Why choose handmade soap over commercial bars? Handmade soap is not only fun to make for those of us that do make our own, it is also much better to use than traditional commercial bars.
If we were to imagine how many bars of soap we have used in our life, it would be a colossal number. Lets face it, soap is an important part of our daily lives, however, do you know what is in your soap?
While many of us read over food labels to watch our dietary intake, we do not even think to look at what is in the products used on our largest organ. When we combine that thought with the number of bars we have used on our body, it is a distressing reality that could be potentially harmful to the well-being of our largest organ.
While there are several reasons why using handmade soap is better than most commercial soaps, I will only address the top three reasons I believe are crucial.
Just read over the label of your favorite beauty bar and you will see ingredients that you probably do not recognize and in some cases cannot even pronounce. One example is Triclosan, which is a known pesticide. Numerous soaps contain what is considered synthetic detergents that contain sulfates and parabens. Due to this, they label their bars under the umbrella of calling them a “beauty bar” or “cream bar” because they cannot simply call it soap. If you suffer with sensitive skin, these things can cause skin irritation.
With handmade soap, you will always see authentic ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, rice oil, and sunflower oil. Consequently, the makers of handmade soaps will be able to simply call it- soap.
If no detergents are added and no claim is made other than it is soap and it cleans, authentic soap is not even required to have a label with ingredients provided. My personal practice is to disclose a list of all ingredients even in soap. Soap is soap and synthetic detergents are not soap but are in fact a cosmetic product. Just another of many reasons to choose handmade soap over commercial bars.
There are some big name commercial soap brands that are starting to see that people are becoming aware to what is in their products and they are beginning to upgrade their bars and make them more gentle by removing sulfates and parabens. Reading your label when choosing to buy a low cost soap is still crucial in making sure you are not still getting unwanted elements in your soap.
With most handmade soaps, the maker will always try to offer their customers the best from the beginning. For me, that speaks volumes. I will always put quality over profits.
Glycerin is another of many reasons to choose handmade soap over commercial bars. So, what is it? It is the natural thick syrup derived from the saponification of lye, water & fats. When these ingredients come together, soap is the result. Glycerin is a humectant, therefore, it attracts water to the skin which aids in your skin being moisturized and hydrated.
Most commercial soaps companies have removed the glycerin from their bars. They saw more profit by adding it to other products such as lotion. Without glycerin, the soap becomes dryer to the skin. You will notice that you need their lotion afterwards. A huge win-win for the commercial companies pockets.
I never remove the glycerin in my homemade soap. If you still desire a lotion, most handmade lotions can have that added in. There is no need to take away from the natural glycerin in soap.
When you buy these commercial beauty bars and cream bars, you support the practices of the makers of the soap. Usually the soaps are a solid color and full of undesirable ingredients in order to produce low-cost bars. While they are much cheaper than your Artisan Soaps, they are not superior in look, smell, or performance.
Buying soaps from Artisans and small business owners help to support their families and to pay employees. The soap makers are up front about what they put into their products. Usually, they will have several designs and fragrance profiles to choose from. Most often, soaps are made in small batches so that you get a higher quality product. At Scrub Butter, we only buy ingredients from suppliers that offer Peg-6, cruelty, sulfate, phthalate, and paraben free options.
Due to handmade soap being so diverse in the technique, art design, color, and time it takes to make such a high quality product, they do usually cost more than commercial bars. I have learned so often in life that we get what we pay for. I would rather pay more for a better product than to take chances on harsh chemicals and over drying soaps.
In conclusion, there are many reasons to choose handmade soap over commercial bars. Several commercial soaps are full of undesirable ingredients. That alone makes them of less value in more ways than one . Considering all this, being vigilant on what we use on our skin, our body’s largest organ, is vital when choosing the right soap.
Support an artisan soap maker and their small business.
Lets make bath-time fun again.
