Some years ago, I had the desire to use only natural bath and body products (and avoid all of the excess plastic packaging and chemicals in drugstore products) so I began making soap for myself. With the first batch I discovered that handmade soap is not only lovely and fresh and gentle, but a batch lasts A LONG TIME! Soon family and friends were receiving soap as gifts, and when I ran out of holidays, I took my soap to the public!

"Primitive"
Each soap is different, and I make very small batches. I don't go to great lengths to make all the bars identical. When I cut a big block of soap, I cut it so each bar looks nice, not minding bubbles, scratches or wrinkles. I don't shave off and waste the misshapen parts.

"Earth"
I make all natural soaps using ingredients from the kitchen pantry or the garden. In other words, except for the lye** my ingredients are edible. I believe in using natural materials that are easily traced back to earth. Some of my favorite batches are the result of a fit of inspiration. For instance, the Frankincense, Sea Salt and Spice soap (seen at left) came to be after doing some research on frankincense. I threw in sea salt, cinnamon, whole oats, and gave it a little color just for fun. What a great, scrubby bar!

Natural Ingredients:
Most soaps are olive oil-based. I occasionally use lard when its available, as well as canola (very gentle) and coconut oil (adds hardness and foam). I no longer use synthetic fragrance oils (only essential oils, whole herbs, infusions or hydrosols). I have never used synthetic colorants; Red, Blue and Black colorings come from natural iron oxide pigments. I use spirulina (green), turmeric (yellow), cocoa (brown), teas and clays for other colors. These natural pigments and fragrances will fade over time. Expect your soap to stay bright and pretty for three to four months. After that, the scent and color may fade, but it's still a perfectly fine bar!

Full Disclosure:
I recognize the concerns of a varying customer base, so I provide ALL ingredients on the label. Soaps in my shop are clearly labeled vegan or vegetarian when applicable. Please feel free to ask me any questions about my ingredients!

Environmentally Conscious:
You can feel good about purchasing from my shop because I use minimal packaging, recycled or recyclable wrapping/packing whenever possible, and the cans, bottles, or jugs that my base ingredients arrive in are recycled. Most soaps are wrapped in remnant fabric with a card label (A great excuse to go to the craft store and look at fabric ...haha). I try to re-use shipping materials whenever possible, so don't be surprised if your order arrives in a shoe box!

I try to be conscious of the materials and ingredients I use - so we do not use Palm oil. (Though I've heard some companies are making sustainable palm oil. Which is great! I just haven't found/purchased any yet.)

What makes it "Real" soap?
Real soap is special. Simply type "real soap" into Google and you'll find all sorts of articles about why it is better. Speaking from my own experience, real handmade soap is gentle and does not make my sensitive skin itch. Commerical bodywashes clean by corrosion - they are very acidic and strip away not only the dirt, but the moisture from your skin! (How convenient all the drugstore soap brands also sell lotion!) Look at the ingredients - alcohol and sodium laurel sulfate? Yuck! That's the same stuff in laundry detergent or dish liquid.

When I use handmade soaps, my hair and skin are silky, soft and calm. Using my clay, seaweed and tea tree facial bar not only keeps blemishes at bay, but I don't get the 4 o'clock grease slick on my forehead (I surmise that this is because my skin isn't trying to overproduce oil to make up for all the moisture that was stripped away by a harsh acidic cleanser).

Additionally, commercial soaps have all of the glycerin removed - it is a valuable "by-product" for cosmetic companies that can be sold or used in other products. Real soap retains this vegetable glycerin, which is great on skin!

Real soap cleanses by grabbing the dirt molecules and taking them away with water. You need an acid and a base to saponify the ingredients. Back in ye olde time, soapmakers used hardwood ash or potash as the base, and fats saved from cooking as the acid. Nowadays we use luxurious vegetable oils or tallow as the acid, and sodium hydroxide, or **lye as the base.

These are not clear alcohol/glycerin or melt-and-pour soaps.

Soap bars are economical!
Most bars, if kept on a rack out of puddles, will easily outlast a bottle of bodywash or a 99-cent bar of Ivory. Bars will foam up and last differently depending on your local water quality.

Shampoo bars are great too! One bar typically lasts me a few months. I have fine, frizzy, naturally curly hair that is prone to dryness ... and I don't use conditioner! Most any soap can be used on your hair - just lather up your hands and use as normal shampoo. Or do like me and rub the bar right on your scalp! Don't use peppermint or cinnamon soaps on your hair, however. These essential oils can strip the cuticle and leave you with hay.

Flavors - The Fun Part
Typical flavors in my shop or at my craft booth include:

• Pure Lavender - just olive oil soap with lavender!
• Sensitive Skin Soap (Calendula, Marshmallow root and Chamomile - no fragrance)
• Feel Better Soap (A blend of citrus and mint)
• Spiced Tea (Orange, cinnamon, juniper and other essential oils create a fresh smell)
• Fig & Nutmet Goat's Milk soap
• Fiji Spa (Neroli and orange: a tropical delight)
• Hippie Soap (Patchouli with ground flax)
• Apple Rosemary Shampoo Bar
  
• Cowboy Soap (Sassafrass and cedar adorably wrapped in denim and bandana)
• Lemongrass Ginger - My Favorite!! (fresh lemon and ginger smell like a spa)
• Lavender Lime and/or Lavender Lemon (herbal and fruity)
• Just Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Spice (real pumpkin, cinnamon and clove)
• Don't forget some yummy bath milks and soothing natural soy candles!!

Custom Gift Baskets
If I have the items you need in stock, I can make you a gift basket to order. What a treat!