What is natural soap & what are the benfits of using it?
What is natural handmade soap?
Soap is the product of a chemical reaction between sodium hydroxide (lye), oils and or fats, and water, tea, or milk in a process known as saponification. The resulting product is a soap rich in the by-product glycerin. Handmade, cold process soap retains the glycerin and it is a wonderful moisurizer, as glycerin is a humectant liquid. While I do use some synthetic fragrance oils sometimes, I don't like to use artifical dyes. My soaps are colored by the ingredients that they are made from. Certain fragance and essential oils, base oils, teas, and even goat's milk all lend distinct coloring to soap. Sure, I could make them pretty colors, but why take away from the natural product? These bars of soap are handcrafted and have a rustic quality about them, imperfection is part of the charm.
Why are handmade soaps more expensive than store bought soaps?
Natural ingredients are more expensive than synthetic ingredients. My handmade soaps are made from premium natural, unrefined ingredients. I don't cut corners on ingredients. The second reason handcrafted soaps are more expensive is that they are...well, handmade. My soaps are cold process, from scratch. My recipes are my own creations. These are not melt and pour soaps you see in stores, but good ole fashion, pure and natural soap. Making soap this way takes alot of time and care.
You said lye was used, Isn't lye dangerous?
There is no lye in the finished product. It isn't possible to make soap without lye (or some other caustic base substance as a sustitute). After the saponification process is through and the soap has cured properly, you no longer have lye, water and oils/fats---you have soap. There is no longer harmful lye in the finished product. Correctly made and cured handcrafted soap is milder than the detergent soaps that are purchased in stores.
Will natural soap dry my skin?
Commercial soaps are stripped of the natural glycerin found in handmade soaps and used in higher priced lotions and creams. The glycerin is replaced with harsh chemical fillers and preservatives. Natural soaps have the glycerin intact. My soaps are also super-fat, meaning that additional conditioning oils are left in the soap after saponification is through (by design). I actually no longer need my moisturizing lotions after using my soaps (sorry Bath & Body Works, so many unfinished lotion bottles!).My soaps are like a lotion and soap all rolled into one...and as a stay at home Mom, with 4 children, dog, cat, all the cooking... can you imagine how many times a day I wash my hands? My hands actually look younger since using this soap exclusively. In all actuallity, natural soap can save you money in the long run, because if you are like me, you will no longer be purchasing those expensive shower gels, lotions, and shampoos.
Are your soaps safe for use by people with sensitive skin?
You betcha!. If store bought soap leaves your skin flaky and itchy, or if you have excema or psoriasis, then I do suggest that you give natural soap a try. Commerical "soaps" are in fact not soaps at all but detergents. Many contain fillers, preservatives and chemicals that strip natural oils from the skin, and also breakdown the protective layer of our skin. For more information, follow this link
My soaps do not contain harmful chemicals, and do have naturally occuring glycerin and natural conditioning oils, you should see a difference rightaway. My goat milk soaps contain the maximum amount of pure, goat's milk soaps possible in cold process soap.
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All soap weights are approximate. Soaps are weighed at time of cutting and weight-loss does occur during curing. There is no lye in finished soap.
