Soapy soaps!

Freshly-cut bars of Mentha Veridis (Eucalyptus + Mint with Rosemary), waiting to cure!

Since we have some new fans, I thought I'd go a little into what a standard OHTC bar of soap is like. The only exception to all the attributes I'm about to mention is our Oatmeal, Milk and Honey bar, which we try to keep as simple as possible for folks who just want soap with few ingredients to lessen the possibility of irritation.

First of all, when it comes to soap, you can rarely go wrong with choosing a soap made the old-fashioned way (with lye and oils) over what we call a "syndet" (synthetic detergent) based bar. There are a myriad of reasons, from better conditioning properties, fewer harsh chemicals, fewer toxins, and you have the manufacturer - me! - to talk to about any particularities when it comes to soap. So anytime I hear someone loves to use handcrafted soap, regardless of whether it comes from me or not, I know that they're already a convert to just how amazing and different handcrafted soap is!

Source: The Facebook page for Wax and Soapy Water

It's amazing how much the handcrafted soap movement has grown since I first started making soap. And just like the people making it, each soap is different and each soap formula is unique. At OHTC, our soaps all contain certified organic coconut milk for scrumptiously decadent lather, over 20% fresh shea butter (so your skin doesn't immediately get that awful tight feeling when you step out of the shower; oh I hate that!), pure cosmetic grade clays that are mined from the earth (and fully tested for impurities), and scented with essential oils, oleoresins, extracts, teas, botanicals, and herbs and spices you'd find in the grocery store. We only use food grade oils and butters in our soaps, and we have chosen to only use fats that have a long shelf life (like extra virgin olive oil and coconut) so you won't find your bar of soap going rancid before its time. These aren't Crisco oil bars. We are also palm oil free and choose not to use rendered fats from animals (this isn't to say that these don't make great bars of soap, because they certainly can! Our formula just went another way.). Each bar is individualized not only in scent, but also with its own blend of botanicals, clays, and design. 

OHTC's Tea Tree Mint. How many colors can you find?
They're all from clays, zinc oxide, cocoa powder, nettle leaves, and activated charcoal!

So how can you compare handcrafted soaps to each other? You can always read labels, if they're made available (soap doesn't strictly have to list ingredients, and many soapers use this as an opportunity to use terms like "natural fats" or "vegetable oil" to describe their soapmaking oils). But in reality, it's an impossible mission. We all have different skin needs and different opinions about skin care. Thank goodness there's a growing number of soapmakers to take care of all of us!