Vermont Soapworks - WHY HANDMADE NATURAL SOAP IS GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN

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WHY HANDMADE NATURAL SOAP IS GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN

Middlebury, Vermont – Personal care hype is usually so thick you can cut it with a knife. Why is handmade natural soap special? There is a three-part answer: (1) what is not in it; (2) what is in it; and (3) how it is made.

THE "NOT-IN-IT" FACTOR

Handmade Natural Soap does not contain artificial fragrances. Many artificial fragrances cause dry skin reactions and other annoying conditions such as itchy noses. Pure essential oil fragrances are good for the skin and provide aromatherapy benefits for the mind. Natural fragrances frequently have anti-fungal, and anti-microbial properties as well.
There are no artificial colors in Handmade Natural Soap. Most cosmetic products use FD&C or Lake colors made from coal tar dyes. These substances can contain residual cancer-causing substances such as phenols and benzene that cause skin irritation and other health concerns. Natural soap is uncolored or gains tint through use of essential oils, plant material or mineral oxide colorants. Handmade Natural Soap doesn't contain artificial preservatives that can irritate skin. Rosemary extract is the natural preservative of choice for handmade soap producers. Perhaps most important of all, properly made Handmade Natural Soap has no measurable Free Alkali, the most common irritant in soap. Additionally, Handmade Natural Soap is free of synthetic ingredients often found in mass-marketed soap such as Isopropyl Alcohol, TEA, Propylene Glycol and Triclosan that are suspected to be harmful to human health and can cause severe skin irritation in some people.

THE "HAND LOTION IN SOAP" EFFECT

"What is not in it" explains why Handmade Natural Soap is non-irritating, but what makes it so soothing? Handmade Natural Soap is usually made from whole vegetable oils. These food grade oils contain naturally occurring stearic acid and palmitic waxes. This is the stuff that hand lotions are made from. Handmade Natural Soap also contains glycerin, free oils and water. These substances provide a moisturizing lotion base. Soapmakers refer to this as the "hand lotion in soap" effect.

HOW HANDMADE NATURAL SOAP IS MADE IS IMPORTANT

It takes nearly a month to make a bar of Handmade Natural Soap. This is because there is a three-week "curing period" while the product slowly hardens. During the first part of the soapmaking process, oils and alkali solution are mixed together for about an hour until the mixture thickens. The batch is then poured into wooden molds and kept warm for a few days. Soapmakers call this "making Jell-O (TM) in reverse" because the soap is forced to set up as slowly as possible.
The handcrafting process for natural soap removes excess alkali that traditional soaps leave in. Acidic oils and alkali solution neutralize each other to form a salt: soap with glycerine as a by-product. Oils that did not react with alkali are "free" or "superfatted" which makes the soap milder while reducing lather and shelf life. Alkali in the mixture that does not react with oils is "free alkali", which makes soap harsh and drying. Free alkali that has not neutralized base oils to form soap and glycerin will rise to the top like cream and is skimmed off. This leaves the pure soap underneath. Soap is then cut to size and placed on drying racks to harden. This meticulous process creates the mildest soap that can be made.

HANDMADE NATURAL SOAP IS GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN

Evidence abounds of the healing powers of Handmade Natural Soap, particularly when essential oils are included. Eczema and psoriasis sufferers, as well as people that have sensitive skin or are hypoallergenic often find immediate relief by switching to Handmade Natural Soap.

SELECTING THE RIGHT SOAP

To improve skin health, consumers should carefully review the ingredients in the soap they are using. If they can't pronounce the ingredients or their skin is dry or irritated, they should identify and use a natural, vegetable-based soap bar that addresses the needs of their skin type. Visit www.vermontsoap.com to learn more about how to determine skin types and which natural soap ingredients are recommended for different skin types.

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