Benefits of Using Handmade Soap

Handmade soap is soap that is made like your grandmother used to make soap. With rich oils, water and lye. Often there are essential oils or herbs infused with the oils to provide more benefits. Lye is a very powerful ingredient but after saponification there is no lye left in the mixture. Handmade soap can be made from animal or vegetable fats for vegan soaps. Both have distinct properties and offer different benefits.

Many soaps available in stores are not really soaps so much as they are detergents. Detergents are petroleum based and contain alkali. Alkali is often blamed for dry, itchy skin from using store bought soaps. Many store bought soaps contain chemicals to give them a longer shelf life and these can irritate your skin as well.

People who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, or severe dry skin will see improvement very quickly by switching to handmade soaps. Handmade soaps are often made of coconut, olive or palm oils which are high in vitamins that help the skin stay soft.

Handmade soap retains all of its natural glycerin. Glycerin is an humectant that draws moisture to the skin. Commercially made soaps have most of the natural glycerin removed to be later added to moisturizers and creams.

Handmade soap is made in small batches with carefully tested recipes. This ensures you are getting the freshest bar possible. Soap makers take great pride in their craft and create beautiful soap that is great for your skin. They test many recipes to find the perfect combination of high quality ingredients to create the perfect bar of soap.

Handmade soap might be more expensive than commercially made soap, but it will last longer than a bar of store bought soap. Handmade soap must be kept out of standing water with a soap deck. If allowed to sit in water it will soften and will not last nearly as long. With the beautiful craftsmanship, great smells, and gorgeous colors, handmade soap can be an affordable daily treat.

Handmade soap can usually be found locally, but if you can't find any, try Etsy or Artfire for handmade soap. There are many sellers who have years of experience and stand behind their work.