HISTORY OF SOAP MAKING
My grandmother made soap, my great-great grandmother made soap and many generations before that did so too. Store bought soap was a luxury that many could not afford in those days. The reason the homemade soap made long ago was called 'Lye Soap' was precisely because there was lye left in the finished bar. There is still many stories from people who remember being bathed with lye soap and describe the experience as 'practically taking your skin off.' That's because there really was too much lye in those soaps. Back then, because they were making a soap used for once-a-week-baths or cleaning the floors or laundry, a harsh soap made sense. Usually, though, it was just one of the hardships of rural life. They used leftover fats from the slaughter of animals and didn't know or have a way to measure the ingredients so the end result was often a lye heavy soap. As a soap maker, I will tell you making soap is a very precise process using just the right amount of lye and water for the different types of oils. We super-fat our soaps so none of the lye remains after the soap has saponified. Each ingredient will lend different properties to the finished soap. The process can be calculated for the soap to be more moisturizing or cleansing, creamy or big-bubble lather, etc.
COLD PROCESS SOAP
Cold process soap is one of the common ways to manufacture soaps. The process is called as such since the whole production process takes place within 120°F. This ensures that the oils are sufficiently heated until they are melted yet still retain all their natural goodness. The soaps retain their natural glycerin, an all-natural moisturizer for the skin. The oils are then mixed with sodium hydroxide (Lye) and poured into a mold for saponification to take place which takes 24-48 hours. Cold Process Soap is technically safe to use after saponification, however the soap should be cured for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. Curing the soap allows the necessary water used during production to evaporate which results in a milder and longer lasting bar of soap. We cure our cold process soaps for a minimum of 6 weeks.
HOT PROCESS SOAP
Hot process soap is one of the common ways to manufacture soaps. It is the way our ancestors made their soap. The process is called as such since the whole production process takes place over heat. The oils are sufficiently heated until they are melted yet still retain all their natural goodness. The soaps retain their natural glycerin, an all-natural moisturizer for the skin. The oils are then mixed with sodium hydroxide (Lye) and 'cooked' until saponification takes place. Once the process is complete, the soap is then poured into a mold to cool and harden. Hot Process Soap is technically safe to use after saponification, however the soap should be cured for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. Curing the soap allows the necessary water used during production to evaporate which results in a milder and longer lasting bar of soap. We cure our hot process soaps for a minimum of 6 weeks.
INGREDIENTS WE USE
We use a variety of oils, fats, butters and milks to make our Artisan Soaps. Most of our soaps will contain Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Milk (Coconut Milk, Goat Milk or Buttermilk) and cruelty-free Tussah Silk. Milk helps to create a gentle bar of soap and adds to a nice lather. Tussah Silk helps to create a more silky feeling and shiny soap bar. Palm Oil, Tallow (Beef) or Lard is added to make the soap harder and longer lasting. Most store brand soaps list Sodium Tallowate (Saponified Tallow) as an ingredient, Tallow is a broad term for animal fat. Some have a preference as to which ingredients are in their soap or have allergies to specific ingredients so we offer a variety to have something for everyone. We will always list the ingredients we have used in each specific soap.
SOAP VS BEAUTY BARS VS BODY WASH
The FDA classifies 'soap' as the traditional soap making process of combining Lye with fat, oils or butters and water. Through this process these ingredients are transformed into soap containing natural glycerin. Although the soap making process requires the use of lye, no lye is remains in the finished soap. This is a simple explanation of the saponification process. This would apply to both bar and liquid soaps. Sodium Tallowate (Tallow), Sodium Cocoate (Coconut Oil), Sodium Olivate (Olive Oil) are terms for oils that have been saponified or turned into soap by the traditional soap making process.
The 'Beauty Bar' you see in the aisles of the grocery store is actually a synthetic detergent or syndet bar. Some of these may still be primarily a soap with detergents added. They may still be labeled as soap but they are classified by the FDA as a cosmetic. Most Body Washes and Shower Gels are actually synthetic detergents. A true liquid soap is created by the traditional soap making process with oils and lye, same as a bar soap.
Why use one versus the other? Well, it's really a matter of personal preference. Body wash seems to be more popular. Many commercial brand bar soaps are very drying to the skin due to the formulation and some prefer the convenience of a bottled wash. I am often asked which of our Body Washes is most moisturizing. Although body wash is formulated to be more gentle than many store brand bar soaps, most are still are made with synthetic detergents which can be drying to the skin. In my humble opinion, our bar soaps are the best for the skin due to the ingredients and natural glycerin content.