Anjolie Ayurveda's fragranced soaps are some of the prettiest-looking body products I've seen in a while. They're circular and generously sized, and they're wrapped in vibrantly colored handmade papers that are neatly pleated and sealed in the back. Anjolie's lotus motif is a reference to the company's practice of ayurveda (through formulations of beneficial herbs and natural oils) and to its manufacturing location (India, in the foothills of the Himalayas). Anjolie also hits the right notes by mentioning its commitment to fair trade practices, sustainable farming, collaboration with women-owned enterprises, and the use of facilities that provide education for their workers' children.
However, all this visual appeal and these statements of ethics wouldn't motivate me to review Anjolie Ayurveda unless the soaps themselves were enjoyable and effective products, which they definitely are. Anjolie's basic soap recipe includes glycerin, olive oil, and aloe vera, plus other cold-pressed oils; it is available in ten different scents composed from natural essences. I started with Indian Lotus, since I'm usually a floral-lover, and this soap made me realize that I'd never smelled a true lotus scent before. I expected something watery and delicate, but I was completely wrong. This soap, fragranced with Indian Lotus essential oil, gives off a sensual — even slightly narcotic — aroma. It has a floral note somewhere between jasmine and tuberose, with an animalic element behind its surface creaminess.
I also enjoyed Seven Spice, which lived up to its promise of smelling like a spice market. It has a warm, mellow scent that never turns too food-like. Its seven notes are clove, turmeric, nutmeg, star anise, fennel, cardamom, and cinnamon; this fragrance is blended so that no one particular ingredient dominates, but I did notice the cardamom and nutmeg more than some of the other notes, and I didn't detect much fennel. Lastly, I was enamored of Anjolie's Royal Saffron, Almond Milk & Honey soap. It's an opaque off-white bar, whereas the other two I tried were translucent; this one must be colored by its almond milk. Its fragrance is an ideal balance of sweetness and subtle spice (from real Kashmir saffron), and it would delight any fan of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Safran Troublant.
Lastly, do these soaps work as well as they look and smell? Indeed they do. All three soaps that I tried were exceptionally foamy, with a soft, dense lather, but they didn't feel drying to the skin. They're equally useful in the shower as body soap and at the sink as hand soap; they even work as shave creams, due to their lavish amounts of glycerin and soothing oils. It may be true that you can't always judge a book by its cover, or a soap by its packaging. In this case, however, the contents are just as pleasant to use (and inhale) as they are to behold.
Each 5.3 oz bar of Anjolie Ayurveda soap sells for $8.95 at the Anjolie Ayurveda website. A decorative gift box ($3) is available with a purchase of three soaps.
Note: image at upper right is Vishnu, Seated in the Lotus Position on a Lotus, via Wikipedia Commons.
Oh, the Royal Saffron sounds wonderful. Unfortunately not available where I am. 🙁
The other day I bought my first soap in about ten years: I gave up on them because I found them messy and inconvenient for washing hands with. Liquid soap is so much easier to use: you press on the pump, get a dollop of soap in your right palm, turn the tap on with your still dry left hand and voilà. And liquid soap is in general less drying than conventional soap.
But, the range of liquid soaps is much smaller than that of soap bars and I felt I was missing out on some nice experiences so I bought a delicious soap from Zara (Fresh Herbs – it smells of lily of the valley), as well as one of their very convenient soap dishes (with a little ridge so the soap doesn’t slip out of it all the time). I wash my hands so often during the day that I’m not using it every time, but I’m enjoying it and looking forward to trying others in the future.
Hi, J — I often prefer a liquid soap for hand-washing, too; I enjoyed some Cleanwell soap for a while, and lately I’ve been using diluted Dr. Bronner’s in a foaming-pump bottle. Cheap and easy!
BTW, Dr. Bronner’s is the only liquid soap I know of that is actually soap. The others are detergent (see my comment below).
Dr. B. is a classic! Rose and Peppermint are favorites of mine. Almond is nice too.
Thank you for the review Jessica–these sound reeeeeally good.
I’ve only just started getting into bar soaps (again). Like Bela, I’ve been a liquid soap/shower gel fan for some time. Lately I’ve been using a few from Lush, and these have got me excited about bar soap again. Who knew bar soap could be so creamy and delicious?
I’m looking forward to trying this line!
Hi, Dee. Yes, soap — the simplest thing, and yet it has so many possibilities! 😉
I like a few Lush soaps, like Figs & Leaves and Sea Vegetable. Gratuitous Violets was my favorite, but then it was discontinued, alas.
I am a die-hard fan of real soap–most of the “soaps” in the grocery store are not soap at all. Many bar soaps and virtually all of the liquid soaps are actually detergent, which is more drying to the skin than soap. The reason for this is that detergent is actually a more effective cleaner than soap. It cleans so well that it takes away nearly all the oil in the skin, leaving it dry. That is why you have to use lotion on your skin afterward (or conditioner on your hair or fabric softener on your laundry). Many of the detergent “soap” makers counteract this by putting moisturizing ingredients into the product, but I prefer to use the real soap instead.
True soap is formed by reacting fat or oil (tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, etc.) with lye–usually sodium hydroxide, but potassium hydroxide is sometimes used. Sodium hydroxide will produce a solid soap; potassium hydroxide will produce a true liquid soap. The products of the saponification process are sodium (or potassium) salts of fatty acids and glycerin. Many manufacturers remove the glycerin, as it can be sold as a separate product at a higher unit price than soap. The resulting bar of soap is firmer than it would be if the glycerin were left in, but also more drying to the skin, although still not as drying as detergent. “Natural” soaps usually have the glycerin left in, or even have extra added to them, making them very kind to the skin.
These soaps are a little more expensive than what I usually buy–I buy from a couple of local companies located here in Texas and usually pay $4.00 for a 3.5 oz. bar. I may have to try a few bars, however, as the scents do sound very nice.
Thanks, 50_Roses! I have a very general sense of this issue, which is why I’m kind of fussy about my soap purchases (and why I’m happy to find out about companies like Anjolie or COPA Soaps), but you explain it better than I could.
These soaps sound great! Bookmarked for future purchase.
I love handmade soap products, they are my favorite gifts of all time. I’m also a huge fan of Dr. Bronners, mentioned above. Unfortunately, using real soap products is kind of unpleasant when you have hard water- I always feel like there is a tacky feeling residue left on my skin. So SLS based soaps are a must for me, at least in rotation.
Halimeade, Hard water can be so aggravating! Well, you can always keep switching your products around.
Yes, thanks for this info, 50_Roses! And Jessica, I appreciate the review. I only use bar soaps, usually one made in Hawai’i with a kukui oil base. I do love to try new ones, though. The saffron-almond-honey one sounds like one I’d like in my shower!
Haunani, kukui oil sounds great as a soap ingredient!
50: I definitely hear what you’re saying, but I’ve also found that true “soaps” leave a sort of scum or film on things; even poor Dr. Bronners (which I’m glad to see my local drugstore does carry in a variety of scents). I just don’t like the residue. Thus, I use some sort of shower gel, or tend toward translucent glycerin soaps. Really enjoyed your explanation though!
These sound lovely although will have to check their availability in UK, I gave up on liquid soap and showergel a little while ago trying to reduce on plastic. Great bar soaps I have found are – Kings and Queens ( offshoot of Korres) their pepper soap and honey soap are lovely, Lush – their Sexy Peel is a great citrus, and Rock Star smells of cherry bubblegum – nicer than it sounds, Caurnie Soapery from Scotland does especially lovely glycerine soaps. My big treat is Chanel No 5 bar soap – yum and lasts for ages.
Oh, the No. 5 body products are supposed to be excellent quality! I should try that, someday, as a special treat.
Jessica, you really make these soaps sound great, and I’m always attracted to Indian products too. Soaps have been catching my eye lately though I’m really a slave to shower gels due to that hard water issue with residue on my skin AND in my bath (maybe glycerin base would minimize that). Your description of Royal Saffron reminds me of luscious Indian and Persian desserts; with a drop of rosewater it would be perfect! I also still have my eye on those Arghand soaps you once reviewed because they are so lovely. I think I will just have to pick up some type of soaps in the next couple weeks and start giving them a try again. Thanks for this great review.
Good morning, Joe! I actually thought about those Arghand soaps while I was writing this piece, and now I want to order a few more. They were also excellent, and also had a nice ethical business practice. Thanks!
This sounds totally blissful and spiritually soothing! I am completely into Ayurveda, Aromatherapy and Anything associated with bathing! I am a bath aficionado! Thank you for introducing another plushy lushy addition to my bath!
Frangelia, In that case, these soaps might be right up your alley! Glad to be able to spread the soapy word. 🙂