If you’ve been a fan of The Oakley Soap Co for a few years, you may notice this year’s version of “Actually I’m a clean hippie” looks a little darker than in years past.
The part that is brown this year has always been cream. This change came as a shock to me when I pulled it off the curing rack. It looked like every other batch I’ve made in years past. However, this color change doesn’t mean the soap is bad. It simply looks different.
The reason for this change?
A new vendor for patchouli and a darker patchouli oil.
Because essential oils are plant-based, a million different things can affect an oil. Think of it like wine. Too much rain, not enough rain, where the plant was grown, and when it was harvested can all make a difference. It’s usually an imperceptible difference, and you need to have a super sensitive nose to tell.
The way patchouli is distilled to create the essential oil also makes a difference. Both light and dark patchouli essential oils are steam distilled from the same parts of the plant, but light patchouli is distilled in a stainless steel vat, while dark is in an iron vat. Distilling in iron makes for a darker-colored oil with a deeper, richer scent.
This year, I used a dark patchouli oil, hoping to create a rounder, warmer aroma, but I didn’t realize how much it would change the color. But here we are. 
So, don’t worry if your soap looks different. It still has the same (if not a little better) great scent, and it will still leave you feeling fresh and clean. It’s just a change in color.
As is the way with handmade soap, no batch will exactly match the last one in looks. That’s how you know it was made by a human in small batches.