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Luxury Soap :: The Buyer's Guide.

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 30 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #292 in Shopping, #2885 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Where the Senses Meet the Psyche

 

After a hard day, coming home and drawing a bath is one of the most renourishing things for one's psyche. But, the great indulgence is in the soap you choose. From high lather producing shea soaps, to a hard milled, exfoliating lather of a handmade oatmeal soap, nothing completes the experience until you have chosen the soap that will wash away the worries of the day. Don't think of it as an indulgence, think of it as self-help therapy.

Tell us your favorite soap and relaxation bath practices!  It could help us all! 

 

Soap Photos 

People with their soaps!

mckenzie beach by saint basil

mckenzie beach

Yay Sand by Risen1

Yay Sand

Ali by Alex Barth

Ali

Edwinasquare by Here in Van Nuys

Edwinasquare

GCC Trip To Israel in 2007 by Marion Doss

GCC Trip To Israel i...

GCC Trip To Israel in 2007 by Marion Doss

GCC Trip To Israel i...

girl at Nizwa by sophie.z.j.

girl at Nizwa

children at Nizwa by sophie.z.j.

children at Nizwa

Young love by nathalielaure

Young love

Last Days Of Summer by Ana Filipa Machado

Last Days Of Summer

French Lavendar Abbey

French Lavendar Shea Butter Soap 

Pre de Provence Lavender Soap, 250g wrapped bar. Imported from France. With shea butter and natural herbs and scents.

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

BIG, BIG, BIG in France, the home of people with LOVELY skin, shea butter is one of the most comforting and soothing soaps on the market.

This has the wonderful addition of French Lavendar, which soothes and relaxes your mood and body.

Primo Soaps 

Luscious Luxury Soaps

You're Gorgeous
Luxury natural handmade soap from fine natural ingredients, based in the Conwy Valley in North Wales.
Pre de Provence Soap
Shea butter enriched soaps spring to a rich lather at the slightest touch.
Crabtree & Evelyn
Following in the tradition of 19th century French soapmaking, we take thirty steps to create each tablet of our triple-milled soaps. Infused with conditioning botanical extracts to soothe and comfort the skin.
French Soaps from FrenchSoaps.com
Soapmakers in the South of France follow techniques perfected by their ancestors, using natural ingredients and fagrances that are unique to Southern France.
Valhalla Soap Company
Experience incredible handcrafted products made from today's finest ingredients, with yesterdays simplicity and elegance. We at Valhalla only use the finest products available to soap makers, so that we may give you, the luxury soap connoisseur, nothing less than excellence.
Luxury Handmade Soap
Botanical soaps that are made with a blend of tropical nut butters and exotic oils, no animal fats are used. Rich silky lather and aromatic blends of pure essential oils or fragrance oils give you the luxury of handmade soap
LUSH
Soap Cut Off The Block. My daughter swears by all of their products.
Squeaky Monroe
A cool collection of shapes, sizes, colors and scents. All are pure and natural, free of synthetic dyes, perfumes, or preservatives.

Rose Shea Butter 

Pre de Provence Rose Petal Soap, 250g wrapped bar. Imported from France. With shea butter and natural herbs and scents.

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Mediterranean Roses are the some of the most lush, and fragrant, roses you'll find anywhere in the world.

No wonder they are highly prized in France and used regularly in their soaps and oils!

Rumor has it that the scent of roses has an effect on the heart, which is a BIG reason why they make such wonderful gifts for lovers.

Renoir's Roses

Some useful terms to know when shopping for soap. 

Wikipedia Luxury Soap Making Information

The following terms are from the soapmaking section of Wikipedia.
  1. Cold Process is a method of making soap (saponification) which does not require use an external heat source to force the saponification process to begin. (Heat is often still applied in order to melt fats or oils that are solid at room temperature and to speed the reaction.) For this reason, this process is often used by soapers, or home soapmakers. Lye, either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, is mixed with an appropriate amount of fats and/or oils to start the saponification process that leads to soap.
  2. Hot process is a traditional method of making soap, still used by some soapmakers.

    In the hot process, fats and oils are boiled in a lye solution (either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). After saponification has occurred, the soap is precipitated from the solution by adding salt, after which the liquid component was drained.

  3. Melt and pour is a process often used by soapmakers. The process differs from the cold process or hot process in that no actual soap is made; a ready-made soap base acquired in commerce is melted and poured into individual moulds, tray molds, or blocks which can then be sliced. Additional ingredients such as fragrances, colourings, and moisturizers may be added.
  4. Rebatching, or hand milling, is a soapmaking technique used by hobbyists and artisan soapmakers. The commercial equivalent is French milling.

    In rebatching, commercially purchased or previously made soap (a soap base) is shredded or diced finely and mixed with a liquid, into which the soap shreds begin to dissolve. It is then heated at a fairly low temperature until the mass is more or less homogenous. When it becomes translucent and reaches a thick, gel-liked consistency, it is spooned or piped into molds and allowed to harden.

Luxury Soap Spa Gift 

Luxury Spa Pampering Gift Basket X-Large

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

There isn't hardly a more useful gift (except chocolate) for someone you love.

Relaxation, comfort, and mood enhancing scents- what's NOT to like about that?

Special European Style Baby Soaps 

Noodle & Boo French-Milled Baby Soap, Two 3.5-Ounce Bars (Pack of 2)

Amazon Price: $24.00 (as of 10/11/2008)

So many chemicals in mass produced soap, and such tender baby skin!

Really, think hard about what kinds of soaps you use on your little ones. They can be healthy and GOOD for them! These have healthy oils, oatmeal and other things that cherish and nurture soft skin.

Shaving With Soap 

Shaving Shave Set "Mach 3" Razor Badger Brush w/ Soap Dish on Stand Silver Plated

Amazon Price: $55.00 (as of 10/11/2008)

My father used to shave with soap, and a true razor. His skin was under a lot of pressure because of his work environment, but he always looked GREAT.

Many men actually prefer to shave this way, and if so, then a beautiful set of tools is NECESSARY!

Exotic Soaps 

Hard to find luxury soaps

Soak
Offers Demeter, Molton Brown, Primal Elements, 3000 BC, e shave, Tipton Charles products and bath bombs.
Vernon Sinclair Aromatics
Scented bodybars combining essential oils, herbs, and selected fragrance oils.
Dreamsoap
Offering the Reve-de-Provence line of authentic French soaps and bath products, made with shea butter, organic olive oil, and essential oils of Provence.
Maja Soap
Offering soaps and products including perfumes and cream powders.
Midani Erbe
Collections of soap, Pre de Provence, Midani Erbe, Kama Sutra.
Scicorp Systems Inc
Offering a baby safe, fragrance-free, germ killing, biodegradable, moisturizing and natural cleansing product.
French Soaps, Ltd.
Fine French soaps and skin care.
Jupiter Imports, UK
Offers the original red Lifebuoy toilet soap, also Pears "Vinolia".
Tspink corp.
Offering soaprocks and other earthly treasures.
Seattle Soap
Skin care soap products for a clear complexion.
Miracle 2 Soap
All-natural liquid soaps, without harsh surfactants.
Bon Savon
A comprehensive collection of soaps from around the world. Including soap for body, hand, pet, laundry, facial, and shaving.
Thunder Mountain Soaps
Natural soaps made with fine oils, as well as some products made with goatsmilk.
Pacifica
Offering aromatherapy candles and scented soaps.
Redgum
Offering castile soaps and natural skincare products from Australia. Shipping provided worldwide.
DeLuxe Soap
Offering vegetable soaps for bath and body.
Sassy Suds
Assorted soaps and shower gel.
Sulfur Soap
Formulated for acne prone skin.
Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Soap and bath products including bath oil, massage oil and bubble bath in custom fragrances.
Splash Body
Bath and body products from a Canadian soapmaker.
Seventy Degrees and Sunny
Primal Elements glycerin soaps, potpourri and gift items.
Galassia New York
Offerings include soaps, home spa bath kits, bath tea or goat milk bath.
Amalthia
Soap from olive oil and Cretan herbs.
Fine Soap Gifts and Favors
Includes gift baskets, as well as soaps in a variety of scents and bath oil.
Soaphia.com
Offers variety of health and beauty products.
African Pacific Organic
Certified 100% organic, no synthetic oils or chemicals, not tested on animals.
Go Products, Inc.
A new bar soap concept that completely eliminates bar soap mess and waste at home or away.
Air de Provence
Natural vegetable oil soaps from the beautiful region of Provence in France.
Aoqili Premium Seaweed Soap
Developed by Chinese dermatologists to reduce the accumulation of fluid and astringe the skin.
Getfresh
Supplies a range of soaps and other aromatherapy bath and body products.
Carbolic Soap
A cleansing product that used to be available in most hardware shops.
American Soap Company
Offering a variety of soaps, bath beads, and bath salts.
Lush
Wide variety of bath and body products, including original blends of soap, bubble bars and hair products.
Mistral
Soap and bath products. List of store locations, gift ideas, and online shop.
Funk Bubble
Features natural bath, shower, hair and skin care products in a variety of fragrances.
Pangea Organics
Uses sustainable manufacturing process to produce, distribute and market organic bath products.
Relax Inc.
Sells products made by Cucina.

Lemons! 

Lemony Fresh Citrus themed gift basket French gourmet and soap

Amazon Price: $59.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

For a super-fresh and invigorating experience, there isn't ANYTHING like lemon!

I like this especially in the spring and summer!

Want to make your own soap? 

Terrific Soap Making and Recipe Sites

Miller's Homemade Soap Page

Miller's Homemade Soap Page with instructions and more...0 points

Formulas and recipes for homemade soaps

You can make it yourself... craft projects, homema more...0 points

GreenSense- Zenda's Homemade Soap and Beauty Recipes

Homemade Soap and Beauty Recipes and tips0 points

Home made soap recipe

Learn how to make your own home made soap with thi more...0 points

The Soap Making Home Page

Everything you need to know to get started...0 points

Homemade soap

FrontRangeLiving.com - a lifestyle ezine about hom more...0 points

Recipes for Homemade Toiletries

Recipes for Homemade Toiletries, You can easily ma more...0 points

Soap Recipes

Recipes for homemade soap!0 points

Hawaiian Soap Scent Guide

Guide to tropical scents0 points

Home made soaps... 

Personalized Luxury Soap Anytime!

As a very young girl, I was fortunate to know many very old people, and I don't mean in their 60's, but 80's. They were incredibly kind and patient, and they also knew things that no one else around me knew.

One such woman, a neighbor, almost totally blind, continued her life-long habit of making her own soap out in her yard, near her fabulous flower garden.

She made her own lye with ashes from her fireplace, and cooked her soap in the back, adding things that she preferred. It surprised me at the time, but she raised her beautiful flowers with her homemade soap in mind, using the petals for the fragrance, color and roughage that would keep the skin softened and smooth.

I learned a lot by watching, though I didn't think to get her recipe and instructions at the time. I later regretted it, of course, because her soaps were fragrant, beautiful and felt so good!

I enjoyed watching the process, but I enjoyed even more helping her cut the soap into bars, wrapping it in tissue paper, and helping her put them in her special closet.

I recently came across a library document that explains the process so well, including how lye is made, and used for soapmaking!
Old Fashioned Soap Making

I hope that you will consider learning to make your own soaps; wonderful to give as gifts, of course, but even better when you find your own PERFECT recipe for yourself!

If not, however, there simply isn't anything like soap that is homemade, handmade, and gourmet!

Watch the Process Here! 

Easy little soap making guide 

Making Soaps & Scents : Soaps, Shampoos, Perfumes & Splashes You Can Make At Home

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

No, it isn't difficult! It seems its a skill that humans have had throughout history!

Here's a wonderful little guide to making all your favorites right at home!

Great American Tradition: Hand Made Soap!

Soaps? Oil? Candles? Wine? What helps you destress at bath time? 

Tell us your recommendations- Life is stressful!

How do you like this lens? Have you used a hot bath and soap for your daily de-stressing?

Gemwise

I love luxury soap... it gives you that "real feeling"... Awesomeuseful lens!

Posted October 03, 2008

vijay vejrani

we like to supply soap noodles to you .

transworld22000@yahoo.com

Posted September 24, 2008

Jewelsofawe

Very cool lens! 5*

Posted September 17, 2008

Jewelsofawe

Very cool lens! 5*

Posted September 17, 2008

mike barbier

anyone want any glycerol?= about 75 litres From Na OH/ Methanol biodiesel making ( DIY ) N Wales

Posted September 16, 2008

 
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