Why Use Handmade Soap?
What Is Soap?
Created by a chemical reaction between oils, water and lye. soap is the oldest cleanser around. Although lye is used to make soap there is no lye left after saponification (the chemical reaction that makes soap) is complete. All soaps are created with lye. Different soaps are made using a variety of different oils. Both animal & plant oils can be used in the soap making process, each adding different qualities to the soap.
Conventional Soap
Most soaps available in the store today are not really soaps at all, but detergents. Detergents are a petroleum based product, like gasoline and kerosene. Detergents tend to leave your skin feeling dry, itchy and tight. Alkali, the most common irritant in soap is most often blamed for this effect. Other ingredients in mass-marketed soap have been proven harmful to human health and can cause severe skin irritations in some people. These include ingredients such as DEA, Isopropyl Alcohol, BHT and Triclosan (commonly found in anti-bacterial soap). The most common ingredient in conventional bar soaps is sodium tallowate. It is the natural product of combining tallow, or beef fat, with lye.
Tallow processes quickly, produces a harder bar of soap and is cheap and plentiful making it attractive for mass producing and marketing conventional soap.
Handmade Soaps
Popularity is growing rapidly with handmade soaps. People are beginning to discover the benefits handmade, chemical free soaps have to offer. With the common use of synthetic chemicals and studies about their dangerous effects, consumers are searching for alternatives.
Benefits of Handmade Soap
There are said to be many healing properties of a handmade bar of soap. Those who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, as well as people that have sensitive skin or are hypoallergenic often find immediate relief by switching to an all natural chemical free handmade soap. Compared to a conventional bar of soap, handmade soap is very mild. Most of them are made from vegetable-based oils, such as olive, coconut, and palm and do not contain the potentially harmful chemicals found in store bought soap. Some say one of the biggest differences between commercial soap and handmade soap is glycerin. Glycerin is a clear liquid that absorbs water from the air and is a key factor in keeping skin soft and healthy. Glycerin soap is especially good for sensitive and delicate skin, and for children. Because it is a high quality by-product in the soap making process, many mass commercial soap manufacturers often extract the glycerin and sell it as a by-product to be used in higher priced beauty products like lotions and skin creams.
Handmade Soap Is Good For Your Body, Spirit and Soul
Skin is the largest human organ and is the bodies first line of defense against dehydration, temperature, infection and harmful substances. Handmade soaps give your skin the care it deserves and make bathing a gentle, soothing experience.
In our busy day to day life we often put aside the indulgences of a simple thing like a special bar of soap. With our limited time it becomes last on our list of priorities. But a fragrant, handmade bar of soap is a simple indulgence that fosters a feeling of relaxation and being pampered. Treat yourself or someone you love to the benefits of handmade soap!
