The Tale of St Florian

 St Florian...who is he you might ask? 

Well, he was a Christian holy man who lived 250 - 304 A.D. and Patron Saint of chimney sweeps, soapmakers and firefighters. An odd combination don't you think. His feast day is May 4th and really that's about all I know of him. I stumbled upon him some time ago and thought that if I ever made a soap that I believe to be just about the best I've made I shall name it after him. So here it is.

And, here HE is...putting out a fire rather than making soap but you can't have everything.

I have spent the past few months experimenting with a new formula for this very special soap and have formulated a recipe which delivers a hard bar of soap with a super-creamy lather. It also accepts essential oils particularly well and I've had a great deal of pleasure experimenting with new blends.

I bought some lovely oval moulds which fit the bill perfectly and they emerge beautifully when unmoulded with a sheen that I've never managed before so yet another reason for them to meet the strict criterion of a St Florian soap.

So, in honour of the great man here they are...

The first batch contains an unusual blend of essential oils, these being ylang ylang, peppermint, basil and grapefruit which, to my astonishment, worked much better than I could ever have imagined. This soap has transformed my morning bath and I've followed it up with some other interesting blends.

I will be packaging them singly at this stage; they deserve something beautiful...probably along these lines...

I think they will make gorgeous gifts, made after months of experimentation, planning, formulation and, essentially... made with love.