FACTS ABOUT SOAP
Soap is our passion and our livelihood. We would like to clarify a few myths and also inform you about the mysteries of soap!
Soap is a cleansing agent made from the interaction of oils and fats (acids) with an alkali (sodium hydroxide) to produce a solid bar. Oils and fats for soap are compounds of glycerine and natural fatty acids (in general, fatty acids refer to any compound derived from the breakdown of fats). When oils are mixed with an alkali, they form glycerine and the sodium salts of the fatty acids. Therefore all soap should theoretically have a natural glycerine content (although some large soap manufacturers remove this substance and sell it separately). Our soaps have the glycerine content intact, this wonderful substance is a natural humectant and attracts moisture from the air, helping to keep skin soft and supple.
A sneak peak at our range
OIL AND FAT CONTENT
Many different oils, fats and butters are used in the manufacture of soap that have different beneficial fatty acids e.g. olive oil contains mainly oleic acid that produces small, mild and creamy bubbles, coconut oil contains nearly 50% lauric acid which makes big, fat, open, fluffy bubbles and sunflower contains mainly linoleic acid which produces big, open conditioning bubbles. So the skill of the soapmaker comes into practise with the combining of various oils and fats in the correct dilutions that are used to produce the best lather possible but keeping the soap mild, gentle – leaving a nice soothing after-feel on the skin (and not squeaky clean, feeling tight and rough as some soaps do).
NATURE’S CLEANSER
Soap removes grease and dirt from the skin because some of its components are surfactants (surface-active agents). Surfactants have a molecular structure that acts as a connecting link between water and the dirt. This loosens the particles of dirt, stale make-up, grease etc. from the skin. One end of the molecule is hydrophilic (attracted to water), and the other is hydrophobic (attracted to substances that are not water soluble).
EVEN MORE BENEFITS
So, soap is a very effective cleanser, but it is much more! Some ingredients that you see on many popular soaps do not have any beneficial effects for the skin, in fact, they can cause problems such as allergies for many users e.g. parfume – you will see this on most soap ingredients listing. This is a chemical fragrance that is a man-made cocktail of chemicals, simply an aroma that has no therapeutic qualities and can be toxic and irritating for many skin types. In fact, over 70% of women claim to suffer from sensitive skin at some stage for various reasons.
FEEL THE DIFFERENCE
Therefore the most important thing in our soaps is that they contain NO artificial, chemical fragrances only aromatherapy quality essential oils that do have beneficial therapeutic properties for the skin. In fact, all essential oils are gently antiseptic in their action and many are corrective for different skin problems, especially when there is an imbalance i.e. overly dry or overly greasy. We use a generous, effective dilution of professionally blended essential oils in all our products that not only smell delicious but have a positive, therapeutic effect for the skin.
You will see and feel a huge difference when you use our natural, cold process soap in comparison to a commercial mass-made soap.