"Imperial Leather" Flavouring for Soap

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I have many, many personality defects.

I like some frankly rather odd smells: bitumen, new wellies and Imperial Leather soap.

Now that I've got soap making sorted out I am experimenting with different scents. But does anyone happen to know what the purfume in this is? And whether it can be purchased?

Thanks.

[oldjerry]

I'd like to know too,just to bring back memories of my grandma.

[niknik]

yes. great smell.... cant remember when I last sw some. but talikng about it. I can just about smell it!

[Zech]

I have a bar in my bathroom, kindly left by the previous owners of the house. We've been using it for three months and I'm desperate to finish it so I can start on my first bar of homemade soap which, funnily enough, smells like the soap my grandma used to use!

I can't help with the scent, but I don't think it's added perfume. I guess if you get the right fats/oils you'll get that smell.

[Rosendula]

I hate Imperial Leather. I can't remember what it smells like, but I can't stand the fact that it has a little label on it . I've always had a dislike of labels since I was a little kid and a supermarket assistant put a price tag on my hand. She was only trying to be friendly (and she'd just been chatting with my mother), but I didn't like her and so really didn't like her doing that to me! After that I got all funny about labels - I couldn't stand them (including care labels in clothes. I still cut most of them out). Even now, I won't peel off labels from jam jars. They get reused with them still on and falling to bits after going through the dishwasher and sterlizing processes. Weird huh? And totally off topic

[Susie]

We use imperial leather, so I imagine I smell like everyone's grandma, never mind ;-). I've just gone and sniffed it and looked at the ingredients, it seems to be made from palm oil. I haven't made soap from palm oil, but my home made soap definitely smells nothing like imperial leather, so I'm guessing you would need some fragrance as well. The ingredients list parfum, which could be absolutely anything. If you're going natural I would say try some mix of herby (sage/ basil/ that type of thing) EOs with perhaps a tiny note of warm spice - cardamom or cinnamon or something like that? It won't smell the same but it might be in the same ballpark. It might be better and you might get a multimillion pound soap empire out of it!

(Actually, just googled, and they say their fragrance was originally a blend of 'Turkish Rose, Lavender, Cumin and Precious Amber', I can see the cumin but I'm not sure about the rest, anyway shows you how much I know! ;-) ).

[darkbrowneggs]

Yes my Grandma and mother used Imperial Leather, and I would say definitely a lot of lavender scent to it. Do you remember Pears soap, that was another they liked, with its lovely clear toffee look

I have a thing against Palm Oil as one of the things that is ruining the environment and always read any labels and reject anything with palm oil included

All the best
Sue - Oh and Knights Castile but not, of course Palmolive :-] and what about Lifebuoy in the school loos

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Thanks everyone. When I was small I had a soap fetish. My parents were driven to distractions by my constant demands for more soap which I kept in a cardboard box under my bed.

Quite, quite loopy.

Still.

I shall do some blending experiments.

[Millymollymandy]

That's two wierdos in this thread so far.....

[oldjerry]

I'm amazed that so few people realise the purpose behind the label on Imperial leather,you use the bar up till it's so small the label is the same size as the remains of the bar,then take the label carefully off the new bar and ,whats left, fits perfectly into the recess in said new bar......Simples!...................Now THAT'S weird.

[contadina]

Well, apparently the Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe is made up of a blend of Turkish rose, lavender, cumin and precious amber. I found this nugget on a wet shaving and gentlemans grooming forum. T'internet is a weird and wonderful beast

Cussons' website mentions oils, musks and balsams and here's a list of scent notes for Imperial Leatherb fragrance http://www.scentdirect.com/genealogy.php?scentID=586 Have fun experimenting

[Green Aura]

Can't help specifically rre but if you do a google for fragrance oils (rather than essential oils) I'm sure someone will be doing an Imperial leather blend.

[darkbrowneggs]

I'm amazed that so few people realise the purpose behind the label on Imperial leather,you use the bar up till it's so small the label is the same size as the remains of the bar,then take the label carefully off the new bar and ,whats left, fits perfectly into the recess in said new bar......Simples!...................Now THAT'S weird.

WELLLLLL....... I never knew that. I like to learn something new Thank You

Sue
Dark Brown Eggs

[contadina]

What chickens lay your dark brown eggs Sue?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Oooh!Oooh! Appearently birch oil is a the key scent note. I can get that. I think.

I suppose I could always write to the manufacturers and ask them