| How many people know what soap really is? Several | | | | goodness of handmade soap. In commercial soaps |
| of the cleansing bars that you buy at the store, for | | | | the glycerin is removed for sale to the cosmetic |
| example, are detergents-and not soaps at all. They | | | | industry to sell separately, sometimes at a higher |
| are called syndet bars, or synthetic detergent bars. | | | | price than the soap itself! Glycerin is important to skin |
| They are made from synthesized chemicals and are | | | | care because it is a humectant. Humectants draw |
| usually much harsher than soap. Detergents contain | | | | moisture from the air, which in turn moisturize your |
| petroleum distillates rather than oil. On the other | | | | skin. A whole 1/5 of a bar of our soap is glycerin. |
| hand, true soap is made from natural oils (such as | | | | Most soaps have artificial ingredients to scent or |
| olive, coconut and palm) and is a gentle cleansing | | | | color. Some handcrafted soap is scented with |
| product more appropriate for use on skin than is | | | | fragrance oils. These are synthetic chemicals that are |
| detergent. | | | | mixed together to imitate a particular scent. They |
| Soaps, unlike detergents, are made by combining | | | | have contributed in many cases to chemical |
| sodium hydroxide or lye, oils and water in a process | | | | sensitivity in some people. They also have no |
| known as "Saponification". Some people may question | | | | aromatherapy benefits. The scents in our soaps |
| the use of lye in handcrafted soap. The fact is that | | | | should come only from essential oils, which are |
| all soap is made with lye. What needs to be made | | | | steamed or pressed from plants. Essential oils are the |
| clear is that once the process of saponification is | | | | fragrance emitting components of plants and are at |
| complete, the lye and oil molecules have combined | | | | the heart of aromatherapy. Not only do they smell |
| and chemically changed into soap and glycerin. There | | | | good; they have many beneficial effects on the |
| is no lye present in the finished bars of soap. | | | | body, mind and spirit. |
| The oils in our soaps are put there for a specific | | | | The coloring in our soap should come from nature as |
| purpose. The coconut oil creates a wonderful lather. | | | | well. The petals of Lavender and Rose can be used. |
| The olive oil is used for a high quality, long lasting bar. | | | | Earth Pigments can also be used, which are simply |
| Canola and Palm oil carry nutrients to the skin, and | | | | finely ground rocks. This makes the colors rich and |
| the safflower oil make a creamy bar. | | | | earthy, rather than artificial looking. |
| Glycerin is a skin soothing emollient that adds to the | | | | |