Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - La Tierra Mojada - Formula CK-6 Shaving Soap - 4oz

La Tierra Mojada 2014

So once again another Phoenix Shaving Classic returns with a few new tweaks! This really is a throwback to 2014 for us. We originally created this scent almost as a response to our epic move into the desert it would seem! With its release La Tierra became an instant hit with the frag heads in the community. 

We, like many, were sad to see it go back in 2016, but as always, we needed to make some room. Eventually, as we have seen many times before, people came out of the woodwork after it was discontinued. Turns out we were not alone in our love of the scent. 2020 once again seemed like the proper time to take a look back in hindsight.

La Tierra Mojada 2020

Honestly, not much has changed from our original scent blend to our latest aside from ratios. Imagine an old, crackling album on a turntable spinning as Fran and I flip on or off different toggles and sliders on the equalizer. To stretch that image even further, I'll say our latest take on this epic accord puts it now in stereo. Now, more finely tuned, you will find it is more well balanced; damper, earthier, more sophisticated, with sharper wet floral elements and more playful undertones of petrichor. The keyword here is clearly: More.

That's right people, fans of damp, wet, restorative petrichor scents will immediately fall in love with this one. Not only is La Tierra Mojada a stand alone scent, we also designed it to be used in combination with Mega Flora & Terra Preta! 

When combined, you will suddenly find yourself deep in a damp, primeval forest, maybe on another timeline. Alone or combined La Tierra Mojada is simply enchanting!

What is Petrichor and why is it so damn sexy?

Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrɨkɔər/) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek, petra, meaning ‘stone’, + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.

The term was coined in 1964 by two researchers, Isabel Joy Bear (Australian) and Roderick G. Thomas (British), for an article in the journal Nature. In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, a metabolic by-product of certain Actinobacteria, which is emitted by wet soil, producing the distinctive scent; ozone may also be present if there is lightning. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.This would indicate that the plants exude the oil in order to safeguard the seeds from germination under duress.