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Handmade soaps to pamper yourself, beautiful gifts and wedding favours.
All
of these soaps have been lovingly crafted from raw ingredients using
only the finest palm, coconut and olive oils. They have been fully
safety assessed and comply with current EU regulations. As each bar is
cut individually from the block, shape and appearance may vary.
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Why handmade soap?
All
cold process soap, whether handmade or mass-produced in a factory, is
made from oils or fats which are converted to soap (saponified) using a
strong base solution, such as sodium hydroxide.
In
the handmade process, the melted oils are stirred along with the base
solution, until it thickens and becomes soap. At this point, colours
and essential oils or fragrances are added, and then it is transferred
to a block mould where it finishes the saponification process and
hardens. Once hardened, the block of soap is hand cut into bars, and
then the bars are left for a month to cure, during which time it
hardens further and becomes milder. At this point it is packaged ready
for sale.
A by product of this soap making process is
glycerine, which in mass produced soaps is usually extracted, resulting
in a very hard, long lasting bar, but which can also be more drying to
the skin than if it had been left in. We leave the glycerine in the
mixture, which results in a very gentle and moisturising bar. No
chemical preservatives or surfactants of any kind are added, and only
cosmetic grade colourings are used.
As handmade soap
tends to be a bit softer than mass produced soap, we recommend you use
a soap holder with good drainage to allow the soap to dry out between
uses and extend the life of your bar. |
