There are so many benefits when it comes to using handmade soap. The natural oils, kinds of butter, and exfoliants that you can get out of a natural handmade bar of soap is a luxury feeling.
Quick disclaimer: Not all handmade soaps are made equal. Still, check the ingredients to see whether chemical additives for color or scent are being used.
Not only can you find food items from your kitchen incorporated into handmade soap, but you also can easily make it yourself.
With the world becoming more health-conscious and thinking about what’s going on their skin, handmade soap is becoming increasingly more popular.
The beauty of handmade soap is simple; I mean seriously simple. What you see is what you get. Simple ingredients are used, no fillers, and you get just as much variety as you get with store-bought soap. Just to name a few of the awesome benefits of handmade soap:
Homemade soap is amazing for the skin. As I mentioned earlier, glycerin naturally occurs in homemade soap. It has a high content where your skin will be continually moisturized and not dry out as fast.
Because the store-bought soap is produced in such large quantities and normally doesn’t contain glycerin because it is extracted, it leaves your skin dry and irritated.
Handmade soaps can be used on the face. I will say that the face is usually more sensitive than the rest of the body. For example, I use certain soaps on my body that contain different kinds of butter and oils. If I were to use that on my face, I tend to breakout. I know my skin pretty well. It is acne-prone and oily.
In short, if you know you have skin sensitivities, still pay attention to what natural oils, butters, and fragrances (whether fragrance oil or essential oils) of the natural soap you are buying or making at home. It’s okay to give any handmade soap a try since all ingredients are natural. You should learn what your skin likes and doesn’t like. I would rather test out natural soaps than the mass-produced chemical ones.
Homemade soap is just as effective as the soap bought from the store. Many people don’t know that the FDA regulates if a brand or company can even call their soap “soap.”
This means that if your soap does not have an ingredient called sodium hydroxide, aka lye, it is not considered a soap. The next time you’re out shopping for body products, stroll down the “soap” aisle. I want you to pay attention to the front labeling and notice how many major brands call their soap “cleansing bar” or “moisturizing bar.” All real soaps are made with some form of lye, and if they aren’t, they are a form of detergent.
Sodium hydroxide is also known as “lye” in the cold process of soap making. Potassium hydroxide is used for liquid soap making, which is also a form of lye.
It is needed for the oils to react with the lye because if it doesn’t, then the oils will just stay oils.
Some soap makers prefer not to use lye because it is harmful to work with if ingested or gets on the skin or in the eyes. This is all personal preference. Using the proper safety equipment and procedures, you will be just fine.
I know you think well the lye will be on my skin because it’s still in the soap bar. Absolutely not. When the lye and oils combine, a process begins called saponification (heat reaction). This is what creates the actual “soap.” There is no lye left over in the final bar of soap.
As I gave my short disclaimer above, I’ll repeat it.
Handmade soaps are not created equally. So, no, to are all handmade soaps natural.
Some soapers add chemical additives to make their soap smell or look a certain way. Always remember to check the ingredients even if you are purchasing “natural soap.”
Handmade soap is curated with simple ingredients in mind. It’s nice to be able to read the ingredients on a label and know what they are.
Store-bought soap is fluffed with additives and synthetic ingredients that are harmful to your skin. Store-bought soap is mass-produced and largely made up of detergents.
Handmade soap utilizes natural oils, butters, clays, exfoliants, and herbs. It is naturally rich in antioxidants and nutrients. The glycerin is not extracted out of handmade soap like store-bought. Handmade soap is not mass-produced and can be customized to your specific skin needs. I think the best part is that you can make it yourself at home. Just to sum up the benefits of handmade soap:
If you have switched over to natural handmade soap or thinking about trying it, let me know! I recently started making my own and won’t be looking back anytime soon. I always love to hear your thoughts.
Talk soon!
Andie 🙂
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