Kushboo is one of my most favourite words taken from my native language Urdu, it simply translates as ‘fragrance' or ‘sweet smell'. Just uttering this pleasant sounding word takes me back to my childhood, into my mother’s Indian kitchen which was consistently filled with a never ending variety of beautiful botanical aromas.
In many ways Kushboo is the natural name for my soaps, made with plant based ingredients and delicious smelling essential oils, the scent is the star of the show. Most people, when they first encounter a Kushboo Soap, immediately and instinctively will bring the bar very close to their nose to fully inhale the fragrance (and often with their eyes closed).
We all love smells, sweet smells, savoury smells - all sort of different smells. Whether it’s newly baked bread or the smell of a brand new car, smells can spontaneously take us back to long forgotten memories, reminding us of people in our past, grandparents, childhood friends and moments of emotions from our lives that we had buried in our busy minds.
So perhaps it’s not so surprising that out of all our human senses, the sense of smell is closely linked with memory.
When we inhale a smell, signals are processed and sent though a system in the brain controlling mood, memory and behaviour. It is here that the scents act like a trigger in recalling long forgotten events and memories. Most of us have experience a smell that reminded us of a certain someone in our past. And with those memories come emotions and feelings - this is why when you inhale the scent of a Kushboo Soap you are seeking to feel a certain emotion - from awakening to uplifting and relaxation.
A scent can be overwhelmingly nostalgic because it prompts powerful images and emotions before we have time to processed them.
My customers tell me time and time again how Kushboo soap scents make a powerful impression on them by triggering an emotional memory.
“That (Lavender and Lemon Kushboo Soap) takes me right back to my grandmother’s garden - I can see her now - cooking our dinner in the kitchen, whilst my brother and I play in the grass.” Kushboo Customer
When you unwrap a Kushboo soap bar, you will encounter the delicious aroma even before you even bring it to your nose. Every single Kushboo soap has been specifically infused with a blend of essential oils and botanics to give you much more than a simply a product that will clean you. Whether it’s the mouthwatering citrus of the Lemongrass, Cedarwood and Calendula bar or the Minty Peppermint and Coconut one - each characteristic essence will enhance your senses and affect your mood and wellbeing. This is of course, Aromatherapy - using the power of natural plant extracts and essential oils to enhance and benefit mental and emotional health.
All the scents in Kushboo Soaps and Bath products derive from high quality 100% natural essential oils, carefully blended to help you relax and ease anxiety and stress. We never use chemical based fragrances which have no actual therapeutic effects and which can be damaging to your health.
Soap make us feel good about ourselves, it can give us a renewed confidence to start again and do something new, something different. The combination of cleansing and the power of a scent be invigorating to the soul.
Here at Kushboo, we believer soap is dignity - a basic commodity that we should all have access to, no matter who we are. This is why we have and always will strive to continue with our mission to donate soap to the vulnerable.
A young former homeless man recently revealed to me that a wash with a Kushboo soap and the fresh clean smell had given him renewed confidence to go out and face a job interview;
“The Kushboo soap bar that I was given made me feel like someone cared about me even though I had never met them. The beautiful smell felt like a hug. It gave me confidence and made me feel new” Recipient
So this takes me back in time again - standing in my mother’s kitchen amongst the beautiful aromas. It doesn’t really matter what is being cooked, what is important is the intoxicating combination of all the various herbs and spices - too many to count. I remember distinctively dipping my fingers in the countless jars of beautiful shapes and sizes in every colour I could imagine. But much more than the colours and the shapes and textures, what is still vivid in my recollections is the array of scents from the botanics, individually and, when combined with each other. And, as soon as I left home for University, the first thing I did was to recreated my own collection of herbs and spices. Today my spice drawer is the pride and joy of our family kitchen. It’s aesthetically pleasing and an aromatic daily reminder of my Indian heritage and the very essence of every single Kushboo Soap bar.
“I continue to grind the cloves used in the Kushboo Sweet orange and Clove soap using my late Father’s cast iron Pestle and Mortar - releasing the fresh warm aroma.”
If you’re not sure which Kushboo Soap to choose, the following may help;
Verbena and Turmeric - Luxurious, Vibrant and Refreshing - Deliciously scented with our unique blend of pure Verbena essential oil, this soap bar brings your the aroma of a spa in your home.
Cedarwood, Lemongrass & Calendula - Delicious, Earthy and Fresh - Blended with the zingy citrus oil of Lemongrass and Cedarwood
Charcoal and Star Anise - Aromatic and Purifying - a liquorice like aroma
Lavender and Lemon - Calming and Soothing - A firm favourite, made with our our own beautiful blend of Lavender and Lemon essential oils to enhance a sense of relaxation and calm.
Oatmeal and Bergamot - Citrusy, Floral and Soothing - This super fresh smelling soap with Bergamot essential oil is fruity and sweet, with a warm spicy floral quality, to relax your senses.
Sweet Orange and Clove - Zesty and Warm - Uplifting and invigorating zesty fragrance to refresh and relax.
Patchouli and Lime - Musky and Sweet - exotic with a mouthwatering aroma - a delicious blend of fresh limes combined with the patchouli can help lift your spirits and lighten your mood.
Peppermint and Coconut - Uplifting and Exfoliating - a natural source of menthol to wake you up.
Tea Tree and Poppy Seed - Cleansing and Anti-bacterial - Tea Tree also makes an ideal natural sanitiser with the unmistakably smell of clean.
