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| Frequently Asked Questions
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Return Policy
I offer a 30-day, money back guarantee if you are unsafisfied for any reason with your purchase. You may return the unused portion for a replacement or refund.
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What Is Cold Processed Soap?
The term cold process means that no extra heating is used during the soapmaking process except the melting of the solid oils.
I melt coconut, palm, palm kernel, babassu, cocoa and shea butters together and then add it to
soft oils like olive, rice bran and castor. The heating occurs naturally when I
combine the oils with the lye and water mixture. A chemical reaction called "saponification" takes place where the lye chemically reacts with the oils to make soap. It is a very precise procedure and all of
the ingredients must be weighed correctly and the correct amount of lye needs to be calculated. Too much lye will give you a harsh, drying soap.
I also superfat my soaps by adding extra shea butter. Shea butter is a remarkable butter that contains a high number of "unsaponifiables". The extra shea butter lends creamy, rich and moisturizing qualities to our soap.
I also use other oils for their own unique qualities including hempseed and avocado oils. It takes more time to make cold processed soap and some of the fragrances and essential oils are tricky to work with. After the soap is poured, it takes at least one month before the soap is ready to use.
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Why is your soap better than store bought soap?
The biggest difference between my soap and commercially manufactured soap is the glycerin content. Commercial soaps have most - sometimes all - of the naturally occurring glycerin removed. Glycerin is much more profitable to sell on its own than it is to leave it in soap. Liquid glycerin is used as a humectant in lotions and creams. Most commercial soap is not really soap at all. Actually, it is a detergent bar
that can be harsh and drying. Also, quite a few commercial soaps contain sodium
beef tallowate which is beef fat. The only animal products I use are
goatsmilk and fresh cream. Just take a look at the ingredients on any commercial soap label. Here is an actual label from a bar of Dove:
I offer soaps that are free of harsh chemicals and additives. They are friendly to the environment and gentle to your skin - and you can pronounce all of our ingredients!
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Does your soap contain lye?
All soap is made with lye, including glycerin soap. After soap is properly cured, there technically is no lye remaining. The chemical process called "saponification" occurs when an acid (vegetable fats and oils) meets a base (sodium hydroxide). They react with each other to form soap. I've been making soap for
over six years and have read many books and done extensive research to perfect my recipe. Cold processed soapmaking is a very precise craft and takes a degree of skill (and a good scale!) to figure out the exact amount of lye to use.
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Is Glycerin Soap Good For Your Skin?
Well, it depends! All soap bases are different and some Glycerin bases can be overly harsh. In my opinion, Cold-Processed soap is superior to Glycerin soap.
Some Glycerin soap can contain chemicals which can be drying. The glycerin soap I use is different and much better than others I've tried.
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I want to make soap, where do I start?
I started at my local library. Of course those were the days before the internet. The best book by far is "The Soapmaker's Companion" by Susan Miller Cavitch. There are many wonderful websites, too, that are informative. Here are a few that I recommend:
I would also suggest going to Google.com and doing a search on soapmaking. It's amazing how much information is out there!
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How long does your soap last?
Generally, homemade soap lasts a lot longer than commercial soap. This also depends on how it is stored. Homemade soap is best stored in a paper bag - not in plastic. I have people tell me that they put my soap in a closet or drawer and it makes everything smell really nice, kind of like an air freshener. This is fine, but remember my soap is meant to be used. Most importantly, keep your soap in a well-drained soap dish. I would recommend using the soap within six months for optimum freshness and fragrance, but they will last much longer.
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