Ingredients
by Charles Terrell
Every ingredient in our soap is there for a specific reason. This list describes what the ingredients are and why we have used them. (Note: Our recipe has evolved over time. Not every ingredient is in every batch of soap.)
Soft Vegetable Oils - Canola, soybean, olive, rice bran, and similar oils are the same as what you'd use for cooking. These vegetable oils make up the bulk of our soap recipe.
Coconut Oil - Coconut oil is often used in asian cooking. Soap based on coconut is hard, bubbly, and a very powerful cleaner. Our laundry powder includes pure coconut soap. Coconut-based liquid soap dissolves easily and remains potent even when diluted. In other solid soap recipes we use it in moderation to improve lathering and cleaning properties.
Castor Oil - Castor oil provides more bubbles and stabilizes the lather. It also makes soap feel less drying and more luxurious.
Palm Oil - Palm adds hardness to soap.
Antioxidants - Antioxidants, such as vitamin E and rosemary oleoresin extract, are added to reduce discoloration due to oxidation.
Botanicals - Also known as Scrubby Bits. Sometimes we add oatmeal, cinnamon powder, turmeric, herbs, coffee, or other things like that to our soap. Usually it's to make the soap more exfoliating, but sometimes it's to provide color or for some other visual effect.
Colors - We try to leave our soap's color in its natural state whenever practical. However, in some cases it just looks better with a little color. For that we have several options.
Ultramarines and oxides offer strong, stable colors in solid soap. FD&C colors work well in liquid soap, except for blue which tends to fade in sunlight. Sometimes we use natural materials; see "Botanicals" above.
Fragrance - There are many ways to control a soap's aroma. One is to do nothing special and just allow soap to smell like soap. Unscented soap is a good choice for those with fragrance sensitivities. Another is to add a subtle scent using natural ingredients, such as milk, honey, strong tea, or even beer. We have several soap varieties that are unscented or naturally scented.
There are two main options for stronger scents. One is to use essential oils, concentrated aromatic liquids derived from plant materials. Another is to use synthetic fragrances. Fragrance oils are often perceived to be less "natural" than essential oils, but they also tend to be much less expensive and allow many interesting scents that are unavailable from natural sources. We decide what to use on a case-by-case basis.
Honey - Honey adds a pleasant scent to the soap. It also slightly improves lather.
Milk - Milk makes a creamy, luxurious soap.
Sucrose - Also known as table sugar, sucrose improves soap's lathering ability. (Currently being phased out in favor of castor oil.)
Lye - Don't let the phrase "LYE SOAP" scare you. Chemically, any true soap (whether homemade or from a big factory) is the product of a reaction between fatty acids and alkali - that is, between oil and lye. There can be no soap without lye!
We use two kinds of lye. Sodium hydroxide, also known as NaOH or caustic soda, is used in solid soap. Potassium hydroxide (KOH or caustic potash) is used in liquid soap. For safety, we use a little extra vegetable oil in our soap bars to ensure that all of the lye has been consumed by the reaction. In liquid soap we neutralize any excess lye with a small amount of citric acid.
Citric Acid - Used in liquid soap to neutralize any excess lye. (See "Lye" described above.)
Every ingredient in our soap is there for a specific reason. This list describes what the ingredients are and why we have used them. (Note: Our recipe has evolved over time. Not every ingredient is in every batch of soap.)
Soft Vegetable Oils - Canola, soybean, olive, rice bran, and similar oils are the same as what you'd use for cooking. These vegetable oils make up the bulk of our soap recipe.
Coconut Oil - Coconut oil is often used in asian cooking. Soap based on coconut is hard, bubbly, and a very powerful cleaner. Our laundry powder includes pure coconut soap. Coconut-based liquid soap dissolves easily and remains potent even when diluted. In other solid soap recipes we use it in moderation to improve lathering and cleaning properties.
Castor Oil - Castor oil provides more bubbles and stabilizes the lather. It also makes soap feel less drying and more luxurious.
Palm Oil - Palm adds hardness to soap.
Antioxidants - Antioxidants, such as vitamin E and rosemary oleoresin extract, are added to reduce discoloration due to oxidation.
Botanicals - Also known as Scrubby Bits. Sometimes we add oatmeal, cinnamon powder, turmeric, herbs, coffee, or other things like that to our soap. Usually it's to make the soap more exfoliating, but sometimes it's to provide color or for some other visual effect.
Colors - We try to leave our soap's color in its natural state whenever practical. However, in some cases it just looks better with a little color. For that we have several options.
Ultramarines and oxides offer strong, stable colors in solid soap. FD&C colors work well in liquid soap, except for blue which tends to fade in sunlight. Sometimes we use natural materials; see "Botanicals" above.
Fragrance - There are many ways to control a soap's aroma. One is to do nothing special and just allow soap to smell like soap. Unscented soap is a good choice for those with fragrance sensitivities. Another is to add a subtle scent using natural ingredients, such as milk, honey, strong tea, or even beer. We have several soap varieties that are unscented or naturally scented.
There are two main options for stronger scents. One is to use essential oils, concentrated aromatic liquids derived from plant materials. Another is to use synthetic fragrances. Fragrance oils are often perceived to be less "natural" than essential oils, but they also tend to be much less expensive and allow many interesting scents that are unavailable from natural sources. We decide what to use on a case-by-case basis.
Honey - Honey adds a pleasant scent to the soap. It also slightly improves lather.
Milk - Milk makes a creamy, luxurious soap.
Sucrose - Also known as table sugar, sucrose improves soap's lathering ability. (Currently being phased out in favor of castor oil.)
Lye - Don't let the phrase "LYE SOAP" scare you. Chemically, any true soap (whether homemade or from a big factory) is the product of a reaction between fatty acids and alkali - that is, between oil and lye. There can be no soap without lye!
We use two kinds of lye. Sodium hydroxide, also known as NaOH or caustic soda, is used in solid soap. Potassium hydroxide (KOH or caustic potash) is used in liquid soap. For safety, we use a little extra vegetable oil in our soap bars to ensure that all of the lye has been consumed by the reaction. In liquid soap we neutralize any excess lye with a small amount of citric acid.
Citric Acid - Used in liquid soap to neutralize any excess lye. (See "Lye" described above.)
