A pine forest. A slight chill in the air. Your feet are padded by pine needles as you walk, plot-plot-plot, across the forest floor. The sounds of the trees engulf you. You look up to find a burst of sunlight pushing through the branches. You take the deepest longest breath you’ve taken all day.
Which forest did you imagine? Was it a place from your childhood? Was it an imaginary setting, a daydream? Did it smell like… home?
This past summer, we packed up our headquarters in Upstate New York and made our way across the country to Sacramento, California.
As many of you may know, moving is hard. It takes a while to get your body to figure out what your head has already decided: you live somewhere new, now. A place with new scents and new experiences and new friends.
Luckily for us, pines can be found on both coasts.
This soap is an ode to the trees from both of our geographical “homes”—the salty pines by the sea in California, and the lush, fresh, rain-filled pines of Upstate New York, whose needles are always mixed with frost.
Time travel with us, if you please. All you have to do is hop in the shower.
Here’s what makes our new Violet Leaf Pinyon Soap pine-y, grass-y, citrus-y, and—if you’re a synesthesiac—velvety green.
Violet Leaf
While violets conjure visions of “purple,” the essential oils of the violet leaf are a deep green-color and lean toward grassy. It’s a bright, verdant note that brings out the green-ness (are you with me?) in the pine. In aromatherapy, violet leaf is used to ease pain, to soothe, and to relieve tension, especially for headaches. The flower is useful for overcoming fears; its essence helps to surmount emotional obstacles and develop trust, engenders openness and warmth, and gives support to those who have a tendency to retreat. (In other words, useful for anyone embarking on a move to a new place.)
Wild Pinyon Pine
Sigh, this glorious essential oil! It carries the smell of pine needles, which already bring so much goodness, but the essential oil of this Wild Pinyon Pine (from a limited-edition artisan distillation) is also uplifting and cleansing. It rids the mind (and spirit) of tiredness and worry, and can also clear a space of negativity. In other words, it’s as vital as the air we breathe if you’re a human in 2021.
Bergamot Peel
Bergamot citrus is thought to be an ancient hybrid of a lemon and an orange. If you’ve ever had Earl Grey tea, you’ve experienced Bergamot. It’s zest carries citrus notes but it is also distinctly floral. In perfumery, Bergamot is prized for its uncanny ability to meld with, compliment, and carry other scents. It is native to Southern Italy, but the Italian name bergamotto is actually derived from Turkish bey armudu ("lord's pear"). I like to think of it as a spiritual pear. Heavensent.
Clary Sage
Clary Sage essential oil is coveted for its ability to calm the nervous system and reduce physiological responses to stress. It’s from the evergreen salvia family, like other sages, but Clary Sage is not used culinarily. It can be rubbed topically to ease menstrual cramps, or inhaled to diminish the weight of the world. We also love its sweet diffusive, tea-like smell.
Cat-Printed Reusable Cotton Bag
We’re ditching the paper for this special soap and packaging it in a cotton bag with some groovy, stress-alleviating animal friends. You can reuse it for packing soap with you when you travel. A cotton bag is the best way to travel with bar soap, because the cotton (unlike a case) actually breathes, letting your soap dry out instead of getting mushy.
50% of Proceeds to Sacramento Homeless Union
This soap benefits people in our new home of Sacramento. The SHU is doing a ton of on-the-ground mutual aid for the local unhoused population and it’s a cause we support with our whole hearts.
You Can Buy The Soap Here
The Meow Meow Tweet Blog Is A Collaborative Thought Project Between The Founders Of Meow Meow Tweet And Our Editorial Team. This Post Was Written By Vera Kachouh.