Patchouli soap making today, along with some Patchouli Shepherd's Friend Hand Creme. Funny things about Patchouli, the intoxicating, pungent essential oil from India:
Many people have no idea what Patchouli is, or how prohibitively expensive it is. The India crop failed a couple of years ago and it went up to $200 for a 16 ounce bottle - the size I need for my recipe. I didn't make Patchouli soap that year. It's back down to $100. Still a hefty sum. I keep the empty jars for sniffing when the going gets rough.
Many people know what it is and hate the smell with a passion.
Many people love Patchouli oil with a passion as intense as the people who hate it.
Most people don't realize it is anti-fungal, antiseptic and a fantastic bug repellent.
I learned the hard way to not wear Patchouli to meetings with administrators in school, if you don't want to hear a chorus of ewwwwwww - what's that smell?!
The hippies are getting too old to remember that Patchouli was the hippie love scent of the 1960's. They are more cognizant of the happy fog they felt when they smoked the stinky weed that Patchouli was used to disguise. I don't get a lot of Patchouli sales, but once in a while I hit a festival where the Patchouli flies off the table, especially the 2 ounce $5 size - poor hippies I guess. Colorscape was one of those festivals. I still see the anguished look on one old hippie's face when he asked are you really out of the little Patchouli hand cremes? I asked him to come back next year, if the universal forces allow it, and I will have plenty of Patchouli cremes for him. I bought some groovy tie-dye print fabric to wrap my Patchouli soap in. I won't be giving this soap away to just anybody for Christmas.
Many people have no idea what Patchouli is, or how prohibitively expensive it is. The India crop failed a couple of years ago and it went up to $200 for a 16 ounce bottle - the size I need for my recipe. I didn't make Patchouli soap that year. It's back down to $100. Still a hefty sum. I keep the empty jars for sniffing when the going gets rough.
Many people know what it is and hate the smell with a passion.
Many people love Patchouli oil with a passion as intense as the people who hate it.
Most people don't realize it is anti-fungal, antiseptic and a fantastic bug repellent.
I learned the hard way to not wear Patchouli to meetings with administrators in school, if you don't want to hear a chorus of ewwwwwww - what's that smell?!
The hippies are getting too old to remember that Patchouli was the hippie love scent of the 1960's. They are more cognizant of the happy fog they felt when they smoked the stinky weed that Patchouli was used to disguise. I don't get a lot of Patchouli sales, but once in a while I hit a festival where the Patchouli flies off the table, especially the 2 ounce $5 size - poor hippies I guess. Colorscape was one of those festivals. I still see the anguished look on one old hippie's face when he asked are you really out of the little Patchouli hand cremes? I asked him to come back next year, if the universal forces allow it, and I will have plenty of Patchouli cremes for him. I bought some groovy tie-dye print fabric to wrap my Patchouli soap in. I won't be giving this soap away to just anybody for Christmas.
1 comment:
Also, Liberty Naturals out on the West Coast has 4 different patchoulis, ranging in price from 42 to 79.99. I am loyal to Melody and think her eos are truly the best, but Patchouli I sometimes will make an exception for, its the only one though :o), just due to price. MY nose may notice a slight difference, but most soap buying people dont. We soapmakers do tend to be a bit snobbish, in a good way, lol, about our ingredients. But I have had fantastic success with buying patchouli from another supplier, and letting it sit a year to three, and end up with an aged patchouli for half the price. I miss soaping but love your soap! Laticia
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