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[H63]Handmade Soap How To

by Liam Addison, Lia

How many people know what soap really is? Several of the cleansing bars that you buy at the store, for example, are detergents-and not soaps at all. They are called syndet bars, or synthetic detergent bars. They are made from synthesized chemicals and are usually much harsher than soap. Detergents contain petroleum distillates rather than oil. On the other hand, true soap is made from natural oils (such as olive, coconut and palm) and is a gentle cleansing product more appropriate for use on skin than is detergent.

Soaps, unlike detergents, are made by combining sodium hydroxide or lye, oils and water in a process known as "Saponification". Some people may question the use of lye in handcrafted soap. The fact is that all soap is made with lye. What needs to be made clear is that once the process of saponification is complete, the lye and oil molecules have combined and chemically changed into soap and glycerin. There is no lye present in the finished bars of soap.

The oils in our soaps are put there for a specific purpose. The coconut oil creates a wonderful lather. The olive oil is used for a high quality, long lasting bar. Canola and Palm oil carry nutrients to the skin, and the safflower oil make a creamy bar.

Glycerin is a skin soothing emollient that adds to the goodness of handmade soap. In commercial soaps the glycerin is removed for sale to the cosmetic industry to sell separately, sometimes at a higher price than the soap itself! Glycerin is important to skin care because it is a humectant. Humectants draw moisture from the air, which in turn moisturize your skin. A whole 1/5 of a bar of our soap is glycerin.

Most soaps have artificial ingredients to scent or color. Some handcrafted soap is scented with fragrance oils. These are synthetic chemicals that are mixed together to imitate a particular scent. They have contributed in many cases to chemical sensitivity in some people. They also have no aromatherapy benefits. The scents in our soaps should come only from essential oils, which are steamed or pressed from plants. Essential oils are the fragrance emitting components of plants and are at the heart of aromatherapy. Not only do they smell good; they have many beneficial effects on the body, mind and spirit.

The coloring in our soap should come from nature as well. The petals of Lavender and Rose can be used. Earth Pigments can also be used, which are simply finely ground rocks. This makes the colors rich and earthy, rather than artificial looking.

Today many individuals are turning away from traditional store bought soap and trading it in for the simple luxury of handmade soap. Beautiful handmade soaps can be bought for wholesale prices and consumers can save a considerable amount of money. This great not only for the consumer buying handmade soap for their own use at home but also for those consumers who wish to use their handmade soaps in gift baskets, as party favors, or as an added touch to the bathroom décor in their home. Buying handmade soaps at bulk prices is also great for small businesses that sell such products such as those that have a gift shop or maybe a flea market booth. The first thing you want to do, though, before ordering from any particular company is search around a bit online. By doing this you are giving yourself a lot of options and you have a much better chance of buying from a reputable company. There are so many handmade soap websites out there that you want to be sure that you don't choose the first one. You want handmade soaps for great retail prices but you also want to avoid sacrificing good quality as well.

When you get your wholesale handmade soaps there are a number of great, creative uses for them. One great thing you can do with them is use them in gift baskets. These are best made with a variety of colors and scents so the receiver will get the most enjoyment out of them. If you choose you can also add some other items to the gift baskets as well such as candles, body wash, lotion , or any other product you may think would be enjoyed. You will also want to decide on what you want to lay on the bottom of the gift basket as well as what you want to wrap it with. Easter grass works great for the bottom and colored cellophane works great as a wrap for the basket. Before you know it you'll have a beautiful gift basket filled with handmade soaps bought at great bulk prices.

Another great use for handmade soaps is as wedding favors. What better type of wedding favor than the kind your guests can actually use. And with all of the choices in colors of handmade soaps they can go with any wedding color or theme. Simply use your creativity to come up with a great way to present your handmade soaps and you will be on your way to original and fabulous handmade soap wedding favors. You can use a number of materials both to wrap the handmade soaps in and to tie around them. You will also want to make or buy tags with your names and wedding date on them so everyone can remember your special day.

With so many great uses for wholesale handmade soaps there is little reason not to make the switch. Soon you can be on your way to enjoying beautiful handmade soaps at great discount prices.

Article Source : Health Care For Women

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Both Liam Addison & Mitch Gleason are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Liam Addison has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care, Health and Food and Drink. To get more information visit/,