Berry Delight

Sweet Basil Mint

Lemon Clary Sage

No, these are not the names of my favorite smoothie flavors. They are the names of some of the most awesome, organic, and natural-made soaps and shampoo bars you can purchase. My good friend Katie (and also one of my fellow YTT classmates) whips up these wonder bars and offers them for sale on Etsy under the name of Zuddha (definition: pure, simple, cleansed).

If you are tired of using commercial soaps full of chemicals and ingredients that dry out your skin and want to give your skin a delicious treat, you owe it to yourself to give natural-made soaps a try.

I am lucky to be one of Katie’s product testers and also a regular customer, and want to tell you about two that I’m particularly fond of.

Sweet Basil Mint Natural Handmade Soap

This soap, with its sweet, aniselike, minty aroma, smells so good, I don’t think I would mind getting my mouth washed out with it. Each bar is made with shea butter, sweet almond, jojoba, and avocado oils, which, when combined, provide a mash-up of moisturizing benefits that you just are not going to find in a bar of Zest soap.

During the summer, my skin dries out from being in the sun so much, but after I shower with this soap, my skin feels smooth and refreshed. The flaky dry skin has all but disappeared.

The combination of the essential oils in the soap also provides an aromatherapy session that is better than going to therapy. Basil essential oil is prized in Ayurvedic medicine for its ability to strengthen compassion, faith, and bring clarity, and the spearmint oil uplifts and alleviates fatigue and depression.

Zuddha bars are lightly scented with only essential oils (no fragrances), so they provide just enough scent for the shower, but not enough to linger on your skin for the whole day.

The complete ingredient list includes: distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic palm oil, sodium hydroxide, organic avocado oil, organic sweet almond oil, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, essential oils of basil, and spearmint.

I can also recommend the Lavender Mint shampoo bar (yes, it’s soap for your hair) and the Peppermint scrub bar (perfect for gardeners and mechanics with really dirty hands).

Thieves Oil

If you are looking for a warm, aromatic blend of essential oils, this stuff is the ticket. I have been using Zuddha’s Thieves Oil in some of my yoga classes as I rub my students’ feet in savasana and they love it. The cool thing about Thieves Oil is that not only does it feel and smell great, but it also helps boost the immune system, keeps the flu at bay, and is antiseptic, antiviral, and antifungal to keep you and your students free from germs.

If you are wondering why it is called Thieves Oil, here is the story. As legend has it, a gang of thieves were captured and charged with stealing from the dead during the Bubonic Plague. During the trial, the thieves were offered leniency if they would reveal how they were able to steal from the dead without getting sick themselves. They spoke of a special concoction of aromatic oils, herbs, and spices that they would cover themselves in before committing the crimes. The oils found in their blend are the same oils found in Zuddha’s Thieves Oil: cinnamon, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils.

I love rubbing this soothing oil on my feet before I go to bed to help me quickly fall into dreamland.

They say once you go clean, you can never go back, and I know for a fact this is true. I don’t think I’ll ever use commercial-made soap products again. I just hope that Katie starts offering some of her other wonderful products up on Etsy. She makes kick-ass massage oils and salt scrubs too. When you buy Zuddha products, please know that not only are you supporting a small Ohio business, but you are also supporting a super cool yogini, yoga teacher, mother, and goddess!

Katie is offering a special holiday deal for Daily Downward Dog readers. Shop her Etsy store from Cyber Monday (11/28) through Sunday, December 4 and use the discount code – cyberwk30 – to get 30% off of your order!