Before I started my handcrafted soap journey in 2020, I was like most people using big brand soap. For the majority, the word "soap" is associated with brands, such as Zest, Irish Springs, Dove and more. These commercial soaps are cheap, mass produced and easy to find. I mean it's just soap? Why bother? As I continued in my research, I had no idea that the type of soaps I have been using throughout the years most likely had chemical additives and/or synthetic detergents in it. It simply wasn't real soap.
FDA Definition of Soap:
1. True soap is "made by combining fats or oils and an alkali, such as lye." This means vegetable oil or animal fat + sodium hydroxide = soap.
2. Alkali salts of fatty acids must be the only material that results in the product's cleaning action. That's it. Has synthetic detergents? Then it is not considered a soap. It's actually considered a cosmetic.
Source: FDA Frequently Asked Questions
I was surprised that what I had been using to cleanse my skin wasn't even true soap. So I ditched the commercial brands and chose the artisan way. It was better for my skin, the environment and it wasn't fake.
So here are my top 3 reasons why handcrafted soap is the way to go:
1. Clean and simple ingredients
- Commercial soap ingredients contain detergents and harsh chemicals. Soap that's handcrafted contain nourishing and moisturizing ingredients making your skin feel AMAZING. In our case, our cold process soap is made with much more natural ingredients and skin safe scents used in safe amounts.
2. Contains glycerin
- Did you know artisan soap is more kind to your skin? Handcrafted soap contains glycerin, a natural ingredient that helps retain moisture in your skin. Commercial soaps actually remove glycerin, making your skin more at risk of being dry and irritated. So what happens to the leftover glycerin? It gets placed into moisturizers and other body products that your skin may need after using the drying bar of soap.
3. Variety and artistry
- There are so many creative ways to make and design soap! This creates a lot of variety. There is a lot of love and care that goes into soap making. Each soap is carefully formulated w/ skin nourishing butters, oils, colors and skin safe scents, giving endless possibilities of making soap for different skin needs.