When you go the the supermarket or drug store and throw a bar of soap in your cart, no doubt you think you're getting...well...a bar of soap. After all, it probably says so right on the label.

But true soap is a lot different from those supermarket bars. Most of them shouldn't even refer to themselves as soap-and some brands don't even use the term anymore-a more accurate name is "synthetic detergent bar". For starters, true soap is free of artificial chemical ingredients like sls (sodium laureth sulfate) and slsa (Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate). Synthetic detergent bars? Well...the name kind of says it all there, doesn't it? True soap also contains about 15% glycerine, which is great for the skin. But commercial soapmakers-or detergent barmakers-usually remove the glycerine so it can be used in the other skincare products they produce, like lotions. Win-win for them, but not so great for you. Finally, true soap is made from whatever natural, beneficial ingredients the soapmaker chooses. As for those synthetic detergent bars? they're made from the chemicals and detergents some scientist on a corporate payroll chooses. Although they do make that one brand that floats in the tub...

How is Handcrafted Soap Different?

First of all, it's made by an actual person using their actual hands in an actual soap studio (in this case, me), instead of a bunch of workers operating a bunch of machines in a factory. And it doesn't contain any strange, unpronounceble chemicals-people like me don't even have access to that stuff, probably because it's not always safe to handle. That said, since each soapmaker decides exactly what ingredients go in their soap, a handmade soap is only as good as the soapmaker.

Soapmaking is a skill that develops over time and with experience...and a lot of trial and error! For the past 10 years, I've mixed and combined and researched and learnt what ingredients make the best-smelling, best-feeling, yummiest bars. Each of my soaps has its own special recipe-using ingredients like shea butter, pure olive and coconut oils, fresh local herbs and beneficial additives like goat's milk, oats and honey. These ingredients are individually chosen and combined to create a range of soaps that each does something wonderful and different.

My soaps are true soaps, free of sls and slsa, and full of glycerine and other skin-loving elements including fatty acids and beneficial additives. Many of my soaps are naturally fragranced through essential oils, and when I do use additional fragrance oils, they are purchased only from high-quality, reputable suppliers and are guaranteed safe to the skin.

And my soap isn't just good for your skin; it's good for the planet. I use only ethically harvested oils and fats and choose organic products whenever possible. I support Fair Trade Oils and Butters - our fabulous shea butter, for example, comes from Ghana and is harvested in the traditional way by an all-female company. finally, my soap is good for the community as I use local agriculture and growers whenever possible for honey, wild herbs, and whatever milk my goats can't produce.

That's the kind of quality you can't find in a supermarket bar. Although I can't promise my soap will float in your tub, I can promise my soap comes with a guarantee. If you don't love it, let me know and I will make it right.