Handmade Soap. What's so special about it anyway? For many years I didn't even know such a thing existed, at least not since the time of little houses on the prairie. After all, bars of Ivory or Dial soap are commonplace in stores, along with that green Irish Spring soap. Personally, I preferred body wash which came in pretty colors and scents all contained in a plastic bottle. No messy soap dish. No slippery bar to drop. And so for years I was content with body wash. But one day that all changed. I discovered handmade soap and learned how to make it.
 A Trio of Handmade Soap |  Handmade Soap |
Have you ever suffered from dry, itchy skin? As time went by, my skin, especially my legs, became itchy, itchy, itchy. Why it was so was a mystery to me. Until I learned about sulfates. Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, and sodium lauryl sulfate are powerful detergents, foaming surfactants which effectively remove oils and residues. Sulfates are commonly used in floor cleaners, engine degreasers, toothpastes, shaving cream, bubble baths, dish washing detergent, shampoos, and - body washes. Sulfates can cause skin and eye irritation. Mystery solved! The harsh detergents in the body washes I used were stripping my skin of its beneficial body oils resulting in dry, itchy skin. The detergents in shampoo work the same way and can cause a dry, itchy scalp or dandruff.
The natural alternative to these harsh detergents is something that has been around for centuries - ordinary soap. As explained by the FDA, "Ordinary soap is made by combining fats or oils and an alkali, such as lye. The fats and oils, which may be from animal, vegetable, or mineral sources, are degraded into free fatty acids, which then combine with the alkali to form crude soap. The lye reacts with the oils, turning what starts out as liquid into blocks of soap. When made properly, no lye remains in the finished product. In the past, people commonly made their own soap using animal fats and lye that had been extracted from wood ashes.
Today there are very few true soaps on the market. Most body cleansers, both liquid and solid, are actually synthetic detergent products. Detergent cleansers are popular because they make suds easily in water and don't form gummy deposits. Some of these detergent products are actually marketed as "soap" but are not true soap according to the regulatory definition of the word."
Today there are very few true soaps on the market. Most body cleansers, both liquid and solid, are actually synthetic detergent products. Detergent cleansers are popular because they make suds easily in water and don't form gummy deposits. Some of these detergent products are actually marketed as "soap" but are not true soap according to the regulatory definition of the word."
Ordinary soap. Made from scratch. "There are very few true soaps on the market." But handmade soap is available from soap makers, like myself. Take a look in my shop to see what I have available now.
Handmade soap. Simple, yet extraordinary.
If you don't already use handmade soap, why not try a bar today? If you do, tell me why.
~Debbie
Handmade soap. Simple, yet extraordinary.
If you don't already use handmade soap, why not try a bar today? If you do, tell me why.
~Debbie
