Handmade Soap: Why you should try it?

Want to hear a surprising fact?  

A large amount of people have NEVER used soap before.  Yep, it's true.  Next time you're at the store, look at a bar of soap, it's not labeled as "soap". According to the FDA, soap is defined as a product with the bulk consisting of alkali fatty acids...most commercial "soap" is nothing more than chemical detergents, hardeners and synthetic lathering agents.  

I know- who knew??

Handmade soap is made with oils, natural liquids and lye.  That's it!  Glycerin is naturally produced in handmade soap and it is a skin moisturizer.  Commercial "soaps" remove glycerin from their bars, which causes skin dryness.  I've definitely had that dry skin feeling before.

Handmade soap uses a variety of oils, all which make different contributions to the performance.  For example, if I want a bar of soap with a fluffy lather, I will add castor oil.  By using a variety of oil combinations, a custom bar of soap can be made.  All of my soaps will contain coconut and/or beeswax as those are the base ingredients for CocoBee products.  Making soap has been such a fun journey and it reminds me a lot of baking.  One of my favorite things to do!

People often ask me about the "lye".  Keeping it in simple terms, during the saponification process (the "cooking" process where lye and oils combine) the lye becomes soap.  The end product contains no lye.  huh? That's science, the lye becomes soap.  I also add butters, natural clays, milks, other natural ingredients and essential oils to further customize the bars.  Store bought soap does not contain any of this...go look!

The cold process and hot processed soaps I make require a 4-6 week cure time, allowing for the bar to harden further before use.  

If you have not had the chance to try handmade soap, what are you waiting for?

I make my own soaps and I hope you have the chance to try one.  

What are some things to expect?  The soap will feel and smell different, more "natural".  It will leave a slight oily residue in the shower, because there are NO detergents or chemicals to strip the oils.  Just scrub your shower weekly with your cleaner of choice and everything will seem "normal".  Your skin will be more moisturized over time as it gets used to it's new soap.  

 

If you're curious about how it is made, check out one of my short video clips on my instagram page.  As always, do your own research and learn more about handmade soaps.

Thank-you