Black Pepper Essential Oil

How well do you know ingredients?  We have been building our library of knowledge regarding oils, and ingredients for soap making, and on a whim I insisted we purchase an 8 oz bottle of black pepper essential oil.  It has sat on the shelf for a few months, while we researched recipes, and formulated a plan for its use.

Black Pepper is a common household item, on almost every table, and seemingly inseparable from salt in seasoning food.   But we were surprised to learn that black pepper has also been a wonderful addition to soap and lotion.  The black pepper is a seed pod from plants grown in tropical parts of our world.  Well known as a delightful seasoning when ground, the very same peppercorns can be rendered for their essential oil.  Black pepper essential oil offers a spicy fragrant additive, but the actual benefit of this essential oil is in its anti-inflammatory properties.  Often used in rubs for sore muscles, and arthritis pain, the oil offers some help relieve some of the pain, and inflammation.  One of the oddest use is from ancient Egypt.  Black Pepper Oil was traced to several mummies, and was believed to be used for sinus pain as a topical rub.

We are not advocating anything more than the wonderful fragrance, and the incredible ingredient it is in soap.  We have developed several recipes using black pepper oil.  The first to roll out is our new shave soap featuring Ginger, Lime and Black Pepper Essential oils.  The blend of bright lime citrus zest, heady spicy ginger for that exotic element, and the clean spice of black pepper make this one very refreshing, and masculine.  This formula seems to make a more luxurious and thick lather with the introduction of warm water and a shave brush.  Steve has been testing it and finds the thickened dense froth wonderful for shaving.

Each bar is a 3″ disk that is individually wrapped and packed in its own small box.  Each “puck” of shave soap comes with a small card with suggestions for best using this soap.

If you are interested in purchasing a bar of this shave soap please visit us at our online shop, by clicking on the photo below.  Each bar is $6.00

We are please to display the seal of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild of America.  As members of the guild our soap complies with the higher standard of handcrafted soapmaking procedures.