Natalie has a new frock!

Being a nettle soap, the last batch of Natalie had a very spiky top to represent the sting of the nettle. This time round, Natalie has gone all soft and is wearing a golden frock! The sharp spikes were very awkward when storing or transporting the soap, so I opted for a softer look. The top is now gently sculpted and the " posh frock " is a little bit of gold mica brushed on.

I love natural colours. Now, green is notoriously difficult to get and most greens tend to fade to a sludgy browny grey, but this nettle soap keeps its colour astonishingly well. It does lighten a little over the months, but thats all, the lovely green colour is still very much in evidence. Unrefined avocado and unrefined hemp oil help enormously with the lovely deep green colour, and brewing the organic nettles ( from Gracefruit ) in the lye water does the rest. I have used a mostly herbal blend of essential oils for this soap, with just a hint of a sweet floral to soften it.

Heads up! Hair Soap

Although my family has been using this soap for 3 years, I hadn't added it to my range before as it is not suitable for vegetarians. However, I come across so many people who have the same sort of scalp problems as my husband, for whom this soap was originally formulated, that I have decided that it is time to let others experience the benefits of this soap as well.

My husband had been suffering with psoriasis and eczema for 20 odd years, and his itchy, flaky and angry red skin used to drive him nuts. For his skin he now uses my LCR Balm, facial serum, shaving soap and shaving oil, as well as any soap he can pinch from my stock cupboard, and for his long suffering scalp he uses nothing but this amazing soap and ( now only occasionally ) the specially formulated scalp oil. I cannot make any medical claims because these products have not been tested in medical trials, but I can certainly speak from my husband's and many friends' experiences. My hubby's skin is smooth, free from red, itchy patches and his scalp is itch and flake free.

A carefully selected blend of essential oils, which include tea tree, rosemary and eucalyptus amongst others, helps to combat the symptoms ( again, speaking from personal experience, not medical trials ) alongside the very special oils used in this soap. One of the ingredients, however, is emu oil, which makes this soap unsuitable for vegetarians, but it is such a vital part of the formulation that it cannot be left out.

The soap may make your hair feel a little heavier and thicker, and it will take a few washes before your hair and scalp get used to such a radical change. On his short hair, my husband doesn't ever use a conditioner or rinse, I only use conditioner occasionally on my longish hair. On rather longer hair it might be best to use a lemon water rinse and/or conditioner to remove the feel of heaviness. Something else I have noticed after using this soap for a few years now - I don't get split ends anymore! My hair is very slow growing and I am not very fond of hairdressers, so I only have it cut every two or three years and it used to break and split terribly. It has been over two years now since I last had it cut, and amazingly, still no split ends, can't be bad, eh?