Our Soap Facts

We make our old fashioned soap the cold process way with quality ingredients like Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, and other skin loving oils. As much as possible we use natural rain water. Those ingredients mixed with sodium hydroxide creates the soap, or saponification process, where none of the glycerine is removed, unlike commercial soaps. Our quality soaps are hand made and cut in small batches and retain their natural appearance.

So what exactly is natural soap?? You'd be surprised what passes for natural. There are crafters calling their (commercially manufactured) glycerin soap natural, and good for your skin, because they melt and scent it themselves. This stuff isn't actually soap by definition, it was either manufactured from sodium salts, stray fatty acids and some surfactants, or it was manufactured from a soap-like product and treated with solvents like sorbitol and propylene glycol in order to get it crystal clear. White melt and pour has titanium dioxide in them to give them the white appearance, which can be colored by more unnatural products. In natural soap, glycerin is a naturally occuring by-product, but in the transparent glycerin soap, its an additive. Glycerin soaps are made using the following ingredients: Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Laurel Sulfate, Sorbitol, Deionized Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acetamide MEA. Some may even contain alcohol. Obviously, glycerin soap is not natural.

Castille soaps have at least 50% Olive Oil, which has natural healing properties by attracting moisture (humectant) and holding it close to the skin. Goat Milk is soothing, especially for dry or sensitive skin, and creates a rich and creamy lather that nourishes your skin. It also is good for aging skin with its natural alpha hydroxies. Both bars are wonderful for skin conditions like eczema, sensitive skin, babies, and work well with all skin types. Ground Oats are skin soothing and smoothing. Honey acts as a humectant on your skin, drawing in moisture and holding it there. Herbally infused bars with essential oils have an aromatheraputic effect. Many of our bars utilize the moisturinzing properties of those ingredients.

All bars may contain one or more of the following: Olive Oil (Olea Europaea Fruit Oil), Rice Bran Oil (Oryza Sativa), Goat Milk (Caprae Lac), Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera), Palm Kernel Oil (Elaeis Guineensis Oil), Palm Oil (Elaeis Guineensis Oil), Castor Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus Dulcis Oil), Oatmeal, Honey, Fragrance/Essential Oil, Rain Water or Filtered Water, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Other Botanicals. (Oil Properties below)

ALL soap is made with Sodium Hydroxide! After the chemical reaction (saponification) between the fats and lye, all that is left is soap, and there is no lye, or oil, left in any bars after they've cured. If someone tells you their soap is not made with lye, then its not soap! The chemical reaction is just not possible without a caustic material.

Commercial Soap Facts

Commercial Soap is really made of detergents, or petroleum distillates, instead of skin healthy fats and oils. The combination of detergents, lye, and water, is a process known as saponification. After saponificiation, the glycerine is removed and is sold separately. Because manufacturers dump cheap detergents into their bars, they can mass produce more, increase their profits, and the "soap" strips your skin of natural, healthy oils, moisture, and may cause itching, rash, and hives. They then produce and sell lotions, loaded with preservatives, mineral oil, and petrolium based products to put moisture back into your skin. Those ingredients are worse for the skin, not better! Its is a vicious cycle.

Our Handmade soaps clean without damaging your skin! Our skin absorbs whatever we put on it, into our bloodstream, and shows damage on the outside. That damage is not always visible immdiately and can sometimes take years to appear. Bad ingredients also store in our organs! We often change our diets for health. We should also take good care of the only skin we'll ever be in and the largest organ on our body!

Some things to ponder.....

Dove White Beauty Bar^(TM) ingredient list:

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (detergent)
Stearic Acid (stiffener)
Sodium Tallowate (beef tallow soap)
Water
Sodium Isethionate (antistatic agent)
Coconut Acid
Sodium Stearate (stearic acid soap)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine (detergent)
Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate (coconut oil soap or palm kernel oil soap)
Fragrance
Sodium Chloride (table salt)
Titanium Dioxide (white oxide)
Tetrasodium EDTA (stabilizer, water softener, skin irritant)
Trisodium Etidronate (preservative, prevents erosion)
BHT (preservative, common skin irritant)
Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate (detergent)

Ivory Soap^(TM) (Moisture Care Skin Conditioning Bath Bar -Unscented) ingredient list:

sodium cocoyl isethionate (detergent)
paraffin (petroleum wax)
sodium cocogylceryl ether (detergent)
glycerin (humectant -- attracts water)
water
magnesium stearate (colorant)
stearic acid (stiffener)
magnesium carbonate (absorbent)
coconut acid
sodium isethionate (antistatic agent)
sodium sulfate (prevents dripping)
sodium chloride (salt)
magnesium laurate (detergent)
lauric acid (prevents erosion)
sodium laurate (detergent)
trisodium etidronate (preservative, prevents erosion)
masking fragrance (this soap says it is unscented!)
PEG-90M (binder/emulsion stabilizer)
titanium dioxide (whitener)

99-44/100% Pure -- DECODED!

Proctor & Gamble determined that in order soap to be 100% pure, the constituents would have to be only fatty acids and alkali. It was determined that the 56/100 of the ingredients of Ivory soap did not fall in the pure soap category. In 1882, an Ivory advertisement appeared that stated the slogan "99-44/100% Pure". This calculation was created by Proctor in which 56 was subtracted from 100 to account for a result of 44. The 56 consisted of the following impurities: uncombined alkali, 11%; carbonates, 28%; and mineral matter, 17%.

This is simply a game with numbers to deceive the public. Ivory soap by their own admission, is only 44% pure.

Commercial Soap facts provided by ©Blue Feather, 2002

Oil Properties

Sweet Almond Oil A nut oil of light to medium weight. It is obtained from the dried kernels of the almond tree. Nourishing and pampering, a base oil suitable for all skin types, especially dry, mature or sensitive skin. Sweet Almond Oil is lightweight and has excellent penetrating properties. Contains vitamins ( A, B1,B2, B6, E ), minerals, fatty acids, and proteins. Relieves itching, helpful for dryness, inflamation, burns, thread veins, a great massage oil base. It relieves irritated skin. Protects and nourishes skin. Balances skins loss and absorption of moisture. Does not penetrate overly fast, hence it's protective properties.

Castor Oil A natural source oil from the Castor bean plant, similiar to glycerin as it attracts moisture from the air and draws it to the skin. A hard, shiny, thick oil that acts as a barrier agent and protective medium against harsh conditions and extremes. Soothing to the skin. Used extensively for hair conditioner because of it's ability to heal dry, damaged or brittle hair.

Coconut Oil Expeller pressed from the "meat" or "flesh" of coconut. It comes refined, unscented and is cosmetic grade only.This is a great oil for general moisturizing and serves as a protective layer, helping to retain the moisture in your skin. It also acts as a more mild, gentle oil suitable for those with inflamed and irritated skin, and especially those with skin sensitivities. Coconut oil is without a doubt, the number one lather-producing agent used in soaps. And is the first choice for most people in the cosmetics and soap industry.

Olive Oil Great for skin care, especially dry skin. Conditions hair and nails. Contains fatty acids, linolenic acid, and is famed for taming inflamed or dehydrated skin. Used for an arthritis remedy when rubbed on affected parts. Has a great conditioning effect in body care recipes and can be used in almost all applications.

Safflower Oil A fabulous, rich oil with an exceptionally high amount of Linoleic and Oleic acids. Deeply moisturizing. May relieve painful joints. Contains natural vitamins, including Vitamin E. Anti-aging.

Sunflower Oil A wealthy oleic oil with unusually high amounts of Vitamins A, D, and E, also has beneficial amounts of lecithin, and unsaturated fatty acids. Deeply nourishing and conditioning for the skin and it is highly recommended for recipes designed to treat dry, weathered, aged, and damaged skin. It does not absorb quickly.

Vitamin E A natural Vitamin E oil obtained by vacuum distillation of vegetable fats. Great for preventing rancidity and as an anti-oxidant in creams, lotions, baby products, cosmetics and more. Recent studies have suggested that Vitamin E oil assists in healthy heart and blood vessels and retards aging. Naturally regenerates tissue and cells, and has antioxidant properties. Good for stretch marks, aging skin, and wrinkles. Great for psoriasis and eczema.

Shea Butter is a white or yellowish fat expressed from the nut of the Karite Tree. Used by African healers over thousands of years as an exotic luxury emollient, reported to benefit dry ,damaged and maturing skin. Shea Butter is known for its natural healthy and healing attributes which works in partnership with your skin and body chemistry as a substitute for cocoa butter.

Cocoa Butter Otained by grinding roasted cacoa beans and then separating the vegetable fat. It is used by plantation workers to protect and soften skin. It is a popular ingredient in commercially produced hand, body and face creams. Like the Shea Butter its benefit is it use as an emollient to soften dry skin and can prevent stretch marks. It is solid, but melts at body temperature. Has a mild chocolate flavor and strong chocolate aroma. Contains antioxidants and retains and replenishes moisture in your skin.

Palm Oil Palm oil is a dark yellow to yellow-red oil (high carotene content) of vegetable origin obtained by pressing or boiling the flesh of the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Palm oil is the largest natural source of tocotrienol, part of the Vitamin E family. It's extremely high in saturated fat (78 percent) and has a distinctive flavor that is popular in West African and Brazilian cooking.

Palm Kernel Oil Palm-kernel oil, though also extremely high in saturated fat, is a different oil extracted from the nut or kernel of palms. It's a yellowish-white color and has a pleasantly mild flavor. Palm-kernel oil is used in the manufacture of margarine and cosmetics.

Rice Bran Oil is high in fatty acids and rich in unsaponifiables. Rice bran oil is a natural anti-oxidant and also offers a small degree of sunscreen protection. Rice bran oil is moisturizing and is a good choice for inclusion in formulations intended for mature, delicate or sensitive skin. Rice bran oil is especially useful in baby, face and hair formulations.