Power Your Shower

I first made the Orange Tree Blast bar back in April of 2005. I wanted a nice bar for the shower. A fresh bar that could be enjoyed by both women and men, and also a nice hard bar that would stand up to a lot of use.

I love the citrus oils for their deodorizing qualities, but I also needed to incorporate an essential oil that was a warrior on bacteria so it could be enjoyed after the gym or pool. Tea tree oil was top of the list, and combining it with a healthy dose of sweet orange oil gave me the incredibly clean scent that I was after. But it was the addition of a shot of peppermint oil that created the real freshness that sets it apart from any other tea tree soap. Tea tree oil is great for antibacterial cleansing, but I didn't want the overpowering smell that is associated with it. The combination of the citrus oil and the mint oil tames it nicely.

I have always added soybean oil to my shower bar formula. It's a nice moisturizing oil, and used as an additive during the "trace" phase of the soapmaking process, it lends a nice lotioned after-feel to the skin. Of course, exfoliating is a neccessary where keeping the skin moisturiized is concerned, and poppy seeds never fail. They are spherical, and so they have a kind roll on the skin. They also create a little dotted prettiness in the overall look of the finished bar.

And so Orange Tree Blast was born. It's a must for any shower, and has remained a faithful in my classic Manor Hall line. Many love it for themselves, and many buy it as a stocking stuffer for the men in their lives at holiday time. Me? I use it daily in the shower, and have done so for the past four and a half years. I never tire of the fresh awakening scent, and I've never brought anything home on my feet from the gym or pool. It's a little four ounce block of wonderful fresh fighting fayre for your skin.