Homemade Soaps for Ablutophiles and Olfactomaniacs (i.e. Those Who Love to Bathe and Smell Good While Doing It)

If you are wondering what in the world I am talking about, you should visit Natural Impulse, a web site specializing in homemade bath soaps and sundries. According to Karen White, the owner and soap-maker, she and her husband made up those words, but they do come from a legitimate beginning. “Abluto” means a “washing” or “cleansing” in Latin, while “-phile” means “loving, fondness for, attraction to, affinity for” in Greek. As for Olfactomaniac, “olfacto” means “to smell” or “sense of smell” in Latin and “mania”, of course, means “madness” or “enthusiasm” in Greek. Karen took those words and combined them to make something new, just like she combines oils and fragrances to make her soaps and bath salts. I had the pleasure of emailing her recently; in order to get an interview. I just had to find out how she makes those wonderful soaps of hers.

Karen says she made her first batch of homemade soaps in 1996, after quitting her job at the telephone company, and quickly became addicted. In 1997, she started selling her soaps, under the name Natural Impulses, through her web site, craft shows and small businesses in the area.

Are Homemade Soaps All Natural?

According to Karen, Natural Impulse’s soaps are made with vegetable oils such as olive oil, palm oil, avocado oils, as well as other vegetable oils. She tries to steer away from animal products, however she does admit that there is a tad bit of honey in the Oatmeal/Honey Scrub. Ummm, sounds good.

She also uses essential oils and some fragrance oils in her soaps and salts. Karen isn’t one to hide her ingredients; you can go to her web site and read about how she makes her soaps and how each ingredient affects the product. She says, “I like using natural products whenever I can, but sometimes it’s not possible. For example, there is no way to make a natural “Green Pear” soap, since there is no Green Pear essential oil.” In those instances, she uses synthetic fragrance oils.