I hate commercial soap. I haven't used commercial soap in years...except when I run out of my handmade soaps and have to use slivers of commercial soap until my next soap orders comes!
Handmade soap is so much better for your skin:
1) It is made with all natural ingredients...soap artisans don't use alcohol and chemicals
2) Your skin is so much softer with regular use...no need for a moisturizer unless you want it for fragrance.
3) You are supporting the handmade revolution...and that's a good thing :)
My supply of handmade soap ran out recently and I thought I would try some soap from my dear blogging friend,
Patrice of The Soap Seduction. Our package arrived yesterday and when I tore the envelope open, a wonderful array of yummy scents wafted up to my nose. Bad news: Tayelor was at school and I promised her I would wait for her to get home before I pawed through everything. Well, after anxiously waiting for her to come home from track, we finally got to paw through our goodies! She's lucky...I almost didn't wait!
Patrice enclosed such a sweet Thank You card which
Tayelor is getting ready to read...
and she had the soaps all wrapped up in pretty pink tissue paper...
One of the things
Tayelor was really waiting for is the Skin Softening Balm we ordered for her.
She's half Native American and has the
tendency to get ashy skin on her arms and legs. Patrice assured me that this balm would squelch that little problem...
She anxiously opens the balm and twists it up...(how did Patrice get it in there?!)
and
Walla! No more ashy skin! You can actually see the natural oils in the lotion penetrate her skin. And it smells out of this world to boot!
So...it's time to dig into the soaps...
Ooooh, La La!
Savon Lavende....
Tayelor's Milk & Honey...I thought she was going to eat it for a minute there...
And
Tayelor's Favorite...Winter Wonderland!
You know, Tayelor raided the snack cupboard after inspecting her soaps....she said the soaps made her hungry!
I also got
Chunka Chunka, but ran for the shower before we could photograph it! And, yes, it was wonderful! Super-creamy lather, wonderful
Chunka Chunka scent of cocoa...it was dreamy! I would have shared pics, but you really don't want to see that! I was thinking of a jingle for it while I was washing...
to the tune of "Hokey
Pokey"
"You wash with Chunka Chunka
and your lotion will pout....
That's what it's all about!"
Ahem......
The results? No dry skin...no itching...Yay!!!
So I asked Patrice a few interview questions....let me
indugle:
Alterity: Soap? Why Soap?
Patrice: "Why not soap?! LOL...Soap is such an underrated luxury. If you're buying your soap from Wal-Mart, the grocery store, or the 99 cent store, then you are doing your skin a disservice! Handmade soap is not only cleansing, it's ultra-moisturizing, and with continued use, you won't be reaching for that lotion bottle as much. I have the ashiest skin on the planet, and using handmade soap has made such a difference in the look and feel of my skin-no more tightness and itchiness after using handmade soap."Alterity: Couldn't agree with you more! So, where do you dream up the soapy names? Do you set out with the name in mind, or does it sort-of happen after they are made?
Patrice: "I think the naming of my soaps is just as important as the actual soap itself. It's definitely the most fun part of the entire process. Not only do the wacky names set me apart from the competition, but I want to bring a smile to your face every time you use one of my bars. Most often, the name comes about after I un-mold and slice the soap, but then there are a few that just come to me, like Loofahpalooza, and I just have to make a soap to go with the name." Alterity: Well, you certain accomplish that! Some of your names kill me! What do you like best about making soaps?
Patrice: "The best part about making soap is the not knowing how it will all turn out. Soap is a science. You can follow a recipe to the tee, but if you pick a fragrance that sets up too quickly, it could all be shot to sh*t (sorry.) I even turn my disasters into best sellers, like Ucking Fugly and Verbena Bobbitt. I think the names kinda helped too
."Alterity: Ucking Fugly? Verbena Bobbitt? Back to the awesome names! Where does your inspiration come from in creating new scents?
Patrice: "My inspiration definitely comes from my love of food. While I'm trying to gradually branch out into using more natural fragrances like essential oils, my true love is bakery scents. I find them comforting and inviting, and they make me wash my hands a lot more often, lol. I am branching out because I have to constantly remind myself that I'm just not making products for myself, but for everyone! I also solicit the advice of my customers. I trust and respect their opinions."Alterity: Okay...here's an idea for you: Black Forest Cake!! Super-rich dark chocolate with dark cherries and whipped cream. Oh, and
Tayelor wants to inspire you to do a
Twinkie soap!
Thank you, Patrice! You have another repeat customer!
If you haven't tried using handmade soaps as a rule yet, scoot on over to Patrice's
Etsy Shop:
The Soap Seduction.
I promise you, you won't be disappointed! And, don't forget to pick up on her sales!
Chunka Chunka, You're the one...
You make washing lots of fun...
Cocoa bubbles and no need for danged lotion.....
Boop Boo Bee Doo!
We saw the seals and I calculated how close I needed to stand to grab Kelley's backpack if she started to go over the edge! 
We saw tidepool critters like this anemone (my current inspiration to create a version in clay!) and I got a peek at an octopus tucked down in a rock crevice...which wasn't going to become inspiration unless someone wants an octopus pendant? 
We heard waves crash and saw what happens to kelp at low tide... 
And Kelley was ever so obliging at posing for pictures (much more than I was)! 
My plan for going to the ultra kitschy Lucha Libre Taco Shop was thwarted by too much publicity last week but we still managed to find some yummalicious Mexican food...and dessert for brunch after our Walk for the Cure. Kelley gave the most lovely pink ribbon lampwork worry stone to a survivor at the walk...
A pair of chai lattes then ricotta berry lemon cake for me and a mountain of toasted coconut for Kelley... 
You'll have to stay tuned for pictures of the pretties she left with me.
