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 From the desk of our soap maker, Carrie:
Welcome to our website! This page is my opportunity to talk about my favorite
topic: soap.
I make what is called
"true soap" or old-fashioned soap. All true soap is made of three
basic ingredients: water, oil or fat, and an alkali. Soap is the
end result of a chemical reaction (several, actually), and the
finished product is neither water, nor oil, nor alkali -- it is
soap. Modern equipment allows soap makers like me to create fabulous
soaps that are safe, gentle, and very effective. Plus, handmade
soap is generally better for your skin because it is made with
wholesome, food-grade vegetable oils and retains all of its natural
glycerin.
Our soaps do not
contain mineral oil, detergents, or synthetic
"lathering agents" - we carefully balance our recipes to
take advantage of each ingredients' characteristics so that the
finished soap does not need any fillers or boosters. Each oil in our
soap recipe is there because it's fatty acids lend a particular
property to the finished soap.
So, how is soap
made? I'm glad you asked! A base recipe is carefully weighed out
(my favorite base recipe is made up of seven oils) and heated to
melt the solid oils; in a separate container I measure filtered rain
water, or sometimes goat's milk. To this I add the alkali (necessary for the chemical
reaction, otherwise you just have a pot of oils and water) and let
it dissolve in the water. When the temperatures are right, I blend
the water mixture into the oils and stir until it begins to thicken. I then
add the extra goodies like scent, color, oatmeal, etc., and pour the
liquid soap into a prepared, wooden mold. The soap
stays in the mold for 24 hours, during which time it is undergoing a process called saponification, the chemical
reaction that creates soap! This process generates a bit of heat,
and the soap can get to 200F in the mold.
After 24 hours the
soap is firm and cool. It is removed from the mold,
cut into bars, and set on the drying racks, where it will stay for 3
or 4 weeks. The bars are rotated several times during the
drying time and when
they are nice and dry, the soaps are stored in wooden crates
until they are sold.
Whew! That's a lot
of work! It certainly pays off, though; true soaps are great for
all skin types, last a long time, and the varieties are unlimited.
At last count I had over 30 different soaps available, and I keep a
list of ones I'd like to make next.
Thanks again for
visiting, and I hope you can see me in person at a local craft
show. I love to help people find the perfect soap, and you can ask
all the questions you want. :-)
Happy bathing!
-- Carrie
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