I made this soap 2 days ago, when inspiration hit and getting down to making a completely new soap felt like a breeze. I’d been toying around with a formulation for gym buffs and people with severe acne or folliculitis for some time – and this is the result.
When I first cut this soap I spent a good 5 minutes just admiring the amazing shades of green on the cut surfaces (and trying not to tear up from sheer joy – I was thinking of the many ingredients I have used in the past which very sadly turned to a dull brown over time due to oxidation, or high pH environments). Spirulina powder was the magical ingredient that gave this soap its luxurious green colour, and I read that it in its natural state, it thrives in a high pH environment. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the colour will hold for months to come!
Another thing I’m really excited about is its essential oil combination of sweet marjoram (new!), bergaptene-free bergamot (also new!), cypress and pine. These are all well known as being antibacterial and antifungal, so they should be helpful for those of you who have chronically inflamed pores / hair follicles. I recently had an enquiry from someone who had symptoms that fit the bill for folliculitis, which gets worse when the damaged hair follicle becomes infected by bacteria, yeast or fungi (here are some images, but beware, some are pretty gruesome). None of our existing soap bars were tweaked specifically to have strong antibacterial and antifungal actions, so I’m hoping that Fiddler’s Green will fill that gap.
That’s not all – marjoram, cypress and pine essential oils have wonderful soothing and healing properties for muscles as well. I won’t go so far as to say that this makes it the perfect post-workout soap to take the edge of sore muscles the next day, but its scent will certainly help you be in a placid, happy state of mind. 
There is also a little story that I would like to tag on to this soap. Just recently I learned that the parents of an acquaintance of mine were about to go through a divorce. When I popped into her shop to say hi to her a few days back, this normally bubbly, jovial lady was on the verge of tears. She told me her story and I felt my throat and chest knot up. What a shock it must be for her, and her family. But what could I do to comfort her?
Then I thought of other friends who have their own struggles. Unemployment. Illness. Discrimination. Troubled children. All wishing to find themselves in a better place.
According to Irish folklore, Fiddler’s Green is the equivalent of heaven for sailors. There’s a traditional song of the same name that describes it – I used to listen to it when I was a child, when my father played it on a CD.
So my wish for you, my friends, is that you will all find your Fiddler’s Green while you still walk this wondrous place we call home. I am just a soapmaker…but I want to do all I can to help us all make our little space on earth a little brighter, a little cosier, a little friendlier,
even if it’s through something as mundane as a bar of soap.
Virtual hugs from me.
p/s: Fiddler’s Green will be available for sale on April 17th. Hang in there, I’m still working out its product page. :p
pp/s: A special mention goes to all my friends who saw this soap as food (specifically, kuih talam) – I found someone’s blogpost from 2010 which has an almost identical design! :))