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