Introducing: Philip, The Queen's Rogue

As has been said many times at the farmer's markets where we show our soap, we don't make "pretty" soap in the way of many other soapers. Instead we make soaps that are very purposeful.

Philip, The Queen's Rogue is a moisturizing hand/body bar that we find to be one of our most popular. We find it difficult to keep this one on hand as it tends to go quickly. But don't worry, if it's not around when you stop by there is sure to be a new batch curing and on it's way.

Now, being moisturizing is a good enough purpose for most soaps, as so many handmade soaps can be a little drying.  (Note: we tend to "superfat" our soaps to ensure they are moisturizing.) However, Philip has a more ancient purpose. Legend has it that during the times of a bubonic plague outbreak over five centuries ago a blend of essential oils were used to ward off the disease. The blend? Cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary.

 Now, we all know how "truthful" legends are, so we take the story with a grain of salt. However, all five essential oils have been reported to have medicinal properties, but honestly, we just love the combination of all the oils together. So, even if the legendary oil blend did not help save the thieves, at least we know they all met their end smelling wonderful. (And by "wonderful" we mean something reminiscent of a warm spice cake.)

Introducing: Get The Crud Out!

No, we're not telling you to go away. Rather, today starts the beginning of our Soap Introductions! Once or twice a week we will be talking about the soaps you can find at Pip & Lola's Everything Homemade. Today I have chosen our oily skin facial soap, Get the Crud Out!

We make this soap with tea tree and lavender essential oils, both of which are natural antibacterials.  This is paired with both oatmeal and two types of clay.

Apart from the obvious exfoliating quality of ground oatmeal, it has also been cited as being effective for relieving dryness and inflammation, including rashes and eczema, and for helping your skin maintain moisture.

Kaolin Clay and French Green Clay finish out the soap and add the ability to absorb the excess oils from the skin. The Kaolin clay is reported to help stimulate circulation and gently exfoliate, while the French Green Clay is absorbent and helps tighten cleansed pores.

One note: This is not a soap for those with very dry skin. For some people this will be a daily use soap. For others it may become part of an every-other day routine.