Answers to some of the questions we regularly get.
Q: Someone told me that they make soap without lye. Is that true?
A: No. What they are doing is buying a glycerine soap base (the same one you find in the craft department at the store), melting it, and adding scents and colors. They haven't "made" the soap because it was already soap when they bought it. All they've done is the equivalent of painting the living room. They didn't build the living room, they just changed the color.
Q. Well, what about lye? Those glycerine soaps don't have lye.
Many people think that glycerine soap doesn't have lye. The truth is that glycerin is a by-product of soap making. At the factory, soap is made (with lye) and the glycerine is then drawn out. The soap and glycerine are then sold as two different products. Actually, they are just separate parts of the same product.
We don't buy a soap base from a factory and try to pass it off as homemade. Our soap is made right here, from scratch, and it contains every bit of the glycerine that nature gave it. The old soapmaker's adage is, "No lye no soap." It's as true today as it was centuries ago.
Q: What is Glycerine?
A: The soapmaking process results in one molecule of glycerin for every three molecules of soap. Glycerine is a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin. (Glycerine when applied to the skin attracts water molecules that leave your skin hydrated.)
Q: How is handmade better?
A: Many people feel handmade soap is superior to mass produced products because nothing has been stripped from the soap, and only the best quality ingredients have gone into it.
We think handmade is better because Soapmaking is an art, and we take it seriously. Our soaps are all made in small batches to our own exacting recipes, to ensure quality.
Q. Do your bars contain animal products?
A. Many do. Aside from goat milk, many contain animal fats. The reason is simple, it makes a gentle, mositurizing bar that holds scent well and feels good in the hand. Factory soaps are often made from the same type of oils that run through your car. Is it any wonder they don't feel right on your skin?
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