chamomile castile

among the soaps i made for the fall season, this one is definitely my favorite.

i first read about "castile soaps" in books. i did some research and found out that castile soap is named after the Castile region in Spain where it was developed. it is traditionally known to have at least 40% olive oil in its content, making the soap very mosturising to the skin. in another book, it said castiles have 80% olive oil. i thought this would make a very good, mosturising soap for the much dryer fall season.

cocoa butter is used in this recipe as a natural skin softener. i thought its mild chocolate scent would accentuate the sweet, fruity scent of the chamomile. chamomile floral water and fresh chrysanthemum tea are used in the making process, and dried chamomile flowers are used to further decorate the soap.

german chamomile essential oil is one of the new additions to my essential oil collection, and it is by far the most expensive one. it is precious because of its excellent analgesic and bactericide properties. at the same time, chamomile oil is a well known soothing remedy and is particularly well suited to children. i used it in making insect bite ointment for my babies. it is also known to relax and calm the nerves.

these soaps smell so good i cannot help but sniff at them once in a while during their saponification process.

they will be available in the shop next week.