What is really on the store shelf?
We have become accustom to mass produced soaps in the supermarket and $2 shops. But did you know quite alot of the soaps we purchase in the supermarket are really beauty bars full of chemicals including Dove. Lets look at their ingredients label of Dove Soap.
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Slearic Acid, Sodium Palmitate, Aqua Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Parfum, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, zinc Oxide, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Alumina, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool.....
I don't think any of these ingredients are good for your skin.
Homemade Cold Process Soap
Real homemade soap is natural. It starts with three simple ingredients: water, sodium hydroxide and oil. The water dissolves the sodium, allowing it to be evenly distributed during mixing. The sodium solution is then mixed with the oils. The sodium reacts to the oils using aggressive mixing. This reaction is called saponification, which literally means “to make soap”. There is absolutely NO SODIUM HYDROXIDE remaining after the mixture saponifies.
Handmade soap is not mass produced and soapmakers around the world take pride in their products. Real Handmade Soap doesn't dry your skin because it is made from nourishing oils.
Lets look at the oils I use in my soapmaking.
OLIVE OIL: Contributes to: soap hardness, stable lather, slippery feel, conditioning, moisturizing, Olive Oil attracts external moisture to your skin, helping to keep skin soft and supple.
CASTOR OIL: Contributes to: fluffy lather, stable lather, conditioning, moisturizing, quicker
trace, softer soap. Often used to superfat soaps. Castor oil is unique in being almost entirely composed of ricinoleic fatty acid, found in no other oils and possessing a high affinity for water molecules. This makes it an excellent humectant, attracting and holding moisture to the
skin.
COCONUT OIL:Contributes to: soap hardness, fluffy lather, quicker trace. Coconut oil makes soaps lather beautifully . It will make a very hard, white bar of soap that lathers well even in very hard water - even in sea water. Coconut oil is light and not greasy and is resistant to spoiling. Used in skin care formulations, coconut oil is emollient, moisturizing, conditioning and protecting to the skin.
GRAPESEED OIL:Used in soaps as a superfatting oil, grapeseed oil is a lightweight oil that absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving a heavy greasy feeling. It has mildly astringent qualities and is said to be useful for acne and other skin complaints.
SUNFLOWER OIL: Contributes to: stable lather, conditioning, silky feel, softer soap, slower trace. Sunflower oil contains Vitamin E, so it naturally resists going rancid.
RICE BRAN OIL: Rice bran oil is moisturizing and is a good choice for inclusion in formulations intended for mature, delicate or sensitive skin.
All natural oils that are great for your skin.
I can actually call my soap soap but Dove has to call their product a beauty bar. I know what I would prefer to use.
