FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is your soap “All Natural”?
A: The term “natural” is very broad and not regulated. It can mean different things to different people. It can mean anything from “comes directly from the earth” to “made in a lab, but has the same chemical composition as something found in nature”. We would classify our soaps as “mostly natural” because the majority of ingredients we use are found in nature. That being said, certain ingredients we use are produced in a lab for quality and purity purposes. For example, the micas and oxides we use to color our regular line of soaps are made in a lab because micas mined straight out of the ground contain unsafe levels of heavy metals and lead that are extremely difficult to remove. Lab created micas do not contain these dangerous metals, are classified as cosmetic grade and are regulated by the FDA. Our Apothecary line is more “natural” than our regular line for the simple fact that we use skin safe essential oils for fragrance and herbs, clays and spices for color.
Q: Is your soap Organic?
A: No. While we do use some organic ingredients in our products, our products themselves have not been certified as organic.
Q; I ordered 2 bars of soap in the same scent – why do they look different?
A: This is the beauty of handmade soaps and how you can tell they are handcrafted and not mass produced in a factory. The perfection is in the imperfections.
Q: Is your soap biodegradable?
A: Yes.
Q: How long does a bar of your soap last?
A: If proper care is taken, one bar of soap will last between 3-6 weeks of regular use by a single person. By “proper care” we mean keeping the bar out of the direct stream of water from your shower, keeping it in a soap dish that drains well and letting the soap dry completely between uses. Using a bath poof/loofa to create lather will also prolong the life of your soap.
Q: How long is the soap good for?
A: While store-bought soaps can be stored for a long period of time, we recommend you use your soap within 1 year of purchase.
Q: Are your products Vegan?
A: No. While we do not us any animal fats such as Lard or Tallow, we do use cow cream, yogurt, buttermilk, goat milk and beeswax in some of our products. Any products we make that are Vegan will be noted as such in the product description.
Q: What is Sodium Hydroxide and why do you use it in your soaps? Why don’t you just call it “lye”?
A: Sodium Hydroxide is a kind of lye. We choose to label it as “Sodium Hydroxide” instead of “lye” because lye can mean either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide. Sodium Hydroxide is used to make bar soap. Potassium Hydroxide is used to make liquid or cream soaps. You CANNOT make soap without using lye. Even commercial and glycerin soaps are made with lye. If you see an ingredient such as “Sodium Cocoate” on a box of commercial soap, it means “coconut oil that has been turned into soap using lye”.
Q: What is Sodium Lactate and why do you use it in your soaps?
A: Sodium Lactate is a liquid salt that is naturally derived from the natural fermentation of sugars found in corn and beets. In food, Sodium Lactate may be used as a preservative, acting as an inhibitor of bacteria growth. In Cold Process soap, Sodium Lactate helps to produce a harder bar of soap that lasts longer in the shower.
Q: What does “Cold Process” mean and is it better than “hot process” or “glycerin” soaps?
A: “Cold Process” means soap that was made from scratch without using heat to speed up the process. We don’t necessarily think that any one process of soap making is “better” than the other.
Cold Process (CP) and Hot Process (HP) are very similar up to a point.
“Cold Process” means no outside heat source was used to speed up the saponification process. The Sodium Hydroxide and oils are mixed, poured into a mold, left to set up for 24 hours, unmolded and then cured anywhere from 4 weeks to a full year, depending on the recipe and the maker’s preference. CP soaps take 24-72 hours to fully saponify and require a minimum 4 week curing period so the excess water can evaporate and the bar can harden.
“Hot Process” means heat was used to speed up the saponification process and evaporate the excess water so the soap is ready to use right away. Basically, cooking the soap. This is usually done by using a slow cooker or double boiler. Most HP soap makers let their finished soaps cure for 1-2 weeks so any excess water can evaporate, which results in a harder bar of soap.
Glycerin soaps are also commonly referred to as “melt and pour” soaps. The person making them usually buys a pre-made base from a supplier, melts the base using a double boiler or a microwave, adds fragrance/color/etc. and pours it into a mold. Glycerin soaps do not require any cure time. As soon as they have solidified and cooled, they are ready to use.
The best way to describe the difference between CP/HP soaps and Glycerin soaps is this: CP/HP soaps are like making a cake completely from scratch. Glycerin soaps are like buying a cake mix in a box. Both make cake, but they are not the same.
Q: What is the difference between handmade/handcrafted soaps and commercially made soaps?
A: Commercial soaps are often made at much higher temperatures than handcrafted soaps, which can degrade beneficial qualities of the oils used. Large soap factories favor using this process because it is faster, with a shorter cure time and allows them to use lower quality oils and animal fats in their products. When soaps are “milled” it means they are made, broken up by rollers and pressed into bars. “Triple Milled” means this process is repeated 3 times. The upside to this process is that the finished bars are very dense and last longer. The downside is that the natural glycerin produced during the soap making process is removed during the pressing to make room for more soap, which makes it more drying. Even companies who claim to have a certain percentage of added moisturizer in their product do this. They just add synthetic chemicals to replace the natural glycerin that was removed.
Q: What does “saponification” mean?
A: The simplest explanation (avoiding a complex Chemistry lesson) is this: Saponification is the scientific process of adding a strong alkali/base (Sodium Hydroxide lye) to a fatty acid (oil) in order to make a type of salt (soap). Soap makers also do what is called “superfatting”, meaning their recipe/formula has more oil than the lye can react with and change into soap. This ensures there is no possibility of any active lye in the final product and, because there are still free floating oil molecules in the soap, the soap is gentler and more luxurious.
Q: Are your soaps “tearless” or “tear free”?
A: No, they are not. Please do not wash your eyes with the soap. Please don't eat it, either.
Q: I’ve heard a lot of negative things about Palm oil. Why do you use it in your soaps?
A: There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the unsustainable production and harvesting practices of Palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. Unfortunately, some people have grouped sustainable and ethical palm oil producers from all over the world into the same category as the unethical ones who are destroying tropical forests and animal habitats in Malaysia and Indonesia. The Palm oil we purchase for our products is refined organic and is RSPO certified sustainable.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.