"I'm always on the lookout for new fragrances, and this one is really appealing. Tim and I both loved the fragrance."

Cynthia Bartram, Mesquite, TX

History

When Winston Churchill and his family moved into 10 Downing Street in 1940, they found "78 pounds of Brown Windsor soap, a favorite of both Napoleon and Queen Victoria." So it's told in Erik Larson's biography, The Splendid and the Vile. Many new customers have found our Brown Windsor soap thanks to this New York Times bestseller.

An article in the New York Post about Churchill's love of Brown Windsor soap wiped us out of stock, but it's back. 

Our Brown Windsor soap's basic recipe comes from Perfumery and Kindred Arts, a Comprehensive Treatise on Perfumery by Richard Cristiani, published in Philadelphia in 1877. Even then, the author referred to the recipe as "Old Brown Windsor Soap."

The original soap was made in Windsor, England, and exported around the world. Brown Windsor was said to be a favorite of Napoleon, a notorious lover of scent. In the U.S., the soap was sold from Lewis and Clark's time through the Civil War and into the Twentieth Century.

Brown Windsor joins our collection of traditional soaps like Old Fashioned Lye, Bay Rum, and Lavender Oatmeal. We are proud that these and many others are sold at National Parks and Historic Sites.

Scent

By now, you must be wondering what it smells like and why it was so popular. Cristiani's recipe called for lavender, bergamot, caraway, petitgrain, cinnamon, and clove. We tested various proportions of these essential oils and chose the blend we found most satisfying.

The spiciness you'll smell in the bar comes from cinnamon and clove. The sweet citrus scent comes from bergamot, a lemon-like fruit from Italy; the green citrus aroma comes from petitgrain, distilled from the twigs and leaves of bitter orange trees. You'll love the caraway. This essential oil, prized in perfumery, adds a sophisticated twist. Lavender ties it all together.

Moisturizers

We add shea butter and avocado oil for extra moisturizing. Like all of our soaps, this a splendid skincare bar.

Appearance

Our Brown Windsor looks like granite—russet brown with shreds of pure white soap. Coffee makes the rich brown color but adds no aroma or texture.

Contains

• saponified olive oil and/or rice bran oil, palm kernel oil, and soy oil
• glycerin
• avocado oil
• bergamot essential oil
• caraway essential oil
• cinnamon essential oil
• clove essential oil
• coffee
• lavender essential oil
• petitgrain essential oil
• shea butter
• nothing else

You may also want to explore: 

• Men's Favorite Soaps and Products
• Old-Fashioned Soaps
• Smooth/Untextured Soaps
• Soaps and Products with Citrus Scents
• Soaps and Products with Spice Scents