Mysore Sandal Soap

“Best of 1916”

Constantly considering moving to a remote location (less car traffic, quieter, more birds?), I always have to consider that I may not be able to walk over to any number of Indian food markets with the certainty of picking this soap off the shelf for $3. Not that it’s hard to find on the internet, and you could probably drive the pickup truck an hour to Walmart, if you can stomach that. Anyway, I have reviewed this soap previously, but this one is a different size (I think it’s the same soap—manufactured by Karnataka Soaps—coming from the Sandalwood epicenter of the world—but I’m not going back to my old reviews—forward!). This particular issue has a square box and the soap is a really cute circular shape—a fat, little disk—while the other was flat oval shape like one of the Chandrikas. The box is exceptionally elegant—raised letters, multiple, deep colors, greens and reds, and a design that looks like another time period, with pink and yellow rose-like flowers. The Wikipedia page for this soap is full of interesting information—that I’m not going to paraphrase—but it’s worth reading—especially if you’re enjoying this soap. The crucial thing here, of course, is sandalwood oil, which gives this soap a feeling and smell all its own.

Soap Review No. 187