So many higher-end body products and beauty products promote themselves with the latest hyped ingredient (argan oil, açaí berries), a "green" gimmick (boxes that sprout seeds if you plant them!), or the name-dropping of a celebrity (or celebrity spouse) as creative director. On the other hand, Arghand soaps and body oils possess an authenticity that puts all those mere trend-followers to shame. Arghand is a cooperative in Afghanistan; it was founded by Sarah Chayes, a former National Public Radio reporter, and its members craft their wares from locally-grown materials. Arghand works closely in a fair-trade relationship with farmers in the region, and its member-workers are justly compensated for their labor. Moreover, the project offers all its participants an alternative to the local opium industry.
Mountain Herb is one of seven soap blends offered by Arghand, and its ingredients give a good idea of the raw materials that are used in the cooperative's products: hemp oil, black cumin, pomegranate seed oil, and wild mint essential oil. (The pomegranate, one of the region's legendary crops, offers restorative, anti-oxidant properties; hemp oil keeps skin soft and hydrated.) The soap's cold-pressed oils and steam-distilled plant essences have been blended into a gentle base of palm and coconut oil, which is hand-milled and hand-molded before it's cured. Each piece of soap looks like a stone, or a polished chunk of marble, irregularly shaped and smooth to the touch. Mountain Herb soap is veined with darker shades of green and brown from its cumin and hemp oils.
And how does it smell? A new "stone" of Mountain Herb soap smells gives off a cool, minty aroma. In the shower or bath, after it has been wet and starts to give off lather, it exudes a distinct note of cumin. If you're someone who enjoys cumin-inflected fragrances, you'll savor this spicy, pungent scent. If cumin isn't a note that you typically wear, you might be startled by its peppery-earthy, slightly sweaty, personality. This definitely isn't a typical squeaky-clean soap fragrance! Cumin can be an acquired taste, and this Mountain Herb blend is an easy way to sample it and then wash it away. (The scent fades a few minutes after use.) Personally, I've been enjoying it in this soap format. My perfume choices tend to be more sweet and floral, so this cumin-y experience is a bit of a change for me. It has a purging, clarifying olfactory effect, just as the soap is so thoroughly cleansing (without being harsh or stripping).
Other soaps and body oils from Arghand incorporate sweet almonds, damask roses, artemisia, and anise seed into their formulas. All the products share an intriguing "back story," they benefit a good cause, and — most importantly — they're high-quality items. They're even presented in a simple but gift-worthy fashion, wrapped in bands of distressed ribbon and labeled with sweet illustrated tags.
To read more about Arghand, see its website or an article written by Sarah Chayes for The Atlantic.
Arghand's soaps sell for $8 per 4.5 oz. bar at Nature of Beauty, Real Green Goods, and Equita.
Note: image is by the author.
OOO! This looks like something I wanna give a try.
Hi, Lizzi! It really is an interesting product line.
Thanks, Jessica, for the introduction to this product! I’m excited to learn about the Arghand cooperative. I suspect some of their wares might find their way into my loved ones’ Christmas stockings. The Mountain Herb soap sounds wonderful, as a scent experience. What do you think about its treatment of skin – is it drying at all, or filmy?
Thanks, Smokypony! I’ve used the soap in the shower, where it seems foamy but non-drying, and — the real test, for me — as a hand soap next to the bathroom sink, where it has turned out to be very gentle as well (I wash my hands *often*!).
What a great idea! Make soap, not dope. Agree with Smokypony, this sounds like a good Xmas stocking stuffer. Will go check out the rest of the line now.
Yes, that could be their slogan. 😉
And I think it would make a nifty holiday treat for anyone who appreciates special toiletries and worthy causes!
This sounds great! The Mountain Herb scent sounds like something I’d love. I have to admit I’m a soap junkie … there’s something so soothing about a big bar of soap. Last year I was in the Virgin Islands and discovered this great goat’s milk soap made by a cooperative there and was so sad I didn’t bring home more with me. Thanks for the info!
Hi Jill, I was also attracted to the Anisette soap and the Desert Fields body oil. Small, local companies sometimes produce such interesting products, don’t they?
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for sharing this with us…I iwll definitely be purchasing some of these things. I love a great cause, and a fragrant one is even better! The rose soaps look lovely, as do the silk scarves.
Hi Jolie, I haven’t seen the Rose soap yet (the store where I encountered Arghand didn’t carry the full line), but I think I’ll need to order one soon! I can’t resist a good rose product.
I ordered the rose soap as well as some pomegranate (wasn’t brave enough to try the cumin-y one just yet) and just can’t wait to get them. I got it on Nature of Beuaty site; the others were sold out of one or the other.
Thank you again for bringing such a wonderful product to our attention. My brother has done several tours of duty in Afghanistan, and I know how very much help the people need. I hope to visit the area myself in two years.
Whilst I was browsing Nature of Beauty, I came across the brand Florascents…has anyone tried those? They look lovely!
You must be so proud of your brother! And he must have such stories to tell you about his experiences there…
I haven’t tried anything from Florascents, but maybe someone else here has!
Hi Jolie– I hadn’t seen the nature of beauty site….their prices are better than the real green goods site. So I picked up another bag of the assorted stones for my neighbor who will love them…and I’ve ordered the sample set of the oriental Florascent fragrances as they DO look lovely….I’ll report back when I get them.
Daisy, I hadn’t even noticed the sample options for Florascent! Thanks for pointing that out.
Jessica, thanks for bringing these interesting products to our attention! I just ordered the “soap pebbles” and some Pomegranate and Amandine…. I’m really looking forward to testing these out because Charlotte is so right….these would make lovely Christmas gifts….little extras, you know? , for family, friends, teachers or whoever …I hope they come with information about the cooperative…you probably said already.
You’re welcome, Daisy! I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I’m enjoying my Mountain Herb. The back of the soap’s tag has an ingredients list, a brief description of the project, and a link to the Arghand website, for further information!
What an intriguing review! Just have to try this now. Luckily, I’m finally out of my previously toe-crushing bars of Claus Porto, so it’s time to have a soap switch. These look lovely to hold, too.
Thanks, Erin! These soaps *do* feel nice in the hand, and they do *not* have the toe-crushing weight of Claus Porto (which I love, and they last forever, but they *can* be hazardous when dropped!).
Jessica,
I checked out their website and the soaps look gorgeous. So much like stones! They really do look like wonderful gifts and what a worthy cause. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
~T
Trish, My pleasure! When I first saw these in a store (Moko Salon, in Philadelphia), I just had to pick them up and touch them. They really do look like stones!