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Writer's pictureChristal Cleary
May 28, 20224 min read

The color pink


(Montan Pink sand.)




Pink is not my favorite color by any means, but when I find something in nature that is pink it always surprises me how much I enjoy this color. Boulgonvalia flowers that run rapidly all over California may be something that is overlooked by the locals, but even the yard litter that makes its way into houses is one of the most radiant confetti that any plant has to offer in my opinion. Everything from rocks that get turned into pink sand, to clays, petals, and even salt are some of the many pink items that are worked into my soap batter, providing an array of textures and beneficial minerals and elements that all skin is sure to enjoy. Pink may not be the color of clothes I buy, but it sure is something that draws my eye whenever it is near.






Sand in the shade of baby pink lines the shores of a beautiful lake in Montana, the red iron-rich rocks are processed over time by weather and elements to gradually turn into the sand that covers this land. On a special girls' trip, we collected 50lbs or more of this spectacular item many people may overlook or take for granted. Using small amounts in my soap batter to provide exfoliation and color this ingredient is one of my favorite items to add to my batches. This soap is special to me and each time I make it my mind travels to the woods with my friends our journeys, educational talks, and foraging together will always be a part of me and is something I get to share with you all one bar at a time.




(Himalayan Pink Salt.)





Salt is one of my favorite flavor profiles and one of the many things I love to collect and find new ways to use and incorporate into my life and find new varieties. Table salt has no place in my home and is stripped of its natural colors and minerals, we use many forms found all over the world and are unrefined leaving many color, texture, mineral, and flavor profiles able to be savored. Himalayan pink salt is one of my go-to salts for daily cooking and beauty items. This salt is even adored by my husband, while his favorite to use on steaks may just have to be the black Hawaiian volcanic salt in large square sliced flakes.





(Pink crab spider on the rose bush in our back yard. )




Flowers in the shade of pink litter my yard and are one of the most productive plants may just have to be my wild rose, (rugrosa rose) in bright pink. A few years ago I found a huge spider eating a bee on one of the flowers as I was harvesting the buds and flowers for my soaps. It was pink and white and was camouflaged in the shrub so well that I had to take a close-up photo to get it in the frame. Learning about this pink spider, and its name as a common crab spider; we found out that it had changed its color by biting the plant and consuming the liquid over time changing like a chameleon to this particular shrub. Impressed so much by the natural beauty and process of this one spider, I decided to let it have the whole plant to itself and leave it alone in hopes of more of these glorious delights in our garden next year in any shade they choose to become. Each year since then I have looked for her in hopes to find an offspring like charoset and her web, she made an impact on us.







(French pink clay used as a facial mask.)





Pink clay is something you may not think that you are familiar with, but I assure you if you have ever had chickenpox, bug bites, rashes, or hives as a child your caregivers probably lacquered you up with some pink calamine lotion. This lotion is a liquid form of french pink clay and is in almost every home in America. Smooth and silky texture-wise, it can be used to dust onto skin or wounds or made into a paste mixing it with a liquid, honey, or even oils for a soothing creamy skin protective covering, able to suck up any excess moisture and draw out toxins deep in the pores and beneath.






(French Pink Clay, used in calamine lotion. )



Pink is commonly referred to as a color for girls, baby showers, valentines day, and such, it is so much more than that to me, it represents minerals, iron, it acts as a beacon for pollinators, and hummingbirds to come down and join the fun of the garden and celebrate in its buffet of nectars. As a lampworker (glassblower) the colors of pinks and reds are achieved by fuming high-quality gold onto the glass bonding the metal fumes with the silica helping to achieve color and iridescent naturally. This process is one of my all-time favorites, while fuming with silver metal will allow you to achieve colors in the blue and purple shades, combining the two metals, gold and silver allows the possibilities of an oil slick like shine and color permanently bonding on and into the glass depending on how it is being worked.





(Boulgonvalia plant.)




Do you love the color pink? What are some of your favorite natural pink items? Custom soaps are always available so even if pink is not your color, I have your back and love to make soaps of every shade available with items of all kinds, like fresh pine sap, silk fiber, coconut milk, honey, pearl powder, and any kind of luscious item you skin may crave. Next time you are throwing or attending a baby shower, keep naturally colored pink soaps.






(Moab Desert Christal Clear Soaps is perfect for taking to the beach.)






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