Soap

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Soap

Soap is the oldest cleanser around. It is created by a chemical reaction between oils, water and lye. Although lye is used to make soap there is no lye left after the chemical reaction is complete. There is no such thing as a bar of soap that was made without the use of lye. Different kinds of soap are made using a variety of different oils. Both animal & plant oils can be used in the soap making process, each adding different qualities to the soap.

Normal Bar Soaps
Much of the soap available in the shop today is not really soap at all, but a detergent. Detergents are a petroleum based product, like gasoline and kerosene. Have you ever noticed how regular soap leaves your skin feeling dry, itchy and tight' Alkali, the most common irritant in soap is often the culprit. Others ingredients in mass-marketed soap have been proven harmful to human health and can cause severe skin irritations in some people. The most common ingredient in conventional bar soaps is sodium tallowate. It is the natural product of combining tallow, or beef fat, with lye. The attractiveness for tallow for mass producing soap is that it processes quickly, produces a hard bar of soap and is cheap and plentiful.

Butter Soap
Evidence abounds of the healing properties of a handmade bar of soap. Those who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, as well as people that have sensitive skin or are hypoallergenic often find immediate relief by switching to handmade soap. Compared to store bought soap, handmade soap is very mild. They are often made from vegetable-based oils, such as olive, coconut, and palm and do not contain the potentially harmful chemicals found in conventional bar soap.

Glycerine
One of the biggest differences between commercial soap and handmade soap is glycerine. Glycerine is a clear liquid that absorbs water from the air and is a key factor in keeping skin soft and healthy. Glycerine soap is especially good for sensitive and delicate skin, and for children. Because it is a high quality by-product in the soap making process, many mass commercial soap manufacturers often extract the glycerine and sell it as a by-product to be used in higher priced products like lotions and skin creams.

Handmade soaps give your skin the care it deserves and make bathing a gentle, soothing experience. For many of us today, life seems to move at an often hectic pace. While the stress of everyday life increases, personal time is at minimum. A fragrant, handmade bar of soap is a simple indulgence that fosters a feeling of relaxation and being pampered. Treat yourself or someone you love to the benefits of handmade soap!

Selecting a hand made soap

Look for a soap made from a blend of vegetable oils such as olive, coconut, palm, palm kernel, peanut, soybean or sunflower. These are just a few of the more popular oils used in soap making today.

Olive oil
This oil contributes more to the quality of handmade soap than any other oil used. Olive oil has a very unique quality that it does not interfere with your skin's normal functions and has wonderful moisturizing properties.

Coconut oil
Look for a lower percentage of coconut oil, as some people with sensitive skin have said that they find pure coconut soaps that are not super fatted will leave their skin feeling dry.

Palm Oil
Palm oil or palm kernel oil lends excellent characteristics to handmade soap such as hardness and lather.

Soybean
Soybean oil is popular, readily available and usually the primary oil used in vegetable shortening. Soaps made from vegetable shortening are much more common today than in the past. Vegetable shortening based soaps may be a little softer than soaps made from other oils.

Essential oils
Essential oils top the list for scenting soaps. These oils are steam distilled from a botanical base, such as the flowers or leaves of the plant. Citrus essential oils are cold pressed or expeller pressed to extract the oils from the peel of the fruit. Aside from adding bouquet or fragrance, there's an aromatherapy benefit as well.

When selecting a cold processed handmade soap for yourself or your family, make sure that the bar is firm to the touch, and not too soft as to leave an indentation when squeezing gently. Keep in mind that handmade soaps can be softer than the commercially manufactured soaps which are milled and extruded.