permanent restock bar that is in this trio, Mandarin & Marjoram. I’ve always loved oranges, and when I can get a massage with clementine oil, I feel like I’m ascending. It smells SO good! The first time I tried this soap, I had a handful of orange peels that I dried, ground, and added into the thick soap batter. Not only did it give the soap bars a beautiful yellow-orange color, but it also offered a little bit of a scrub. Now, these bars are made with organic orange peel powder, and olive oil with a marjoram cold-infusion. Marjoram is usually reserved for the pizza seasoning in our kitchen, but when applied topically, is said to have multiple benefits such as being anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Seems like a perfect soap addition to me! On a bit of a side note, a few people have mentioned that it smells like a specific fruity cereal that I LOVED as a child, and can’t be left alone with as an adult. 

Next is Basil & Cedar and this scent was inspired by a little getaway in the woods. Last October, we rented a cabin in northern Michigan for my bachelorette party. I wanted a quiet space for contemplation and group dinners with my friends, mom, and sister; it had to be a space away from the city, away from kids, pets, and responsibility. My mom is a wizard at finding things on the internet, and within a week, she had a listing for a stunning rental cabin. It was absolutely everything I could have asked for, and the cherry on top was a beautiful sauna. I’ve been in an infrared sauna in the past, but this was an old fashioned steam sauna  with both basil and cedar oils to add for added relaxation. The smell reminds me of a walk through my vegetable garden, a perfect mix between garden soil, herbs, and the surrounding trees. This soap is colored with both spirulina powder for a deep green and red clay improves both the slip and gives the beautiful red layer.

The last bar for the In the Garden Trio is Blueberry Lemon & Thyme. I spent many summer mornings picking blueberries deep in bear country with a pack of dogs and bucket when I lived in Alaska. There is nothing better than wild-grown, sour little bloobs. Safe to say, even though we don’t have access to as many wild berry batches these days (until I plant my own that is), I keep blueberries stocked in my freezer always. One of my favorite blueberry desserts started as my viral lemon rolls, but the addition of frozen berries and a few pinches of thyme sent them over the top. These soaps are those citrusy sweet rolls encapsulated. The color of this bar was also an ongoing experiment and learning curve of using blue indigo. 

So, here is the Into the Garden Trio, a few soaps inspired by and colored with plants.