Homemade soap. What’s so great about it? Well, It’s all natural, & it’s nourishing because of the added butters & oils. It may cost more that the soap you buy in a supermarket, but that’s because it contains ingredients not found in commercially made soap. Homemade soap also retains the moisturizing glycerin that commercial soap bars are void of. Also, for the most part, commercial soap contains synthetic ingredients you can’t pronounce. The other thing wonderful about homemade soap is that it is an item we all need, everyday of our lives.
Now for the ingredients. The following is a list of general ingredients used in a variety of Nature Maiden soaps. Nature Maiden Soaps are made with sodium hydroxide (lye), tallow, shea butter, cocoa butter, distilled water, olive oil, camellia oil, aloe vera, honey, coconut oil, castor oil, essential oils, fragrance oil, natural exfoliants, natural clays, natural & pigments. Some soaps contain only essential oils, some contain fragrance oils (not considered 100% all natural), and some soaps have no added scent at all.
How do the ingredients become soap? Easy, by Saponification. It’s what happens when oils and lye chemically react- that chemical reaction creates soap. When all done, glycerin is left in the bar, a very moisturizing ingredient that helps along with the other butters & oils in soothing your skin.Glycerin naturally moisturizes the skin. Commercial soap makers remove the glycerin & process the glycerin into other products like hand and body lotion, creams, balms, and other moisturizers. This is why some commercially made soap can be so drying.
So, after the soap sets for 24 hrs, the soap is then cut into bars, and left to cure for a minimum of 3 weeks & up to 4 weeks. The curing process is important so that any remaining water in the soap will evaporate. The longer the soap cures, the harder the bar will become, and will therefore last longer. As far as any lye remaining in the soap, after the saponification process is complete, the lye is gone. You can use the soap 24hrs after you’ve made it, but it will be a bit soft. That’s why it’s put up to cure.
Nature Maiden Soaps are made in small batches, by hand, in my home. I do not have a large factory. Personal attention is given to every bar-from when the ingredients are carefully weighed out and mixed, while pouring the batch, while cutting and putting the bars up to set, while labeling & finally, when they are carefully packed for your order- a lot of time, passion and love goes into every bar- from start to finish.
The other great thing about homemade soap is that they come in all shapes & varieties. There are fun shapes for kids, now there’s a way to get your kid to take a bath! You can also have custom wedding favors made with soap, it’s something everyone will use- instead of giving you quests a dust collector, give them beautiful soaps instead.
There’s something about creating something with your hands, getting back to basics, that is so rewarding. I have not bought a bar of soap from the store in a long time. I make the soap for my family. Nature Maiden soaps lather beautifully, smell great, and are wonderful for your skin. If you don’t love my soaps, I’ll refund your money.
Connie McCaffery
Owner,
NatureMaiden.com
