Why chose Handcrafted Natural Soap over Commercially Produced Products?
Let’s face it… when you consider the new, weird reality that we’re living in, the humble soap bar has literally become the unsung hero of the hour.
As an NHS key worker, right at the pointy end of it all, I’m painfully aware of the need to scrub away. You’ll find me either singing “happy Birthday” twice or, as I prefer it, pretending I’m hand washing Jason Momoa!
It’s all fun and games, until your skin literally starts to crack under the pressure. It’s at this point that I started to look into the many benefits of using Handcrafted natural soap bars and skin care products.
Store bought, commercially made soaps are often stripped of the most important ingredient of all – Glycerine. Glycerine is a natural by product of the saponification process. It’s a humectant, which literally means that it draws moisture from the air to your skin. This ensures that washing with natural, handmade bars will leave your skin soft and moisturised.
Believe it or not, commercially produced soaps actually remove the glycerine to use in other beauty products. They then replace it with all kinds of detergents and synthetic compounds. All of these additives are used to enhance the fragrance and create luxurious foam.
Ironically, this means that your skin can often become dry and irritated, when washing with commercial bars. This ensures that you need to buy further products in order to moisturise Great way to optimise sales, but not great for your skin…. or your pocket, for that matter.
Here’s what the Soap Makers have to Say
“If you take a look at commercial products sold in stores, it’s likely you won’t find the term soap on the package. Commercial bars sold in stores is often made with chemical detergents, hardeners and synthetic lathering agents. Some of these ingredients can be drying or irritating on the skin. On the other hand, handmade products created with oils, liquid and lye does not contain these harsh ingredients and qualifies as soap.’ The ingredients in some commercial bars on the market make them ineligible to be called and advertised as soap.” (soapqueen.com)
“Store bought or commercial soaps (detergents) are regularly advertised as All Natural when in fact, the ingredients can be identified as synthetic compounds such as chemical hardeners, foaming agents and fragrances.” (elgrecocosmetics.com)
“Real soap is the result of the combination of alkaline (lye) and oils. Any plant or animal oil will saponify, or make soap, when combined with lye and the water required to dissolve the lye. Micelle molecules form in the soap. These micelles have a hydrophilic end, which is attracted to water and a hydrophobic end, which repels water. The hydrophilic end loves to get into the dirt and grime and the hydrophobic end wants to get out of there as soon as possible so it lifts the dirt and washes it down the sink.” (makingsoapmagazine.com)
Take a look at the ingredient lists of some of the most popular soaps in the market today. You’ll find many chemical-sounding names, and the number of ingredients is pretty long as well. Here is a look at what some of these ingredients can do to your health. (mylittlemoppet.com)
So what goes into a bar of Handcrafted Natural Soap?
Always make sure to read the list of ingredients, when buying Handcrafted Natural Soap bars. Some companies make their bars look like handmade soap, but they are really commercially produced soaps in disguise!
A real bar of Handcrafted soap will contain essential oils, fatty acid and even vegetable oils. Be aware however, at some essential oils, like peanut and coconut can cause an allergic reaction. Also, not all soaps are vegetarian or vegan friendly. Some real traditionalist still acquire their Lye from the ashes of a fire pit, and the ashes containing bones are exceptionally good when it comes making soap. This subject in itself highlights one of the main benefits from buying handmade, natural soap. The soap maker will know EXACTLY what ingredients they have used, and will be more than happy to answer your questions.
On a personal note, I lived and worked in the Greek Islands for 10 years, and became very familiar with the amazing therapeutic properties of real olive oil soap. These natural soap bars were made in small batches, without any chemical additives or artificial fragrances. I watched in wonder, as my Greek friends used these handmade soap bars for washing their skin, hair and even clothing! What stunned me the most however, was the results I witnessed on a young English girl, who suffered terribly from quite serious bouts of eczema and sensitive skin.
Within a weeks holiday, washing with this high quality olive oil soap, her eczema was completely gone. I would encourage anyone with eczema or similar skin disorders, to say no to harsh chemicals, commercial soap and additional products. Track down real, natural olive oil pure soap and try it for 2 weeks. With a natural soap, made by an independent soap maker, you have little to lose in your quest for healthy skin. Check out La Zouch Soaps, here at the Guild for some amazing recipes!