Persephone, Returned Hot Process Soap

Garnet red pomegranate in a thick haze of agarwood smoke, wreathed with wild roses and creamy pink carnations

Being the Queen of the Underworld for half the year makes coming home in spring more than a little fraught. Demeter is, of course, DELIGHTED, fluttering around and making things bloom that have no business being in flower so early in the year. She's made a blowsy crown of roses and carnations, which she scrunches down over Persephone's dark curls. "Mom. MOM. STOP IT. Can you please NOT?" Persephone is glad to be back in the light, but she'd forgotten how intense her mother could be at the start of the year. And, to her own surprise, she sort of... misses Captain Emo. Lord of the Abyss. Hades. Whatever. He leaves her alone, by & large, but when he does talk to her, he seems genuinely interested in life above ground, and went to pains to make sure the hellhounds didn't get up on her throne without asking. She picks a loose petal out of her bangs, and covertly sniffs the black winding sheet she'd swiped from his throne as she was leaving. It was bitter & smoky, and yet strangely comforting.

This listing is for one (1) chunky 3.75-ounce bar of hot process soap, made from scratch by me in my own workshop. If you find glycerin soaps a bit too drying, this is the bar for you. I've spent several months developing a coconut- & shea-free, vegan formula that lathers beautifully & is packed with nourishing vegetable oils & butters. I make my hot process soap in small batches, & allow each batch to cure for 3 weeks to ensure a firm, mild bar. Each hand-cut bar measures 3x3x1 inches, & weighs approximately 3.75 ounces.

As always, your soap will arrive hand-wrapped in cellophane, with all ingredients clearly labeled for your peace of mind:

Water, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Mango Seed Butter, Castor Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance Oil, Sugar, Mica

Since I work in small batches, you may notice slight variations in color from bar to bar. Hot process soap has a marbled, natural appearance. Streaks, swirls & blobs are all part of the charm, & in no way affect the quality of your soap.

What the heck is hot process soap, anyway? Learn more at my blog: http://paintboxsoapworks.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/so-whats-this-hot-process-thing/