A simple and sensuous pleasure, scented soap is easy to make, a delight to use, and an always welcome gift. Here are more than 60 recipes for handmade soaps, arranged by scent, that carry the heavenly fragrances of sunflower and calendula petals, lemon sherbet, rosemary and thyme, cucumber and peppermint, frankincense and myrrh. All the recipes call for natural bases derived from olive oil, jojoba, cocoa butter, and sweet almond extract. Citrus, floral, woodland, and herb accents can come from your own backyard. Instructions show how to use a variety of shapes and textures to create bath bars, bombes, scrubs, shaving soaps, shower gels, and fizzes. Because a handmade gift is so special, there is a section devoted to the finishing touches of packaging and presenting your soap treasures.
Linda Hamblen spent her childhood years fascinated by every plant, flower and tree she saw. She watched, studied, drew and collected them all. Using this passion for the natural world and her training in graphic design and horticulture she started Merrywood in 1996, producing traditional herbal soaps with an emphasis on natural, organic and homegrown ingredients.