The Story of Samara Soap

After sharing the story behind my soap called Sipiri, I thought I'd highlight another one of my favorite soaps.

Samara is a beach in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I first visited this now popular tourist destination long before there were any resorts, hotels or even a paved road to the beach. It was beautiful! The beach, the water, the sound of the waves. I was only a child, but that beach trip was unforgettable. My dad was ever the adventurer and it was thanks to him that we not only saw most of Costa Rica, but also developed a love for its unique beauties and wonders.

Fast forward to present day. I had made a purchase of some fragrance oils from Natures Garden and while on their website had been intrigued by their fragrance of the month. Is it just me, or is that a sales technique that gets you? It gets me. Every time. I'm a sucker for a sale and I always, always check out there fragrance of the month. So, I get my order in and when I took a whiff of the special, I knew just what I wanted to do. I was going to make a beach themed soap. I was going to make Samara. Well, an artistic interpretation of Samara.

Samara Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Photo Credit: Helen Smith

Do you ever have a vision in your head or a project and now you have to figure out how to make the vision a reality? I love that part! I enjoy the whole process. From the initial inspiration, followed by the formulating of how to make it happen, to the culmination of seeing the project come to life. It's so rewarding when you pull it off, too.

I knew I wanted sand, water and a sun. Not having access to the proper size column mold I would need, I jury rigged a paper towel roll and used that as my column mold for the sun. My recycling and frugal juices were working overtime! I had to wait a full 24 hours to unmold my sun and then set about making my beach scene in layers. This was one of the funnest soaps I have made. Each layer came together perfectly and savored each set of the process. The part after pouring and then waiting to unmold and cut can be torture. This time it was no exception. But, my patience was well rewarded as the soap turned out just as I had imagined it. Best part? It smells like sun tan lotion. Yes! It really, really does! So, you get the beach look, beach smell and get clean, all in the same bar. It's a win, win, win!

Samara Soap: From the warm sand and cool water, to the hot sun.

This soap has it all.

Every once in a while, especially with a soap that has a fun or intricate design, you'll get comments about how beautiful it is and how the person admiring it could never use it. To this I say the following: Soap can be beautiful. But, it's true beauty is in how it makes your skin feel and look. And it is meant to be art, but it is meant to be usable art. Then, and only then, does it serve its true purpose. Then it reaches its full potential.

Here is a traditional ox drawn cart moving logs along Samara Beach.

Photo Credit: Helen Smith

Bombs Away! My first encounter with a bath bomb.

I must confess that my first encounter with a bath bomb was well into my, ehem, thirties. I have always been a frugal type, and pampering myself had never been super high on my list of priorities. Actually, it is something that I am actively working on! May sound funny, but as a mother of almost 5, I am finding the value in making and taking time for me. It makes me a happier, more well rounded person. And as a mother, I am realizing how much my kids learn from watching me, more then what I tell them. But, I digress.

So before I was involved in the world of Soap making, I went to a friends baby shower and as party favors she gave away bath bombs. I don't remember what scent mine was, but I couldn't wait to get home and try that puppy out. This was a simple bath bomb that fizzed and spun and I remember being completely mesmerized. I breathed deep of the fragrance and was surprised by how soft my skin felt afterwards. How could that small sphere turn my bath into such an experience?!

Fresh bath bombs drying on bubble wrap.

You can probably guess what I did next. Yes, I searched YouTube for tutorials, recipes, etc. My first tries were a flop and I was quickly discouraged. A while after getting serious with my business I decided to revisit bath bombs. I was especially inspired to retry after seeing Ariane Arsenault from La Fille De La Mer talk about her struggle with bath bombs and then sing the praises of a book by Holly

Port, Make It Fizz. I got myself on Amazon, ordered the book and not-so-patiently waited. If you are struggling to make your bombs work, I highly recommend you get that book!

I quickly started experimenting and got to a point where I was comfortable to make changes to the recipes in the book and make them my own. Not all changes were good and not all batches turned out. Even with the same recipe I sometimes had, and still have, ones that just won't work. I'm blaming it on environmental factors. ;) But, for the most part, my bath bombs are a success! I am truely happy with how my bombs work. And my customers seem to love them too. They are a huge draw at craft shows and more and more people come by already knowing what they are and how to use them.

Here are the three main  butters and oils you will be enjoying while you soak with one of Soap Doctor Soaps bath bombs:

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  Cocoa Butter: Not only does it have antioxidant qualities which are great for anti-aging, but it provides a barrier for the skin. It can also reduce inflammation of the skin.
• Shea Butter: with a high concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids this butter is very moisturizing and has also been found to reduce inflammation.

• Sweet Almond Oil: high in vitamin E and a great emollient, this oil draws moisture to the skin.

Breath Easy Bath Bomb. One of the

best sellers.

As you can see, you are sure to come out feeling silky smooth and pampered.

Have you tried bath bombs yet? I think it's about high time you do.

It's easy to have fun with this bomb!

The possibilities are endless.

The Story of Sipiri

Yesterday I shared with you all a bit about the process I use to name Soap Doctor Soaps line of products. Today, I'd like to tell you the story behind one product in particular: Sipiri.

Scented in Lemongrass Essential Oil

and made using The Clyde Slide.

This soap is scented in Lemongrass Essential Oil and was made for a soaping challenge using The Clyde Slide. Here is how the name came about:

To those of you that are not a part of the soaping community, you may be surprised to hear that it is a very welcoming, helpful, kind place. Even though everyone is, for the most part, in business for themselves, you will find that people are very happy to help with recipe input, labeling ideas, marketing strategies, etc. This amazing aspect of the community was made real to me when I first interacted with Kathy White. Now, Kathy and I had never met, but through a post on the Lone Star Soaps and Toiletries Facebook page, we connected over the use of essential oils in soap. I forget all the details, but I do know that I had expressed a desire to use essential oils, but the price was keeping me from doing so. To get a good price per ounce, I had to buy in large quantities, and that wasn’t something my pocket book could afford at the time. Kathy messaged me and offered, not only, to split an order of essential oils, but also gave me a ton of insight into what oils she would recommend, etc. I was blown away by her willingness to go out of her way to help someone that she didn't know at all. Not long after, I had said essential oils in hand, and was ready to play.

Tsipiri circa 1987. From the hilltop I often played on.

Photo Credit: Helen Smith.

As I opened each bottle and took my first whiff of each one, I was a kid on Christmas Day. Each was better than the next! But none conjured up memories more than the Lemongrass essential oil. Most of you may not know this, but I actually grew up in Costa Rica. I lived there for the better part of my life, even completing my medical degree there. Not only did I get to live in an amazing place, but I was surrounded by amazing people. Not the least of these were Aziel and Marian Jones. The Jones had come to Costa Rica, found the Cabeccar Indians, learned their language, created and alphabet for them, and were translating the Bible into their native tongue. Their story is amazing and they have written a book all about it, which I will link below. They lived and worked in an area nestled in the deep jungle mountains of Costa Rica, called Tsipiri. My family had several opportunities to go visit them, and it was always the kind of adventure you can only dream about. Long car rides through dusty or muddy roads (depending on if it was wet or dry season), getting stuck and using a winch, slipping and sliding within an inch of the shear drop off edge of the mounting. Well, I'd need a whole post just to describe the ride to get to the house. We would then spend a week splashing in the river, traipsing around the hidden trails in gumboots, climbing the hills and playing house in the playhouse that was the kind every girl dreams of. In front of the play house were two very large lemongrass plants with which we made every imaginable delicacy from mud pies to tea. No, none of our creations were edible, but that is of very little consequence to children with imagination. So, you see, one whiff of lemongrass and I was instantly transported back to that lush, green hillside, playing with my sister and friends. Years melted away and as a smile creased my lips and tears stung the back of my eyes, I remembered. Remembered the beauty of simplicity. The treasures of childhood. The power of smell.

Tsipiri 2016. If you look very, very closely, you can see

the playhouse still standing next to the now blue

house on the hill.

Photo credit: Helen Smith

Lemongrass may not by your cup of tea, and that's ok. It isn't my favorite either. But, it does hold a powerful memory association, that I treasure.

 Here is a link to Aziel and Maria Jones autobiography called Double Vision on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/DOUBLE-VISION-Reaching-Raising-Family/dp/0964006952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468509624&sr=8-1&keywords=aziel+jones

The Naming Game

One of the hardest, funnest, most challenging parts of making products is naming them. Sometimes names come easily, like they did for Sipiri and Samara (more on those two to come), but other times, it is a real struggle. So, what do I rely on to help me choose a name? Here is a list of things I use:

• Fragrance: This is probably the number one determining factor for the names of my products. Smell, for me, is a very strong sense and emotes a lot of memory and feeling. I usually will take a fragrance oil or essential oil, close my eyes, take a big whiff and let it speak to me. Ok, so no audible voice yet, but it does conger up a mental picture, or a feeling. There are times that a scent has taken me back to a very specific event or other times it has spoken to a feeling. I take all this into account as I then try out names.  Not only do fragrances have smells, but they also have colors. Am I the only one? For example: I see greens with bamboo, reds with berry fragrances, creams with vanillas and orange with citrus. This is why fragrance usually is step one, as it also has a hand in determining the colors I use in each soap, etc.

• Color: As I said above, I usually pick colors based on the fragrance, sometimes I want a specific color palette. This usually happens if I have a custom order, I’m trying a soaping challenge, or I see a specific technique I want to try out. Although visual is the second strongest sense for me, it plays a big role in how our customers see the product. I put this to the test one day by making two soaps with the same fragrance, but did two completely different designs. I had a customer come by and as she was going through the soaps, she ended up picking one of each of the soaps in the same fragrance. When I told her that they were the same, just different colors and swirls, she was shocked! To her they were both desirable, but not at all the same. It was fun to see the visual impact on smell!

Rasberry Swirl is an example of a specific look I was going for

that determined a color and fragrance. I was inspired by a rose in

a friend's garden.

• What’s inside: As was the case with Stout & Sudsy, the fact that this bar was made with extra stout beer made the name come to life. Other examples of using the ingredients as my guide are my Honey Bunches of Buttermilk. Since this is a plain, no fragrance, no color soap, my two main avenues for naming are off the table. But this is chock a block full of Buttermilk, Oatmeal and local honey. I wanted something a little more catchy then oatmeal soap, and so, the little play on words. After all, I didn’t want to infringe on any well know cereal’s territory or anything. Wink, wink.

• When all else fails: I wing it. I am not always original, and names don’t always come easily. I have one soap that I love the fragrance, the colors I picked and, of course, it’s full of yummy stuff! But in the end, the bar turned out ugly. Just plain ugly. As far as I can tell, the fragrance oil I used interacted with the colorants in a weird way and my beautiful bars of sweet smelling soap are not pretty anymore. So, I went with it. It is aptly names: One Ugly Soap -Looks aren’t everything.

All in all, my main goal in naming my products is to make them memorable, unique and to try and convey to others the feelings they emote for me.

What names of products have you seen that have given you a chuckle?


-Ashleigh

How My Soaping Addiction Started

I started my encounter with soap about 2 years ago when I came across Melt & Pour at Hobby Lobby. I have always been an avid DIYer and being able to make custom soaps for Christmas gifts was right up my alley. I had a few animal molds and made soap on a yarn string for all my nephew. And, my kids got to help! Fast forward to 2015 and I was researching laundry soap. Keep in mind that I had already been making my own laundry soap out of grated dove bars, borax and washing soda, but wasn’t happy with how it was cleaning. Then I found Fels Naphtha and a recipe for using that to make a 5 lb. bucket worth of laundry soap. I really liked that so much better, but I was positive I could make my own version of bar soap so much cheaper, if I only did a little research. Also the thought have having complete control over what went into the products I used on my kids was a huge draw.

I love YouTube. Being a visual learner, YouTube is right up my alley. And it didn’t take long for me to find the amazing, beautiful world of soap making out there. I quickly went from watching laundry soap DIYs to handcrafters swirling, coloring and doing all sorts of magic with soap. I watched every episode of Soaping 101, drooled at Sarah Milroy from Spicy Pinecone, and couldn’t look away as Katy White from Royalty Soaps made her creations. I think I watched 3-4 hours of YouTube videos a day, for about 6 months, all while doing research online as well. Having once been a couponer, I had a stash of bath, body and household cleaners that I quickly posted on Facebook to sell so that I could buy supplies to make my own soap. $40 richer, I set out to order supplies.  

First thing I made was laundry bars. As soon as I unmolded them, I knew I was hooked. I commissioned my husband to make me a tall and skinny mold out of scrap wood because I was going to try some color and design. Half a thumb (hubby nearly took of the whole top of his thumb in a freak accident cutting the wood for my mold), several redesigns and a roll of freezer paper later, I was ready. What was meant to be a delicate feather swirl turned in to a plop and drop and a half full mold. I didn’t calculate my mold size correctly and ended up with these tiny little bars of soaps scented in White Tea and Ginger, from Bramble Berry. I quickly whipped out a couple more batches and had friends and family using them in no time.

One day as I looked at the amount of soap I had just made, I realized that I had made enough to support my family’s cleanliness need for about the next 6 years. And I wanted to make more soap!!!

So, my husband said to me: “Honey, this stuff is awesome! Why don’t you sell it?” (Can y’all see why I love this man??!!)

Colored Ginger: my first soap using micas to color it.

It was supposed to be tall and skinny, but is short and sweet.

After pondering that this would mean I would then get to make MORE soap, I agreed. And so, the adventure of being a small business owner began.

Who is Soap Doctor Soaps?

When I first started Soap Doctor Soaps in 2015, my whole clientele and Facebook fan group was comprised of family and friends. Little by little, as the year went by, that number grew to people that I met at craft shows and vendor event. But then I found support groups on Facebook and also people found our Facebook page at random.  So, now, there a quite a number of people that I get to reach that really have no clue who I am. I figured it was about time I introduced myself!!

Me, my husband and youngest.

Hi, I’m Ashleigh Smith and I am the owner and chief evil mastermind, err, soap maker at Soap Doctor Soaps. I am 36 and only slightly look it. I have been married to my hot-as-hell husband, Nathan for 10 years. We have 4 children with number 5 making her debut in September, 2016. My kids range from age 8 to 1. We live in beautiful Tomball, TX which is so close to Houston you could spit on it, but still maintains a lot of the small town charm. We have a Main Street lined with antique shops and as a community, they always have some sort of parade, festival or excuse to get people together. I love where I live! All the conveniences of a big city with the open spaces and charm of rural life.

I am by Profession a medical doctor, by choice a stay-at-home Mom and homeschooler, and by pure blessing, a soap maker. Hence the Doctor is Soap Doctor Soaps. Everything we sell is made here in my home in my soaping studio. I will give ya’ll a tour one of these days. I kinda need to pick up and organize before I’m ready for the whole world to see where I work. I know where everything is, promise. I started Soap Doctor Soaps with soap, then ventured into bath bombs, bath salts and lip balms. My latest endeavors have been in bubble bars and lotions. There is so much out there to try and I plan on exploring them little by little.

My biggest fans, greatest inspirations and reasons to want to do business.

My desire for my business is to provide the community around me with a more natural, wholesome option for bath and body, all at a price that won’t make you hide the receipt from you husband or make you thing you are in serious need of a bank loan to support your habit. Each soap is different, fun and usable art. Emphasis on usable. I have loved seeing the difference the products have made for me and my family and love to hear stories of how it has affected others as well.

I hope this has given you a look into who and what Soap Doctor Soaps is. Tomorrow I will tell you all about how I started soaping.

Have a blessed day!

Soap Gremlins-0, Soap Doctor-1

Soaping can be fun. It can be scary at first: the thought of working with caustic materials (lye) and all. But truthfully, the image of a mad scientist laughing in a sinister way, while mixing multicolored liquids to create the world’s next super-anything, was appealing. Ok, so sinister laugh and lab coat are optional. Proper clothing and protective ware are recommended, but more on that another time. Most of my soaping experiments (or creations, as I see them) are a success. But every once in a while, things don’t go as planned. Sometimes I get a chance to revisit a previous creation, and try and improve it.  My Orange Julius soap was one such opportunity. Although a beautiful bar of bubbly goodness, this soap posed a problem: the scent vanished. No, it wasn’t magic or an evil spell that did it. It was science. Ok, so I don’t know all the sciency reasons why, but I do know the following: 1) Citrus based essential oils are prone to fading or dissipating over time in cold processed soap. 2) Orange Julius was made with orange essential oil.

So you see, I knew it was bound to happen, but didn’t want to believe it. I don’t have a lot of experience with citrus essential oils in soap, and this was my first round with the afore mentioned orange. So, sad as I was at the thought of my beautiful bar being smell-less, I decided to re-batch. Re-batch, you say? Yes. Re-batch. If you are not familiar with what that is, google it. That’s what I did. Ok, I did a little more than just google it. I did my research and decided that the soap bars were still made up of gorgeous, handcrafted, good soap. I just wanted some fragrance!

So I cut my left over bars of smell-less Orange Julius soap, and put them in a crock-pot. I added some water, turned it all on high and walked away. For anyone that knows crock pots and soaping, I can hear you all gasping from here. Way over here, in Tomball, TX. In my house. Address unknown. Anywho, I did exactly what you all are thinking: I forgot about the soap. And just to recap: I turned it on high. Fast forward a couple of hours and I remember said soap. Well, I know that I was plain lucky as I ran over to my crockpot, sure to find a burnt offering to the soap gremlins (they are a real thing), only to find that in my haste, I hadn’t put the top on all the way, therefore robbing the crock pot of a lot of its heat. Yay me!! Soap was safe!

Being the impatient person that I am, now that the soap was mostly melted down, I couldn’t wait for the last few pieces to completely liquefy, and wanted to get on with my design. I had already decided on the fragrance I was going to add in, and the thought of a mottled look with existing soap chunks peppered throughout, appealed to me. Plus, it meant I didn’t have to wait any longer. There was that, too. I added a little more water, glycerin and my fragrance. Divided up into my two colors and plopped it all in the mold. Hmm? What’s that? What fragrance did I go for? Guess I forgot to mention that. I went with Ruby Red Grapefruit. I still wanted to go with a citrus theme, in case any orange fragrance stayed in the soap from the original bar. And, let’s face it. Grapefruit is just plain yummy. It can be fancy, simple, or rustic, like my bars ended up. So, all in all, my first attempt at saving a smell-less bar from certain rejection by a world of smell-loving customers, was an all-around success. Without further ado, I give you Rustic Ruby Red. Tada!!!

From Orange Julius to Rustic Ruby Red.

Rustic Ruby Red Soap