Perfumery...an Olfactory Harmony

Harmony: the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.

I love the aspect of my job that encompasses perfumery – mixing blends of exotic essential oils to develop a new fragrance for our soap. While some would argue I become rather a mad scientist when mixing my olfactory potions, I think more of it as a kind of spiritual artistry, linked by history to temples and Gods.
Consider that the first use of fragrance was aromatic plant matter burned ritually as incense to the Gods and ancestors. Even the origin of the word, 'perfume', comes from the Latin 'per fumum' meaning "through smoke". The fragrant smoke was believed to carry prayers aloft, connecting people with their deities.
Early bathing, too, is linked to religion as a means of purifying oneself, linking both soap and fragrance to the spiritual process.

Mixing the various aromatic oils is much like composing a painting or piece of music. Balance and harmony can be achieved in a good composition. Deep, heavy scents such as Sandalwood or Patchouli form the base note, the dark elements that ground and fix the blend. The middle range is held by solid, but even, entities including Lavender, Jasmine, and Clary Sage. The bright, but fleeting, top notes are played by delicate oils like those from citrus. They are first to catch your nose before they give way to the aromatic melody that follows.
The trick is to find the balance between these aspects that plays the sense of smell as a chord of beautiful music tantalizes the ears. A true master creates olfactory symphonies and, indeed, the workplace display of essential oils is called a “perfume organ”. But, unlike music, the fragrant blend takes time to mature for all its harmony to become evident. When you first mix the essences the result can be harsh – the notes distinct and sometimes discordant. It takes time for them to meld and mellow and reveal their true character.

When making soap this need for patience in perfumery is magnified, as the chemical reaction and essence of the soap itself can mute or change the flavor of the blend. You make a wonderful aroma and yet, when added to soap, it becomes dull and listless. So you consider the notes which have dampened and accentuate or compliment them and try again, waiting the long time for the soap to make and cure. Needless to say, when you finally refine one to the point where you are pleased, it is a grand moment!

We hope you enjoy the fragrant melodies we have created for all our soaps. The ones which have required the most work, and of which we are proudest are: Aloe Vera/Kelp; Apricot Poppy; Forest; Lemon Shea Butter; Sweet Herb; Rose Clay; and now Oatmeal Spice.
See them on our soap page.

To read a brief history of perfume, see my article here.

Out with the old, in with the new...

We start the year with a new soap... more about that further down.
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The dawning of the new year is often a time for house cleaning, literally and figuratively. It amazes me how many things have bypassed earlier attempts to toss out unnecessary stuff. I can find something I haven't seen, used, or missed for a decade and immediately think I cannot live without it!??? How silly!

Discarding those things we no longer need is good for our home, our space, our spirit and, depending on what and how, often good for the someone else. There is often need for those things we no longer regard as necessary to our own lives, be it gently used but wrong size or out of fashion clothing, to that extra pillow or kitchen gadget (I am famous for keeping clothes long past a time I could even fantasize fitting in them again).

Before you purge your closet and cupboards, see what charities and resources are in your area and what they need, you may be inspired to donate even more (and get more taken care of) that you may have thought when you began. And it is important not to take a bunch of stuff that is as useless to the recipient as is it is to you. Often there are even places that are willing to reuse old cardboard boxes or packing peanuts as well as more ordinary household items and clothes.

Needless to say, you should recycle everything that can be recycled. Some things are obvious and easy: aluminum, glass, and paper. Plastics are trickier and electronic equipment, from cell phones to televisions, trickier still. These items are hard to recycle in a way that is environmentally friendly and, in some cases, it can be downright dangerous. While paints and motor oil and such have a special day or method recycle as hazardous waste, as far as I know, they have the method down. Electronics are perhaps the trickiest. Our sleek machines seem to contain a lot of deadly toxins, not least of which is the lead in the Cathode Ray Tubes of old TV's and computer monitors. Many of these get shipped abroad to countries where people are so desperate they think nothing of breathing toxic fumes and polluting their homes and children's environment (all the environment, actually) as they dismantle and melt old components to get the parts of value. Poverty eliminates concern for health and safety.
So please, ask your recycling center how they dispose of this waste and if they have knowledge of where it goes and how it is handled.

On the other hand, we enter the year with a new soap - Sweet Herb. Actually we have had it out since November 2008, but it is still the newest in our family of soaps. enriched with organic hemp seed oil and a soothing blend of essential oils.

This soap has met with rave reviews from our test crew (friends and family), as well as those customers who have tried it, for it’s fresh herbal fragrance, superb silkiness, & luxurious moisturizing qualities.

Hemp seed oil is a rich source of both Omega 6 and Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's), and Vitamin E. These healing enzymes can be absorbed directly into the skin to replenish missing oils, so they are ideally suited for many cosmetic & skin care products.

You can really feel the effects of the hemp seed oil in this soap. It is emollient, and has rejuvenating properties for the skin. Rich in vitamins and minerals, Hemp Seed Oil’s benefits are easily absorbed through the skin, resulting in a more vitamin and mineral enriched soap. See it featured on our web store.

Dawning of the New Year...

túrána hott kurdís by hasta la otra méxico! from Till Credner on Vimeo.

See this video for a condensed bit of time-lapse sky gazing. And know that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy.
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Today ends 2008. Tomorrow a new day, a new year, full of possibilities. What governs this calculation of time is literally our place in the universe, something I was thinking about last night as I gazed at the glorious crescent moon and opulent Venus.
If you do not sky gaze, make it one of your New Year's Resolutions to begin.
The sky is always amazing and always a source for reflection on beauty, the cosmos, on things bigger than ourselves and wholly detached from the petty goings on down here at human level. The universe is pretty grand, and that's all there is to it!
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As we are just human, wandering on the surface of our lovely planet, our thoughts for the New Year tend to have more terrestrial roots.
Given that, I hope you are all looking to toast the turning of time with the universal toast: "To your Health". That is probably the best toast - and the best New Year's resolution we can all make.

Our health is one of the few things that we can truly change through our personal actions (or inaction, as the case may be), and it is by far the most precious thing we own on a personal level. Each of us knows deep in our being what we are lacking and what we need to do if we can summon the focus to accept it. Be it exercise or eating healthier foods, quitting smoking or other addictive behavior. Working on our health from within.

There are also the things that are outside of us that influence our health negatively and it is up to us to moderate those as best we can. Try to remove toxins from your lifestyle, be they chemical air fresheners, super toxic cleaners or moldy furnace filters. And always try to use the safest, least harmful products available - which, of course, is why we are in business. We hope you choose the soaps and basic body care products from Simmons Natural Bodycare for 2009 and beyond!

We wish you a Merry...

Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah... the holiday which speaks to you in these cold, dark days of winter.

And all the best now and for the coming year...

May your days be warm and safe and your future be bright.

May the world see more peaceful, more balanced times in 2009.

May we find the time to relax, time to share, time to enjoy life.

May we find peace with who we are and who others are, as well.

May we find acceptance of those things that are new and different, freedom from fear, and the strength to face our challenges.

May we bring a smile to our friends and family.

May our life journey be one of wonder and curiosity and endless discovery.

From our home to yours, our family to your family, all the best wishes for the Holidays and year to come.

"A Hungry Man...

... is an angry man" Bob Marley would sing. Sage fellow, Marley.

I have been thinking a lot lately, perhaps inspired by this season - as it were - of "giving", about the way poverty and need have such broad ranging effects on the way we humans treat each other. To me it appears as if we Americans often see those who are destitute as lazy, as crazy, as being in despair, as living in a third world country, as different from us... as dangerous.

Yet this is actually about the point in our existence where we are all exactly the same. We all want to be healthy. We all want to have enough food and adequate shelter and, given that, provide for our families. When we can provide those basics for our families, we hope to better our lives and have our children be educated... For children are the future and education is the key that unlocks its potential.

We also, fairly universally, do not want to be dependent on others. And finding ourselves through circumstance to be forced to be in that position individually, as a family, group, community, or tribe, can elicit deep emotions from frustration to sorrow to rage. Yes, a hungry man is an angry man, and an impoverished community is desperate. It is difficult to focus on peace, education, or anything but survival when times are hard and the situation is only one of frustration.

And hard times are here. The economy has reached a tipping point and the results are being felt at all levels, with the promise of a slower time before it gets any better. We could be in it for a long haul. But as difficult as things may be getting for us, with those for whom it has always been rough it is now harder still. While the number of those in need in our towns, our states, our country and, in fact, the world, gets to be more and more, the ability of others to help support them is decreasing. Food banks and other charities are facing more challenges than ever trying to do their important work.

While there should be no specific season of giving - generosity and caring for others should always be part of our lives - the Christmas season is traditionally associated with the spirit of sharing with those less fortunate than ourselves. We would like to share a few of our favorite methods and organizations who do good work.

Of course, do what you can to support your community. Volunteer or otherwise assist the schools, churches, food banks, and other groups that tend to the health, welfare, and education of our neighbors.
Be aware of what is happening in the larger picture and follow your heart to participate and support those issues which speak to you. From donations to writing letters to mentoring a child, your effort is valuable. Visit someone who is housebound and lonely, take food to someone who is hungry.

Many fine organizations exist which address the needs of others on every level. We particularly like:
Heifer International, working to end hunger and care for the earth by giving people around the world the knowledge and tools they need to improve their environment and support themselves.
The Stamp Project is one’s woman’s simple organization where you send stamps you tear off of letters and she sells them to a jobber and uses the money to support rural health programs in India and Nepal. Send stamps to: The Stamp Project, 340 Carter Street#2, Vallejo, Ca. 94590
Kiva is an online platform for making small loans (as little as $25) to entrepreneurs in the developing world, similar to the Grameen Bank of India, helping them lift themselves out of poverty.
Another simple way to help that is fun for even the youngest computer savvy child is a word game that gives away free rice through the U.N. world food program. While only 20 grains of rice are donated for each correct answer, it is a perfect example of how every little bit adds up... over 54 BILLION grains of rice have been donated since the game began. And you really do improve your vocabulary in the process. It drives me nuts when I don't know the correct answer!
The possibilities are endless.
The list goes on and on...

And, remember, every time you buy a bar of Simmons special Soap we donate 2% of its cost to Heifer International.

May your holiday be peaceful, joyous, and both prosperous and generous.