Copalli Artisan Shaving Soap | Ultra Premium CK-6 Formula

Scent Profile: Black Copal Forward, with a kiss of Palo Santo. Ethereal, Aromatic, Resinous, Ambrosial and Balsamic.

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My Personal Copal Origin Story

I remember catching my first whiff of Black Copal wafting through the humid air while crossing the border between Costa Rica and down into Panama on my motorcycle. This border was so much less formal than what one would ever see in the states. Imagine a whimsical bazaar or carnival without rides happening in between worlds. Tents, tables, booths, baskets, food, livestock, Singer Pedal Sewing Machines, artisanos, gypsies, jugglers, sketchy money changers with rigged calculators, policia with big guns...and me. Pushing a beat up, no working headlamp, 250cc motorcycle through the crowd wearing sunglasses and a bandana over my mouth to keep out the dust. 

Rather than rush through I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and seek out some new, rare, obscure gem of a hot sauce. I was really into hot sauce then. I enjoyed the many different colors and flavors I was finding during my time down South, but my primary use of it was to hopefully kill any parisitos or parasites I may have picked up while traveling in these parts.

So, I happily trudged along from booth to booth pushing that damn bike. I actually had no business wasting time like that when I would be losing daylight in only a couple of hours and still had a long ways to go. No new salsa had caught my eye yet and before one could something hooked me by the nose and led me to a  booth tucked away in between a cage of baby chickens and someone selling bags of colored liquid. Some where to drink, others were to scare away flies.

A thick, rich, heavy smoke poured out from the stall creating a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere, mixing and mingling with the dust of the day. A tiny old man beckoned to me from behind a table covered in tapestries and tiny ceramic bowls that streams of weaving plumes of smoke flittered out of. I waved back at him pointing at my bike and shrugging my shoulders, indicating I couldn't leave it for fear of theft. But he nodded his head and rose from where he sat, directing me with both hands now towards his tables. I vividly remember saying to the bike as we proceeded under the cloth overhang, "ok, we're going in," as I patted the gas tank.

The man spoke for a long time in a mix of English, Spanish and some indigenous dialect. Somewhere in a conversation about the mystical, sacred resin known as Copal de la Noche he noticed my dilapidated headlamp. He looked back at me eyebrow raised and said something, confused I just responded with a smile and nod. Next thing I knew, with tools in hand, he was repairing my light. Sweet.

I left slightly before it got dark with two sticks of Palo Santo, a satchel full of "God Food" and my bike back in the race to the next hostel . I could still smell the smoke pouring out of that old man's tent for kilometers before it faded into the jungle.

In life, unlike on tv, we don't truly have a soundtrack, at least not continuously or seamlessly. We do however have what I like to call a Smelltrack, it's always going, non-stop since birth. All of my memories after that fateful day down in "Central A" are smoke stained with Black Copal. When I started a few years back experimenting with tree resins and perfuming I knew it would eventually lead back to Copalli.

Scent Profile: Black Copal Forward, with a kiss of Palo Santo. Ethereal, Aromatic, Resinous, Ambrosial and Balsamic.

The Most Epic Scent You Never Heard Of

For the last couple of months you may have heard me refer to Copal as the Sandalwood of Mesoamerica. I know, a tad vague and also confusing. To clarify, what Sandalwood is to the East, Copal is to the Americas, Mesoamerica in particular. Meaning, it is/ has been used in much the same way that Sandalwood was/is and has been, since man set foot on the America(s). Some uses include religious ceremonies such as ritual offerings to the gods, Insect Repellent, Ancient Magic, as Perfume, as Incense, and on and on!

Fun Fact: The Aztecs referred to Copal as Food Of The Gods, if that doesn't tell you how epic it is...and how long we gringos have been missing out!

But What is Copal? Plant, Animal, Mineral?

Copal is a tree resin that has been used since pre-Columbian times in various ceremonies throughout Central & South America. The word copal is a shortened version of “copalli” which is a Nahuatl word that means incense; to the Mayan people it was called Pom and others have nicknamed it Young Amber*.  In modern times copal is widely used as a standalone or as an ingredient in the blend of many incense fragrances.  It's really magical stuff and what I find to be a perfect mid-summer scent!

*Fun Fact 2: Are you a fan of Amber? You know that hard, golden resin that has been known to encase ancient insects? You probably had a piece at some point or another in your life, or at least held some...it's so cool, a real time capsule. I actually remember seeing a shaving brush handle made from the stuff awhile back too, EPIC! Well, that is Copal! Or, Antique Copal from thousands of years back to be more precise, hence its nickname, Young Amber.

Isn't it odd? It's like Copal was always near, we just never knew.

At this point you are probably wondering what Palo Santo is. Palo Santo is also considered to be a sacred tree but possessing a very strong, aromatic wood as well. Palo Santo can be distilled into an essential oil or be used as a resin but even more interestingly, it can be cut into sticks and burned like sage or incense. The scent is fresh and alive - slightly resinous, and almost minty with sparkly notes of citrus. In some cases, because of different environmental factors, it can also smell like baked apples or burnt sugar. The stuff is a perfumers dream.

Get Excited People

And with that it gives me great pleasure to finally introduce to you all after such a long journey, COPALLI!!! Anticipate the magic and turn that next shave into pure adventure!

Oh brother, are you in for a real honest ta goodness treat, Copalli & CK-6

Soap Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Potassium Kokumate, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Potassium Castorate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Cocoa Butterate, Potassium Avocadoate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Capuacu) Butter, Astrocaryum (Murumuru) Seed Butter, Platonia Insignis (Bacuri) Seed Butter, Parfum [Fragrance]