Hemlock Springs Soaps

09/07/2026

Think handmade soap is overpriced? Here's where those eight dollars actually go—and why it isn't just fancy wrapping paper.

09/06/2026

So. Remember when I said I was working on a Gen X Survival Box?

This is how that's going. 😂

I needed to make a mockup so I can start figuring out what the whole thing is actually going to look like, which meant I needed a label for the lavender + chamomile aromatherapy oil (nothing written in ink yet....only pencil...)

And apparently this is where we landed.

CALM THE F**K DOWN.

With lavender and chamomile.

Because we're Gen X and sometimes "serenity" just doesn't adequately describe what we're looking for.

Also, **breathe • swear • repeat** may be staying forever.

I'm not mad about any of this.

The box is still very much being built over here, but it's starting to look like an actual THING instead of one of the approximately 700 ideas rattling around in my head.

And I kinda f***ing love it.

09/05/2026

How lovely to wake up and find out my charcoal soap was featured in this week's Geo Blends blog!!!! Check it out!

A wood wick candle, apple pie jam, charcoal complexion soap, a vintage E.B. White book set, and hair butter. Five gifts from independent shops.

09/04/2026

A lavender and sage soy candle designed to help you relax and reset. Clean-burning, small batch, and made for real-life stress.

09/03/2026

So apparently I'm thinking about Christmas now. In September. I know..... ugh.

I vaguely remember an idea I had about doing holiday boxes for Hemlock Springs and imagine this -- I actually found my notes!!! And Past Karen had PLANS. Two different boxes, ideas about what was going in them, pricing, when to start talking about them...the whole damn thing.

Past Karen also thought making 25 of each was a perfectly reasonable idea. Present Karen has been through some stuff since then and has decided Past Karen was perhaps a little ambitious. 😂 We're thinking 20.

One will be a Winter Survival Box, because we live in New England and we all know what's coming for our skin.

The other one is a Gen X Survival Box because once I remembered THAT idea there was absolutely no way I wasn't doing it. I don't even have everything nailed down yet, but clearly it needs something for the aching parts, something to calm the **** down, something that smells good, and possibly a reminder that while we survived drinking out of garden hoses and riding around without seatbelts, apparently we can now injure ourselves by sleeping.

So that's what I'm doing today. Figuring out what goes in them, what I already have, what I need to make, what I need to buy and whether I can price the whole thing without discovering I'm paying myself twelve cents an hour.

Although isn't that partially why I'm self-employed?

Anyway. This is how the sausage gets made. Except it's soap.

There will be no sausage in the holiday boxes.

Probably.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Pic of holiday greenery because...well, holiday. And because I've got one foot out the door!

09/03/2026

Think handmade soap disappears too quickly? Learn what really affects how long a bar lasts—and the simple habit that helps handmade soap last for weeks.

09/03/2026

THE SNIFF TEST
Gorgeous? Yes.
Interesting? Yes.
Do I immediately make someone smell my wrist? Excellent sign.
“It's fine”?
Rejected.
😂
I've been testing new fragrances to replace some scents I can no longer get, and I have GOOD NEWS.
A few made the cut.
New perfume oils are coming.
In the meantime, some current favorites are getting very close to their final pour—including Lilith and Bombshell.

Ever wonder why a favorite handmade perfume or soap scent disappears? Here’s what happens when fragrance suppliers close—and why some HSS scents really are gone for good.

09/01/2026

A lavender and sage spray designed to help you relax and reset fast. Lightweight, fresh, and perfect for everyday stress.

08/30/2026

Oil-based perfume scents designed to sit close to the skin and last. Smooth, intimate fragrance without the harshness of sprays.