Why should I pay $4.95 per bar when I can buy soap in the store for a fraction of the price?
Good question. As a matter of fact, many of the products you know as “soap” available in the stores are not really soap. Many are concoctions of detergents and chemicals rather than soap made from real oils from nature and lye, which is the time-tested, age-old method of making real soap. This is in stark contrast with the modern slurry of chemical products formed in a lab to make a bubbly bar with cleansing properties yet possible health risks. A quick search of the SkinDeep Database http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ will uncover some of the possible health risks of some of the well known deoderant or beauty bar brands. Many of these surfactants and chemicals are at the very least irritating to skin and can trigger or exacerbate skin conditions, leading to expensive doctor visits and prescription medicines to calm down the inflammation (think eczema, psoriasis, etc).
The skin is the largest organ and absorbs much of what is put on it. Furthermore, it plays so many important roles in your day to day health, such as protection from pathogens and water loss, temperature regulation, sensation, and vitamin D production. It really does pay to take good care of your skin and be cautious about what products you use on it.
Lastly, our soap is a delight to use. Our soaps cleanse and moisturize and have wonderful scents from essential oils. They leave you feeling clean and fresh without stripping your natural oils. Their aromas are therapeutic and they have a wonderfully satisfying lather. Best of all, the ingredients are all natural and come from trees, seeds, flowers, and herbs, not a chemical laboratory somewhere. The bottom line is that our soap is much more fun to use and better for you
Why are the bars a little bit irregular?
We make our soaps in relatively small batches and cut them by hand. The colors of each batch (even of the same type of soap) may vary slightly due to the natural qualities of the ingredients we use. We strive for uniformity. However, slight variations in color or shape do not in any way affect the quality of the soap itself. We do not round the edges of our soaps. We believe these slight irregularities of our handmade soaps add a bit of character to every bar. No cookie-cutter, mass production here!!
Do your products contain pthalates or parabens?
Our products do not contain either of the hormone disruptors known as pthalates or parabens.
Is there an expiration date on the soaps?
No. The soap itself will last decades and become almost better in it's soap qualities with age. It will become harder and longer lasting as more water evaporates out of the bar. It will lather, cleanse, and moisturize beautifully after years of sitting around the back corner of a cabinet. However, the colors and scents will be less potent as time goes on. That is the nature of plant-based colorants and essential oils. Especially when exposed to direct light, the soap colors (particularly plant-based colors) may fade over time. Keeping them tucked away in a dry and dark cabinet or closet until use will help prevent this. If the soap's scent has faded from the surface (more common with citrus and mint than lavander or evergreen), use of the bar will once again unveil the more powerful aroma within.