OUR Soap INGREDIENTS

Sodium Olivate

This is olive oil that has gone through the chemical reaction, saponification. It is the sodium salt of the fatty acid in olive oil. The benefits of using olive oil in cold process soap are a gentle cleansing lather, suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. Olive oil creates a hard, long lasting bar and is high in Oleic acid which will help nourish and condition the skin.

Sodium Cocoate

This ingredients is coconut oil that has gone through the chemical reaction, saponification. It is the sodium salt of the fatty acid in coconut oil. Adding coconut oil in cold process soap helps to build the lather. Coconut oil is full of antioxidants and is composed of healthy saturated fats and vitamins. One of these is Lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties. This acid also helps to keep the skin hydrated and can help to reduce inflammation.

Sodium CocoaButterate

This one is cocoa butter that has gone through the chemical reaction, saponification. It is the sodium salt of the fatty acid in cocoa butter. Using cocoa butter to cold process soap adds firmness and moisture to the bar. Cocoa butter is high in vitamins K and E and can help soften and heal skin. It can also help to improve the elasticity in skin due to being a natural collagen booster and has been said to diminish scaring on skin.

Aqua

This represents the water we use in our soap making process. Usually, during the curing (or probably more accurate, the evaporation process) the water evaporates from the bar, leaving a harder more long lasting bar. We did many experiments and found that our bars stopped losing weight at around four weeks. We add an extra week before selling to make sure our bars will last as long as possible for our customers.

Glycerin

One of the amazing effects of cold process soapmaking is glycerin. When soap is made using plant fats or oils, glycerin is created as a result of slitting these fats and oils. This occurs during the saponification process when fatty acids are combined with a strong alkali. Glycerin is a skin-nourishing emollient, a highly prized result of soapmaking and is left completely intact in our soap bars, so that you and your skin can bask in all of the moisturising properties.

It draws water to the skin, effectively balancing its moisture levels. Its presence in skin has been shown to prevent signs of aging by helping skin cells mature properly. Studies show that the introduction of glycerin to your skin care regimen can provide a protective barrier and train your skin cells to cycle through their lifespan productively.

Sodium citrate

This is citric acid that has gone through the chemical reaction, saponification, it is the sodium salt of citric acid. Citric acid is a chelator, which means it traps contaminants like calcium and magnesium ions found in tap water. This means that instead of the soap molecules reacting with these ions and oxidising (becoming, discoloured or rancid); citric acid binds them so that the soap cannot react with them. With the addition of citric acid, soap stays it’s bubbly and cleansing self and it is also great for limiting the unpleasant ‘soap scum’ build up on surfaces.

Sodium Lactate

Sodium lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid. It is produced by the fermentation of a sugar source, such as sugar cane or sugar beets. This is a multi-faceted ingredient, known as a humectant moisturiser. The main benefit in cold process soap is that it helps soap harden quickly and creates longer lasting bars. Humectants are highly effective skin-hydrators, which attract and bind water from the atmosphere and the deeper layers of skin. This helps to prevent water loss in the skin and imparts a feeling of elasticity.

SUcrose

This is sugar, the normal, standard sugar we find in our kitchen cupboards. Sugar greatly increases both the amount of lather and the richness of it in cold process soap which is the main reason we add it to ours. It also helps maintain the conditioning and moisturising properties already in our recipe.

Essential oils

We only use essential oils to scent our soaps. Using essential oils are a more natural way of scenting products, as opposed to synthetically created fragrance oils. Soap bars that are scented with essential oils have a more natural scent, however they do still contain allergens which naturally occur within the essential oils themselves. These allergens are all listed on our packaging.

The difficulty we find is essential oils can only be taken from certain natural ingredients such as plants and some citrus fruits. The scents are also not as strong and do not last as long as synthetic lab-made fragrance oils. Whilst it is a shame we do not have the range of choice and longevity of synthetic scents, we much prefer the more natural option.

The essential oils we currently use in our soaps include: Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens Oil), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Oil), Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil), Lime (Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil), Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil), Orange (Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil), Bergamot (Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil), Litsea Cubeba (Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil), Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea Oil), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil), Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officious Leaf Oil), Peppermint (Mentha Piperita Oil), Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil), Patchouli (Pogostemon Cabin Leaf Oil), Sandalwood Amyris (Amyris Balsamifera Oil), Cedarwood (Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil) and Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum Fruit Oil).

Essential oils have allergens that naturally occur in the oils. These allergens are in all our sales listings and in our ingredients booklet included in the packaging of every purchase.

Colourants

We only use natural, plant or clay derived colourants to colour our soaps. Natural colourants do not offer the same range of colour choices and are sometimes difficult to work with but they are far better for the environment and the skin. Our natural colourants include colours derived from dried botanicals, clays, spices, herbs, fruits, vegetables and plants. We do our utmost to make sure all ingredients, including our colourants are ethically sourced, leaving the smallest footprint on our planet as possible.

The natural colourants we currently use in our soaps include: Ground Calendula Petals (Calendula Officinalis Flower Powder), Alkanet Root (Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract), Chlorella Powder (Chlorella Vulgaris Powder), Alfalfa Powder (Medicago Sativa Extract), Cocoa Powder (Theobroma Cacao Fruit Powder), Indigo Powder (Indigofera Tinctoria), Himalayan Rhubarb Powder (Rheum Emodi Powder), Paprika Powder (Capsicum Annuum Fruit Powder), Annatto Seeds (Bixa Orellana Seed Extract), Fullers Earth (Calcium Bentonite), Kaolin Clay (CI 77004), French Pink Clay (CI 77004), French Red Clay (CI 77004), French Yellow Clay (CI 77004), French Green Clay (CI 77004) and Activated Charcoal Powder.

Botanicals

Our soaps are sometimes topped with dried natural botanicals including seeds, petals, flowers, dried fruits and plant extracts. We make sure these are fully dried before adding them to bars. Occasionally they do dull on contact with the soap and darken or brown over time. This is completely normal and the soap is still safe to use if this happens, it just looks a little unsightly. We do our utmost to make sure all ingredients, including our botanicals are ethically sourced, leaving as little footprint on our planet as possible.

The natural botanicals, dried petals and plant products we currently use in our soaps include: Rose Buds (Rosa Centifolia Flower), Lavender Buds (Lavandula Angustifolia Flower), Jasmine Flowers (Jasmine Grandiflorum Flower), Calendula Petals (Calendula Officinalis Flower), Cornflower Petals (Centaurea Cyanus Flower), Dried Oats (Avena Sativa Kernel Meal), Poppy Seeds (Papaver Somniferum Seed), Dehydrated Orange Pieces (Citrus Sinensis Fruit), Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark) and Peppercorns (Piper Nigrum Fruit).