What's in this stuff, anyway

All Natural isn't a regulated term. So, it gets used in all sorts of ways. So, what do we mean when we tell you our soap is "all natural. We mean we start with fresh, nourishing oils and butters. Olive, Coconut, Castor, Avocado, and Rice Bran Oil.  Shea Butter, and Cocoa Butter.  In our shampoos we add Walnut or Jojoba Oil. Each of these oils and butters brings its own unique characteristic to our soaps, resulting in the skin feel you love. 
Then we add lye, or sodium hydroxide sourced from a reputable dealer so that we know we are not adding any impurites to your bar.  But did you know, there is no lye in your soap when you receive it? All of the lye has interacted with oil molecules to create soap, in a process called saponification.  We always add lots of extra oils to soothe and condition your skin. 
Next, we scent your soap, with essential oils sourced from reputable suppliers who assay each batch and provide us with the assay reports. As essential oils are natural products, there are always going to be folks who cannot tolerate some of them. Thus, we ensure we have a clearly identified product, added at skinsafe levels as determined by IFRA, and list it on the label for you. 

​And finally, we color your soap. You may have noticed that all ours soaps are earthy, botanical colors. There is a shortage of bright tones. This is because we seldom use micas in our soaps. (when we do, we choose micas colored with minerals.) Most of our colors are derived from a selection of carefully sourced clays, or from botanical products. The root of himalayan rhubarb, for instance, gives a lovely bright pink. Many plants; basil, neem, alfalfa, spirulina, for instance, give tones of green. Indigo and woad make beautiful blues. Paprika, saffon and turmeric provide yellows and oranges. Cocoa makes browns, and activated charcoal gives us the greys and blacks. These botanicals are added as oil infusions, teas, or powders, to give different shades and textures. 
The last step is pouring the now colored and scented soap batter. This is where we get to play and be artistic. Shall we go for layers? swirls? Wisps of one color in a base of another? Maybe an In the Pot Swirl, combined with layering? Shall we try the new technique we learned in the latest cool soap video? 
Whatever we do, a couple days later, your soaps are carefully cut and placed on the rack to cure for a month, ensuring that your receive a gentle, longlasting bar to start or end your day just right!