FAQ’s

 

Do you make all of your products?

I make all my soaps myself, I am a soap maker. Our soap, lip balms, mists, and lotions are all made 100% by me- formulated, designed, and hand-crafted by me and me alone. 

The accessories to my products- such as the soap trays and LippyClips, as well as our hair clips, and other curated items- those aren’t made by me. I purchase them from wholesale suppliers- other small shops that make their products. Soap is my passion, and I like to focus all my efforts and resources into making beautiful high quality soap. Therefore, I often outsource production on things that I can’t make myself, like the soap trays. I do purchase from other small businesses though, who do make and design these items, so you can feel confident that you’re still shopping small when you buy them. You’re basically supporting two small businesses at once! 

I bought one of your soaps last year in X scent, but I don’t see it on your website anymore. Can you make it again??

All my bars are limited edition. I like to keep things interesting, so almost every time you visit my website you should see at least one new variety! How fun?! I know it can be frustrating though when you find something you LOVE & then never find it again. So if you seriously are head over heals for something I made in the past, please do reach out to me. I’d be happy to make you a custom loaf in a scent you like. I also would be happy to help you find something new that you may like just as much :) 

Are these soaps for using or for decoration?

I get this question a lot, interestingly enough. Our soaps are for using- just like you’d use any other soap bar. If our bars were meant for display only, we wouldn’t be putting precious oils and butters in them that are meant to nourish your skin. If these soaps were not meant for use, they wouldn’t be soap at all- they would be a figurine or art piece made of clay or paint :) Please use our soaps. We know they are pretty- but we will make more! 

I have sensitive skin. Can I still use your soap?

Our soap is made for fun- not to cure, treat, or prevent any disease or ailment. We don’t make any medical or cosmetic claims regarding the use of our products. If you have a diagnosed skin condition, I highly recommend checking with your dermatologist before using any product, whether from us or someone else. Please read our ingredient lists carefully and avoid anything you know you’re sensitive or allergic to. 

That being said, sensitive skin is often not a “condition” but a reaction to conventional products that contain harsh detergents that dry out and irritate our skin. Many of my customers have found that once they switch over to my real soap bars, their skin is no longer “sensitive”. 

At the end of the day, what you use is entirely up to you. I have no idea what your skin will or will not tolerate. Doing a patch test (testing a product on a small area of skin before using all-over) is recommended. Only by giving them a try will you know whether these will work for you. We do sometimes offer a sample set of end slices so you can try before you buy full sized bars & almost always have full-sized bars on sale for an affordable option.

Is there lye in your soap? Why? 

Yes our soap is made with lye. The FDA classifies soap as fats + lye. Our fats are plant-based (ie: coconut oil, shea butter, etc). Lye is what makes soap soap, and it is how all real soap is made. The lye is a catalyst for a scientific process called saponification. This process will not occur without the lye, and once this process is complete the lye is no longer active as it has served its purpose and is now neutralized. The process completes long before our soap bars are put up for sale, so there is zero concern of danger to you.

There is no active lye in our soap bars.

“Soap” that is “lye-free” is actually a detergent. Which means it’s made with cleansing agents, such as sulfates. It’s not really soap by definition, but a cleansing product or a “wash”. There’s nothing wrong with those products, they’re just not soap by definition, and some people find their skin reacts negatively to detergent based products.

Fun Fact: Did you know that lye (sodium hydroxide) is used as a pH adjuster in skincare and cosmetics such as face washes and facial toners? You most likely own or have used a skincare product that contains it at some point in your life. Lye is widely used in the cosmetic AND food industry! It is used to cure many types of food, including olives (making them less bitter), canned mandarin oranges, hominy, lye rolls, century eggs, pretzels, and bagels.

Some of my soaps are smaller than the others, was I shorted?

Absolutely not. My soaps are a minimum of approximately 4 ounces each (unless stated otherwise). When you purchase one of my bars you are paying for a minimum of about 4 ounces. That being said, depending on the design & the mold I used when making the bars, some of them end up weighing more than 4 ounces. This is a bonus to you. In addition, visual size can be a bit deceiving. Some bars will be shorter but wider, yet weigh the same. Others may be smaller, but have “frosting” or piping or embeds on top that causes it to physically weigh more. 

The reason I label them as 4oz across the board is because each bar is hand-cut so the weight is super variable. Some could be 4.3oz, others 4.5oz, etc. Especially since cold process soap actually continues to evaporate water over time, even after a 4-6 week cure- it’s just so variable and instead of weighing each bar individually and then doing hundreds of different labels I just do a minimum of 4oz and say hey if it’s bigger than that- lucky you! 

How do I use your soap?

Our soap bars can be used exactly how you would use any other soap bar! Our soap bars bubble, lather, & clean just like any other. They are skin safe- that means safe for all of your skin; hands & body. 

External use only & avoid eye contact as it is real soap & real soap stings the eyes! 

Should I be concerned about “fragrance” in your products?

No, you shouldn’t. This is my opinion after MANY YEARS of making skincare and a lot of experience with many materials. I utilize only skin-safe fragrances that are meant for use in cosmetic products. My scents have no prop 65 warnings. My fragrances are considered clean. Our fragrances are free from Carcinogens, Mutagens, & Reproductive Toxins (CMR). They don’t contain phthalates or parabens either. 

The mainstream “natural” skincare industry has profited off of fear-mongering tactics, greenwashing in their marketing. Synthetic does not equal harmful. Many synthetics are harmful, sure, but not all are. Just like many natural things are harmful- poison ivy, belladonna… many naturally occurring materials can be harmful. I say “materials” instead of chemicals because the word “chemicals” has been widely demonized. Everything is a chemical. Water is a chemical.

It’s a marketing myth that synthetic is “bad”, it’s simply not true. In fact, when something is made in lab, it’s being made in a controlled environment. Cosmetic scientists have more control over the components. Many natural materials (even essential oils!) contain things such as benzene (a known carcinogen), but when created in a lab these components can be either removed or left out. 

We follow stringent IFRA skin safety guidelines in the production of our products. The IFRA stands for the international fragrance association. This is a peer reviewed panel of cosmetic scientists that assign percentages for each and every fragrance oil, and I follow those percentages every time I make a product and I follow their updated amendments closely every year. 

I do not make anything that I wouldn’t use on myself and my 3 children. If I wouldn’t want myself or my kids or my mom or my nana using it, I don’t make it. Period. 

here is a great article about natural vs synthetic fragrance: 

https://drshamilsmartliving.blogspot.com/2023/04/clearing-up-some-nonsense-about-natural.html?fbclid=IwAR0ejUMfCZd6PTtpK7wkQD49G48Yfw-R3fxdWUYT7utVNvKnw3HjCYwocWQ&m=1

Why should I buy handcrafted soap when I can go to the store and pick up a cheap bar?

Hmmm…let’s count the reasons:

1 – Most commercial “soap” companies remove the natural glycerin from their bars. Glycerin is a natural emollient that is gentle on sensitive skin by creating a rich, mild lather that nourishes and softens skin. Glycerin is more valuable than the soap itself, so commercial companies sell this byproduct of soap to make more profit – usually at your skin’s expense.

2 – Many commercial “soap” companies use synthetic surfactants, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, to cheaply imitate the natural lather of real soaps. Many people find these surfactants to be quite drying and irritating to their skin. 

3 – Some of the most expensive and luxurious cosmetics contain emollients that are naturally found in handcrafted soaps. Remember point #1? Glycerin is naturally found in handcrafted soaps, yet big companies remove this valuable emollient to sell back to you as a premium additive in other cosmetics (lotion, lip balms, makeup, etc.). They essentially charge you double because you pay good money for “soap” that leaves your skin so dry and irritated that you are forced to purchase their lotions and cosmetics to compensate for issues that the “soap” created in the first place. Handcrafted soap will allow your skin to begin healing without all the other cosmetics to compensate – potentially saving you money in the long run.

4 – Our handcrafted soaps afford you the opportunity to choose what’s best for you. We don’t hide behind patents and proprietary blends that leave you in the dark about ingredients. All of our ingredients are on the label. There’s nothing on the label that you can’t pronounce or find necessary to the process of making a high-quality bar of soap. The oils, butters, and additives we use have beneficial properties, pleasant scents, and a long history of safe human use.

5. Lastly, our soaps are made with care and attention to detail. I believe that pretty soap makes people smile, and we all could use something that makes us smile while we complete the mundane task of washing up. Why have boring soap when you can have a beautiful piece of usable art that serves a purpose and was crafted by a real person instead of made in a factory?