Spearmint Soap

Who doesn’t love soap? Besides a Chilean pal I had in college who insisted “Americans bathe too often,” I’ve never known anyone who took issue with washing. I have a complicated relationship with bathing, though. It takes me a while to deal with my hair once washed, and for this reason, I’ve been experimenting with less frequent showering this past year.

Some people think this is a ‘green’ habit. For me, it’s mostly about convenience and comfort. I grew up loving baths, and my current apartment features only an awkward shower with two levels. One might argue the steepest part of the stall is a step, but how one would properly use it is beyond me. Unless I’m showering with my partner or trying to relax sore shoulder muscles, I’m usually annoyed by my strangely shaped bathroom and try to be in and out as quickly as possible.

Adopting a vegan diet is one thing, but a vegan lifestyle is quite another. When I began to make the switch, I had to start rethinking warm clothing, for example. No more wool, and finding cruelty-free waterproof boots has been a challenge. I also switched to olive oil soap, which I can purchase in large blocks locally for roughly the equivalent of $4 USD. Since I live in Scandinavia, where everything is roughly double the cost of what it is in the States, this seems like quite a bargain.

I’m not unhappy with my hunks of green-yellow castile, but it does tend to leave a residue unless I’m diligent with my washcloth. Because I’m thrifty, I also tend to buy unwieldy chunks that go flying when slippery. Bath time should be fun, even if you don’t have a proper tub.

Enter my new spearmint soap from Vegan Soap Kitchen. Taking after my favorite Origins mint shampoo, I thought that putting one more herbal goody on my body would keep me smelling nice even on those days I race off to work without a proper lather. Handcrafted by Deborah Dana in Plano, Texas, my wholly vegan soap is a wonderful find. Made from coconut, palm, jojoba, and olive oils with shea butter and a dash of spearmint essential oil, there is no funky residue. The only thing to watch out for are bits of spearmint leaf that eventually detach from the bar. Better to have mint leaves in my hair than grime, no?

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