Behind the Scents: April Edition

MODUS OPERANDI

It's been feeling very weird to not consistently talk about the elephant in the room over these last few months, but I also realized some time ago that SO many of you are looking to your favorite manufacturers and creators to offer some semblance of normalcy as a means to keep our collective societal energies up. Because of this, I plan to keep Soap Distillery's modus operandi consistent as long as I can. Essentially, it's going to be business as usual around here for as long as possible because I need that normalcy too.

Truth be told, I'm just as stressed and angry as many of you out there, so I've been trying to channel that energy into low cost life improvements to help keep me better focused on the every day which for me is this business, my livelihood, and my community. You all know how much I love cooking, and I came across a Ragù recipe that I could NOT pass up trying. So last week I gave it a shot! I love pasta but I always do classic marinara sauces as I've really got that down now, but hey, might as well switch it up and try something new while I can and it was really good! I love that it starts with the classic mirepoix blend of carrots, onion and celery because sautéing aromatics is quite possibly my favorite stage in cooking because it opens your nose to the joy that's about to hit your palate :) And I gotta say, this dish came out VERY good. Will definitely make it again!

WHAT'S IN BLOOM

For those who live in Chicago and frequently visit the Garfield Park Conservatory, EVERYTHING is currently in bloom! Here in Illinois, it's been quite an oddly warm start to spring (although it's gonna be cold again for the next few days) so many of our outside perennials started growing much earlier than in years past. So far, everything is holding up, but there is always a bit of concern when plants sprout too quickly here because we do get unseasonable frosts that follow. At least inside of the conservatory, it's a more controlled environment which is a benefit with regard to species preservation. 

Tapping into my inner Green Witch, I've been going on longer walks and taking note of blooming plants and new growth. It's interesting because it's a part of me that I've never thought too deeply about, but I'm realizing that spring might actually be my favorite season because it brings us new life. This new life is 100% INSPIRING THE NEXT DISTILLER'S SERIES SCENT because in terms of fragrance, it's all I can currently think about. Tender florals, delicate greens, rich and wet soil, soft moss and young pine cones are what's dancing around in my nose right now. Y'all know I'm obsessed with geosmin as I've talked about it before. 

For now, until the next Distiller's Series scent is ready, I'm getting my fix with the Sequoia + Wild Sage Bar Soap as the oceanic and forest floor notes scratch that itch, and interestingly enough, following that with my En Provence Botanical Body Oil brings the combo full circle for me.

LEANING HARDER INTO SUSTAINABILITY AND ACCESS

The thing about sustainability is that it's only truly sustainable if more people can access it because sustainability works best in practice. So, if most people can't practice it, can it be sustainable? It's kinda my my gripe about the big push for sustainability; it can be very expensive to do as a wider reaching practice which limits the positive effects that the movement can have. Like, sustainability shouldn't only be for the rich. That's not very sustainable in my mind.

This is thee reason behind offering our bar soaps as a zero waste, package free option. For those who use our soaps regularly, this will help you save on personal items while also limiting waste. And subscribing to any scent saves you an additional 5%! These soaps can also be bundled as a set of six to get 20% off  (yeah, you can mix and match boxed and non boxed soaps too), and what's coming next are bundles of 6 of the same scent which I'm working to add to each listing for those who have their favs :)