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The history of soap dates back centuries ago to the cleansing of body, mind, and even soul. To this day, the tradition remains strong, with soap sales and use still going strong all over the world. Soap has gone from a medical necessity to a beauty necessity in the modern world, with demand for more and more options growing by the year.
Soap is made from lye/base mixed with water, natural vegetable or animal fat, and aromatics. This combination of ingredients is heated until all of the fats are saponified (turned into soap). The ingredients are then poured into a wood or metal mold, and left to harden. Handcrafted soap is usually cured for 3-6 weeks, to ensure a harder bar with a longer shelf-life.
In its simplest form, soap is used to cleanse our bodies, as it dissolves and removes dirt, oils, and other impurities. But modern soaps, especially ones made with natural plant based ingredients, also offer many other benefits to the skin. Soaps can provide moisturizers, exfoliants, and a host of other beneficial ingredients. Moisturizers help to keep your skin from drying out, while exfoliants help to slough off dead skin cells, and promote blood circulation. Other soaps even offer sun protection.
Soap provides a lot of benefits, but one of its most important properties is its ability to change pH levels on the skin, which keep our skin healthy and balanced. Many commercially produced soaps are made with synthetic lyes, which may lead to dryness and irritation. Therefore, choosing a natural soap is important to ensure that your skin is getting all of the nourishment and protection it requires.
Soapmaking is a form of art, using the knowledge of chemistry, plants, and natural living. It is a creative process, and the end product rewards us with a wonderful aroma, pleasing textures and colors, and skin nourishment. Handcrafted soap provides a luxurious experience, as the scent of the essential oil or fragrance used provides a beautiful aromatherapy.
But the benefits of soapmaking don’t end with the end product. Making soap from scratch is rewarding, too. It allows us to be creative and explore various combinations of natural ingredients and properties to create truly unique soaps for ourselves and for others. Furthermore, since many of the ingredients used in soapmaking are natural and organic, making your own soap is a great way to reduce your personal footprint on the environment.
When choosing soap, always keep in mind the ingredients being used — there are a lot of great soaps out there with natural ingredients. And remember that handmade soap has many benefits that cannot be found in store bought bars. It is truly luxurious, while being affordable and beneficial to your skin.
