Q: What is soap? How is it made?
A: There are two main elements in soap: oil (acid) and alkaline chemical (base). The reaction, or end result, is soap. The soap's characteristics are dependant on the blend of oils and amount of alkaline chemical mixed together.
Q: What process do you use to make soap? What is the benefit?
A: We use the "cold process". We mix the ingredients together to make soap and after it is completed we cut the soap and let it sit and dry. This is obviously a simplified (nutshell) version of our actual procedure. The benefit to cold process is the soap is not heated to extreme temperatures which destroys some natural nutrients in the oils so the maximum benefit is achieved. The downside is the soap may need more time to "cure" since it is not fully dry or "mild" enough for use. Additionally, glycerine is retained in the soap unlike french milled soaps and machine process soaps in which the glycerine is extracted early in the lengthy process and put back later in a smaller amount. The goal of common commercial soaps is the a extremely hard and long lasting bar that lathers well. The goal of most handmade soap makers is to achieve ideal health of the skin including moisturizing, cell health, and often times therapeutic aroma. This, of course, is a massive generalization, as some handmade soapmaker's goals may be different than others and some commercial companies may vary on the "scale" as well.
Q: Why are so many "handmade soaps" on the market usually so expensive?
A: Ingredients in most handmade soaps are superior to that of many commercial soaps. Many soap makers also charge according to the amount of time they put into the crafting of the soap, including decorating the soap, etc. At natural soap wholesale, we only minimally process our soap, with some exceptions, which lowers our "labor costs". We still use high quality ingredients, however we buy our ingredients in volume to give our customers a great value. We sell a higher volume than many handmade soap makers which helps us to sell at lower costs.
Q: Why is there a warning for some soaps for "pregnant women"?
A: Some of our soaps contain essential oils that may, in large quantities, cause problems for unborn babies during pregnancy. This is a precaution, that primarily stems from the direct use of essential oils on the skin through massage, not necessarily by the use of soap which the majority is rinsed off. This is why we do not more strongly state a warning, rather we "do not recommend" it for pregnant moms.
