Dedicated to:
Handcrafting natural soap with pure plant-derived oils, sodium hydroxide and distilled
water.
Making reparations for three centuries
of obliteration of New England's forests. It
used to be a fact of soapmaking that in order to make a good bar of soap,
you needed to burn a good patch of forest. This was because the ashes were
processed into potash, an essential soap ingredient. (If you haven't heard
about this, you need to go to A
Timber Shortage: how colonial housewives obliterated
New England's forest for the sake of a bar of soap). It's time for soapmakers
and forests to reconcile. After all, we rely on trees for almost all of
the oils that are used to make soap. As a matter of fact, palm oil and coconut oil are key
ingredients in all 
soaps.
Liberating soap from its bad karma. All profits from the sale of soap
are donated to forest conservation efforts.
Currently available from:
Forest Rejuvenation Soap
Rejuvenating not only to your skin, but
also to New England's forests, since this is a forest tree-free soap (it
does not contain any flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds, bark, or roots taken
from forest trees). This bar contains oats and honey, which rejuvenate your
skin through exfoliation and hydration. The oats are the exfoliator, gently
rubbing away dead cells which accumulate on the surface of the skin and
stimulating the production of new cells. Honey is an emollient which helps
the skin maintain moisture.
Old Growth Forest Soap
There are 26 old growth forests in Massachusetts. And, after
having spent time there, I am convinced that old growth forests harbor a
great diversity of vicious biting insects. This bar contains eucalyptus,
cedar, and basil essential oils which repel biting insects as well as castor
oil and shea butter, which leave a protective layer of oil on the skin.
Shea butter, also known as African karite butter, is expressed from the
pits of the fruit of the African butter tree which grows in Central Africa.
This soap has been tested by conservationists in the old-growth forests
of Massachusetts.
Phloem Soap
The phloem is the "circulatory system" of the tree, transporting
nutrients throughout the plant. This bar contains plant extracts that stimulate
the human circulatory system--rosemary and ginger essential oils and a touch
of cayenne pepper extract.
Spice Tree Soap
Trees are the source of some of our favorite spices. Cinnamon
and clove, which scent this bar, are two fine examples. The spice we know
as cinnamon comes from the inner bark of several species of the genus Cinnamomum,
a member of the laurel family. The bark, and in some species, the flower
buds as well, contain a high concentration of cinnamaldehyde, the compound
that defines the taste of cinnamon. Cinnamon trees are native to Southeast
Asia, China, Burma, and India, and most still grow there wild. Cloves are
the unopened sun-dried flower buds of a tree called Syzygium aromaticum.
This soap makes an excellent shaving soap (the cinnamon oil lifts the hair
for a close shave) but is by no means limited to such usage.
Here's an interesting bit of clove tree conservation history: The clove
tree was brought to the brink of extinction by the Dutch, in an oft-repeated
saga of greed and exploitation. The Dutch set out to control the clove trade
in the 17th century by cutting down all clove trees excepts those on a single
island. This single island was controlled by the Dutch and in this manner
they managed to hold a monopoly on cloves for about 150 years. During this
period, any unauthorized person caught growing or carrying cloves or seedlings
could be put to death. Finally, the French smuggled seedling clove trees
to Mauritius, an island east of Africa in the Indian Ocean, and by 1800,
clove trees were being cultivated on a number of islands in the Indian Ocean
and in the New World. Clove trees are now widely cultivated in Zanzibar,
Pemba, and Madagascar, which is the source of clove oil.
Sensual Soap
Trees are also the source of some of our favorite fragrances.
Ylang-ylang, patchouli, and clove, which scent this bar, are all tree-derived
oils widely used in perfumes, soaps, and other cosmetics. Lavender, another
oil used extensively in the perfume industry, has also been added. Ylang-ylang
is the common name for Cananga odorata, a large quick-growing, soft-wooded
tree, native to the Pacific islands and tropical Asia. It is cultivated
in many tropical countries for its large, greenish-yellow strongly scented
flowers which yield the essential oil. The shoots and young leaves of a
soft-wooded shrub called Pogostemon patchouli yield patchouli essential
oil. The shrub is native to the Philippines and the East Indies, but cultivated
in India and Malaya. Patchouli is frequently used in soaps and cosmetics
that are formulated to rejuvenate dry and "mature" skin. Aromatherapists
consider patchouli an aphrodisiac based on the widely held belief that the
scent stimulates the pituitary gland to release endorphins which promote
euphoria and sensuality.
Juniper Soap
This bar contains only tree derived essential oils--juniper berry,
camphor, lemon, and orange. The juniper berry and camphor oils lend medicinal
qualities while the lemon and orange oils are added to create a pleasing
fragrance.
Common juniper, Juniperus communis, is a small tree or shrub native to much of North America and Eurasia and is said to have the widest distribution of any tree or shrub. The ripe freshly picked berries, which are relished by birds, squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons, are the source of juniper essential oil. Juniper berries have been used to treat a wide variety of ailments. Applied externally, juniper oil is commonly believed to relieve arthritis, rheumatism, and muscles aches.
Camphor essential oil is derived from the macerated wood of a large evergreen
tree of the laurel family called Cinnamomum camphora. It is native
to China, Japan and Taiwan. It has become naturalized in Africa and the
Mediterranean region and is grown as a shade tree in Florida and California.
When applied to the skin in the low concentrations, camphor stimulates nerve
endings, producing a mild pain at the skin surface that serves to mask deeper
muscular pain.
Free the Trees Soap
Trees are the world's main source of paper. Hemp, an annual herb
with the scientific name Cannabis sativa, is being widely proclaimed
as a more environmentally sound alternative to wood pulp. Hemp sustainably
produces approximately four times more pulp per acre than trees. (To be
precise, one acre of cannabis hemp, in annual rotation over a twenty year
period would produce as much pulp as 4.1 acres of trees being cut down over
the same 20 year period). Hemp can be planted and harvested every year.
Trees take around 20 or 30 years before they can be harvested. Hemp is so
prolific, that a timber baron, concerned that a rise in the popularity of
hemp would drastically reduce the value of his vast timberlands, joined
up with a group of influential
men who wanted to make hemp illegal. It was banned in the United States
in 1937.
So much for hemp as a replacement for wood pulp. Soapmakers are more interested in hemp as a source of oil. This bar contains hemp seed oil for its moisturizing properties and flax seed meal for exfoliation. We wanted to use hemp seed meal but they don't sell hemp seeds at our local coop.
New England Pine Soap
Most conifers in New England belong to the pine family, including
the three that lend their distinctive scent this soap--spruce, balsam fir,
and pine. The essential oils are obtained by distillation of the needles
and shoots, while the soft woods are widely used for construction and carpentry
(fir and pine) and paper (spruce). Incidentally, spruce gum, which is made
from red spruce, is sought after by soapmakers for its ability to inspire
(while being chewed of course) fragrant soap formulas. Does anybody out
there know where we might get a pack of spruce gum?
Coming soon from:
SWEET BIRCH SOAP
After a long day of field work in the forest, there's nothing more satisfying
than an ice cold birch beer. And then a shower with Sweet Birch Soap . This
bar contains essential oil of sweet birch which contains a significant amount
of methyl salicylate, making it effective in relieving sore muscles. Sweet
birch is a tree that grows in the woods of eastern North America.
GINKGO SOAP (a.k.a qualifying exam soap)
The wild ginkgo tree has probably been extinct for centuries, but cultivated
trees survived in Far Eastern temple gardens. Absentminded folk should give
thanks to the Buddhist conservationists. Ginkgo leaf has recently become
a much sought after remedy for improving mental function. Indeed, scientific
studies have confirmed that it improves blood flow in the capillaries and
is useful in treating "cerebral insufficiency" (absentmindedness,
difficulty concentrating and remembering, etc.) This bar contains rosemary,
cypress, juniper, and basil essential oils which are excellent for memory
stimulation and clear thinking. Tested by students studying for qualifying
exams.
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order
Soap Co.
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