On this page we offer you quite a list of interesting
Hand-made Soap Information!
Some of the info may surprise you!
1. Mildness is the main characteristic of hand-made bar soap.
When you combine mildness with the use of pure & organic ingredients you have the best soaps for you & your loved ones to use.
How a bar of soap lathers is based on it's moisture content, it's age (length of time curing) & even the atmospheric pressure during the time it was produced. Humidity affects how hand-made soap cures, so it affects it ability to lather as well.
You may not know that hand-made bar soaps, made of pure & safe ingredients, are the mildest that can be made.
Hand-made soap by nature contains a lot of moisture, and that reduces the lathering ability of the soap. The longer it is aged, the more it lathers, but the less scent it holds - so it is finding the best combination of ageing & drying that makes the best hand-made bar soaps.
Liquid Castile gels & liquid soaps are less moisturizing than bar soaps, but lather much better.
2. For the best bar soap lather use warm to hot water.
3. Hard water affects lather. The water in different communities varies a lot. Some water is harder, so it gives poorer lather. The harder the water, the poorer your hand-made bar soap will lather. This is one reason why the mainstream market is saturated with chemical-based, synthetically fragranced detergent soaps. The strong synthetic fragrance & abundant lather (that is chemically derived) makes them seem more desirable.
4. Coconut-oil based bar soaps produce more lather, but are less mild. So the more coconut oil you use in the formula, the less mild the soap is on your skin. They would in no way compare to the harshness of chemical-based soaps, but this is an interesting fact of soap making.
5. Pure & organic hand-made bar soap has a normal pH level that will not harm skin. Mass Marketers mislead people by confusing the issue of 'Free Alkali' with the natural & safe pH of hand-made soap. It is the 'Free Alkali' that dries out skin & is hard on skin. Their harsh, chemical-based soaps must therefore be formulated to be 'pH neutral' or acidic to prevent harm, but our mild organic soaps are wonderful for your skin.
The higher pH in our mild organic soaps actually discourages microbes, which is why the addition of Rosemary Extract is all that is needed to prevent rancidity.
The approximate pH factor in our safe & wonderful bar soaps is 10.01.
6. For more bar soap lather use a Loofa or Bath Puff. The surface of a smooth-skinned person will generate less lather from hand-made bar soap than will someone with a lot of body hair.
7. Bubble, bubbles… bar soaps made with citrus oils lather a little more than regular formulas. Bar soaps made with Aloe Vera create creamier, smaller bubbles, while the addition of clays or organic items (oats, herbs, etc.) makes it harder for a bar soap to lather.
8. To create a more moisturizing soap the 'Free Oil' content must be increased by adding additional oils, such as cocoa, shea butter, mango or avocado or other light & vegetable butter-oils. This enhances the 'hand-lotion' feel in soaps.
9. Rosemary Extract will preserve the Free Oils in the soap bar & prevent them from becoming rancid.
10. Essential Oils have natural astringent properties. For example, peppermint oil tends to have a closing effect on pores (good for Oily skin types), while lavender oil can have a relaxing effect on pores (good for Dry skin types) & the citrus variety of oils is between the two in effect (for Combination skin types).
11. Anti-inflamatory & soothing effects… The addition of the following ingredients produces an anti-inflamatory effect, & one that can sooth irritated skin: oatmeal, aloe vera, comfrey, milk proteins, etc.
12. Our mildest bar is our original formula Organic Olive Oil Bar, with our Organic Baby bar, our organic Unscented Oats & Aloe Vera, & our organic Toot-Sweet bars running right behind.
13. Why don't your products display the USDA Organic seal? First, rest assurred that ALL of our products contain only pure, safe & organic ingredients. Period. NO chemicals or harmful ingredients. But going through the organic certification process to use the "Certified Organic" Stamp is a lengthy & expensive process that (in our opinion) is dis-ingenuous at best - because any organic label manufacturer can STILL use dangerous ingredients under the stamp of 'Organic' certification.
Since the standards were revised by the government, having the Organic Certification label no longer means a 'Certified Organic' product is free of Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMO) or is free of cancerous or petroleum-based chemicals!
Because of this, we state what is in our products & we give a money-back guarantee of satisfaction.
We have the Certified Organic labels only on products that have been through the Organic Certification Procedure. But please rest assured that EVERY product we offer is certifiable as organic, & is guaranteed safe & pure. They just haven't all been through the process to carry the Stamp.
In our view, it is best to find a safe source for your personal-care items & patronize them. It rewards their devotion & ensures they stay in business, & it increases the level of protection for your family & loved ones.
14. The Shelf Life of our products… all natural ingredient products have the following enemies: air, ultraviolet light, humidity & heat.
With considerate storage, our bar soaps have a shelf life of 1 year or more. Liquid Soaps & Gels should remain fresh for 2+ years. Refrigeration prolongs shelf-life & freezing extends shelf life indefinitely.