You may be accustomed to purchasing soap at the grocery store or at the mall in a brightly packaged container or a convenient dispenser, but before you buy, pay attention to the labels. The first thing you will notice is that you aren't buying soap, you are buying a moisturizing bar, a body wash or a beauty bar. They don't contain the ingredients that qualify them to be labeled as soap. Instead they are detergents, containing ingredients created in the lab to make them lather and other chemicals that you can't pronounce and really have no idea what they are or what they do.
Typically, glycerine is removed by the commercial soap manufacturers because it is profitable to sell the glycerine independently to be added to lotions and moisturizers. After using the commercial body bars, your skin will be crying out for moisture that has been stripped as you bathe.
Your skin is porous and absorbs whatever it comes into contact with. Chemicals and toxins that we use on our bodies, hands, and face over time can actually cause issues with skin conditions, rashes, and accumulate in our lymph nodes, body fat, and even brain tissue. In addition, these chemicals are not good for the environment.
A natural handcrafted soap, made from quality oils and organic ingredients is great for your skin and good for the environment.
When purchasing handmade soap, these are the things you should know. There are three ways of making soap - "melt and pour", "hot process" and "cold process". Not all handmade soaps are created equal. The oil mixtures vary from soap maker to soap maker. Even with handmade soap it is still very important to read the labels.
The cold process method takes the most time, but is undoubtedly the best method for producing the highest quality soaps and this is the method we use at The Country Escape.
Cold process soap bars are made using a combination of oils or fats and lye. The caustic effect of the lye is removed during the saponification process. Glycerine is created during this saponification process. The oils that are used will determine how hard or soft the bar will be and how well it will lather.
The best soap for your skin and for the environment is an all-natural, cold process soap made with organic ingredients. Trust us, your skin will thank you.