The first rule of farm club
Farmer despises wealth and vanity that characterizes the upper-class society and explains that his soap-making venture is an act of resistance and cleansing because it cleans and renews the morally corrupt members of society…
Just kidding, this was the plot to Fight Club.
I have always wondered why the main character of a movie about fighting was an underground soap maker. I can somewhat relate to his views, but that’s not why we make soap.
The reason we got into soap making is because of the available goat milk we have on our farm. Adding goat milk to soap is a natural way to improve the skin moisturizing benefits to something as simple as soap.
Soap is an important item, we really don’t think about it, but imagine if we didn’t have access to soap! Here is an interesting read for anyone wondering what it would be like… (LINK) It’s a story of a man who lived in Bosnia during the war in early 1990’s. You get a unique perspective of what it would be like for life to turn upside down quickly.
Local Handmade Soap
Soap making is a form of art, chemistry, and self reliance all in one little bar. You can make any scent combination your imagination can dream up. At the end of the day, a good bar of soap should lather up nice, leave your skin feeling clean and soft, and smell great.
There is interest in local handmade soap…
Finding quality handmade soap locally is easier than ever. Whole Foods even has a huge section of beauty supplies with local handmade soap. Any farmer’s market or boutique shop will be selling handmade soap.
The Secret?
Most of them really aren’t that great in my opinion. They are either made with chemical fragrances, don’t lather up very good, or don’t last very long.
I know someone who makes fantastic soap… check it out here!
The only way to know if you will like a certain bar of soap is to try it out. The variety and selection is overwhelming which leaves most people sticking to same old bar of soap they’ve been using for years.
Soap Ingredients
You should be aware of some of the ingredients that are used in soap making. This will help you know what to look for and what to avoid.
And please, God, whatever you do, don’t use ZEST.
Natural Soap Ingredients
The three main ingredients for most soaps is Fat(oil), Lye, and water.
Fat Source
Usually handmade soap will incorporate several fat sources in the bar to get a good consistency. Coconut Oil and Palm Oil are very popular.
Some soap makers prefer animal fat for the source, but in our experience, it adds a bit of a smell to the bar that we don’t find appealing.
After several years of experimentation, palm oil and coconut oil in combination as a fat source has proven to be the winning combination. It provides an amazing texture and firmness to the soap bar with fantastic lathering qualities.
Lye
There isn’t a viable substitute for lye in soap making. Lye has been used in soap making for thousands of years. But back then it was ash, Lye as we know it today was created in the early 1800's by a chemist named Nicholas LeBlanc. He synthesized a solution of sodium hydroxide, which is what we refer to as lye.
Water
Water and lye are crucial components of cold process soap. Water is used to dissolve the sodium hydroxide lye so it can interact with the soaping oils to begin the saponification process. As the soap cures, some of the water evaporates and makes a harder, longer-lasting bar of soap.
Mixing water and lye creates an exothermic reaction that causes a dramatic temperature increase. Adding lye to room temperature water can cause the water to reach temperatures up to 200 ° F. The mixture also creates fumes, which should not be inhaled.
Other soap ingredients
After the basic three ingredients, there are many other natural additives available to give the soap bar added benefits.
Fragrance
Natural fragrances are usually listed as “essential oils” on the label and provide a natural fragrance without adverse side effects. These oils are derived from distilling plants material.
Chemical fragrances are stronger but have been linked to adverse side effects and will be listed as “fragrance oil” on the label.
Color
There are many ways to color a bar of soap. Most large soap manufacturers use synthetic chemicals and dyes.
Natural colorants usually consist of mineral pigments and dies or clay. Mica is another colorant, but are even less natural than ultramarines and oxides. Each type of mica is different, and though they do have a mineral-based component, they are often dyed with synthetics.
Exfoliator
Things like pumice or oatmeal are popular soap additives to provide natural exfoliating properties. Large manufacturers again usually use synthetic materials.
Skin enhancers
In addition to the palm oil and coconut oil, other ingredients can be added to enhance skin miniaturization and care. Natural ingredients include goat milk, shae butter, olive oil, honey, vitamin e, jojoba oil, and many others.
To give some credit to the large manufactrers, most of them use some of these oils because of their obvious skin health benefits.
If you’re looking for completely natural soap ingredients, the most common synthetic ingredients to look out for include:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS, also known as sodium laureth sulfate)
Glycerin (added to the soap, instead of naturally occuring)
Lathering agents - These chemicals include cocamide DEA, MEA and TEA
Fragrance oils
Colourants given names and a number, such as Red #40 or Yellow #5
In Conclusion
Just as important as finding a trustworthy honey source, finding a trustworthy source for your soap can be difficult.
Keep this in mind next time you’re comparing ingredients, and take a look at the label on the bar you’re using now. How does it look to you?
Thanks for reading,
WAGMI
Farmer