A Soap Inspired by Pest Doctors (and the Worst Flu Season Ever)

If you thought this flu season was bad, just remember: people once feared a disease that could wipe out a third of Europe. My new soap won’t protect you from the flu - but it is inspired by the spices that plague doctors carried when the stakes were much higher. Orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, myrrh, pepper, and ginger-now mostly for your nose, not your survival. And as we learned from the pandemic, washing our hands is still, after all, the best protection.

History: Spices as Protection

During Digerdöden in the Middle Ages, doctors believed that diseases were spread through bad air, called miasma. To protect themselves, they used strong-smelling spices and herbs, which were thought to cleanse the air and keep illness away.

Doctors carried small bags of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lavender, and sometimes burned them as smoke. The most iconic example is the plague doctor’s mask, with its long beak filled with spices. Air passed through the mask, thought to make it safe to breathe.

Although these spices did not actually protect against plague bacteria, they sometimes reduced bad smells and may have kept insects away. Real protection only became possible centuries later, with the discovery of bacteria and hygiene. On the other hand, the Pest has not returned in over 500 years, so at least this method did no harm.

About the Soap

This soap is inspired by that history- the masks, the spices, and the idea of aromatic protection. Its scent combines orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, myrrh, pepper, and ginger, echoing the mixtures once used by plague doctors. Warm, resinous, and vibrant, these ingredients were valued for their purifying presence and their ability to push back the unseen.

The soap itself is made using one of my traditional methods:

• Lard from free-range pigs for gentle, nourishing care.

• High-polyphenol olive oil from southern Italy for richness, stability, and skin-loving properties.

Together, these fats create a firm, creamy soap that reflects old-world craftsmanship.

The Takeaway

This soap is not a medieval cure - nor will it stop the flu - but it is a tribute to human resilience, ritual, and the long history of scent and care. Comfort, warmth, and a little dry humor are included. And as we said before: washing your hands is still the best protection.

This Winter soap is available in 2 sizes.