But it also had me thinking about smells, and how some people like a certain smell and others will find the same smell disgusting. I was born and raised in Western Massachusetts, where there is a bit of farming. I LIKE the smell of cow manure, although I'm sure there are plenty of folks that will say "yewwwwww" to that! And I also like a faint wiff of skunk spray ... not the in-your-face-the-dog-just-got-sprayed overpowering smell, but just a faint wiff is good.
As for essential oils, I like palmarosa, and was a bit surprised to find so many folks think it has a certain yuk factor to it. In fact, one of my favorite soaps is my Palmarosa Lavender soap, which is a blend of palmarosa, lavender, geranium, and patchouli.
One other essential oil always brought up in these kinds of discussions (and yes, there are plenty of them in soap forums!) is patchouli. To me, patchouli by itself has a definite stink factor. In blends, used lightly, patchouli is wonderful. But whenever I make a straight up patchouli soap, I can't wait to get it off my kitchen counter and into the soap room, away from my nose. Funny thing, though. I have been using up a scrap piece of straight up patchouli soap at my kitchen sink, and I LIKE it! Don't ask me what happen, but I like it! Has my nose changed? Has the patch mellowed in the soap? Did I use JUST the right amount of patchouli in that particular batch of soap? I don't know! I do have a newer batch of straight up patchouli soap curing on the curing rack, just about ready to go into the shop. I think I need to try a piece of that batch, see if I like it or not.
So how about you? Do you like certain smells that others think are "yuk"? :)
7 comments:
wonderful soap!
LOVE this post, as I am always experimenting with EO blends... and I am one of those people who does NOT like Palmarosa. I have tried so many blends with it and just don't like it. I LOOOOVE anthing with patchouli in it, except not straight up, like you. I have not found a blend that I like with Frankinsence yet either! The other one I don't like is Petigrain. Can you forward the link to that forum? You have peaked my interest and I would love to contribute... xo Jen
The smell of patchouli reminds me of the 60's and the hippies. We smell it a lot at the 4th Avenue street fair. My yuk factor would be the french fry oil at the Golden Arches.
I made soap recently scented with Frankicense EO. So many family members hated it but one DIL and I loved it! Put it in my store not selling at all. Made laundry soap out of it and many people bought. The washing soda seemed to temper it.
To each his own essential oil I say :)
I had written you a nice long comment and it seems to have gotten lost!! My Yuck EOs - Palmarosa, Frankinsence, Petigrain. I LOOOOOVE Patchouli blends. I would be so interested in that forum you mentioned - can you let me know which it is? Thanks for this post!! xo Jen
Jennifer, the soap forum is called The Dish
http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/
SO much good info !!!
Nice post, love the colors of your soaps, I have been making soap since 2010 and there is nothing better..... our signature soap is Olive Oil Soap….check it out sometime....luv ur work.
Cheers
Steven
Hudsons Naturally
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