Art & Science

Soap making drew us because it is both an art and a science. Once the science is understood, the creativity is ready to be explored. As we changed what we eat to a more healthy set of choices, we began to eagerly explore healthy food quality ingredients we could use to achieve interesting colors and textures in our soaps. But then the science returned as we realized that many of these items might be as beneficial on the outside as they are inside of our bodies. Cinnamon, for example, is sited in scientific studies to kill e-coli bacteria. It does this so well that the reports say that scientists stopped trying to add e-coli to their tests to find at what point the cinnamon would be overcome. There have even been talks about adding a very small amount of cinnamon to ground meat in the US as an approach to bacteria in the meat supply. This is why Katherine and Leslie carry cinnamon tea in our purses so that if our families are away from home and get a stomach upset from something we eat, we can do something that certainly cannot hurt, but may well be the solution. We add cinnamon to our Carol's Birthday soap for many reasons. It has a beautiful natural color, an interesting texture, especially in such varied amounts as are found in Carol's Birthday soap, and it just may provide germ killing benefits to the surface of the skin.

You will also find similarly excellent values in our Salt Stone Shower Bar. The salt provides an amazing mild texture that our customers really enjoy as well as treating the skin to an environment which is gentle to skin yet inhospitable to bacteria. It was definitely an interesting thing to imagine what effect salt would have on the lather in a soap, as most of us have sprinkled salt onto suds and seen how it instantly effects them. It is very gratifying to witness our Salt Stone, which is over 50% salt by weight, having such an ample lather. As Spring is passing and Summer is on its way, we are again enjoying the Salt Stone as our favorite bar after hot muggy days. It refreshes and leaves you feeling “pepperminty” cool. Salt Stone Shower Bar is a Summer “must have” soap.

Art and science are both delightfully experienced in the look and the feel of each variety of Katherine Leslie Soaps.