This week we have been focussing on essential oils that are found in mens toiletries. So I decided to have a go at Handmade Soap for Men.
Earlier on in the week my son came over to my house with some of his toiletry products for us to sniff and evaluate what works really well, and looked at what we both liked about each of the product. We set about trying to create an aroma that would complement the handmade soap for men world.
The experimentation took a while, with a few drops of different essential oils in different pots, mixing, adding to building the balance as we went. Eventually we had a range of aroma blends sorted so we could work with them into new soap ideas, now on to how they should look.
I wanted to add stripes.
Thinking about the visual aspects, I wanted to know more about ingredients that are known for helping to keep the skin healthy and glowing. After some research, I came upon skin benefits of cocoa powder. There is a vast amount of information out there on the internet so I turned to other sources to see if what I was ready was backed up with facts and uses in skin care.
Did you know that cocoa powder is used in soaps, cosmetics and even face masks! Having access to an industry standards and materials database provides so much information and guidance that I know how to use the right stuff in my soap creations.
So here we have our first specifically designed handmade soap for men with an aroma of Cedarwood and Lime and it is complimented with differing layers of oat milk and cocoa. The smell is a subtle blend, as the cocoa complements both the Cedarwood and Lime.
These soaps are currently curing and should be ready for the next Meltham Makers Market on 5th November.