This
is a question that often comes to me, especially when referring to facial
cleansing. Unfortunately bar soap has received a lot of negative criticism as marketers
have duped consumers into thinking that soap strips necessary oils from the
skin. Consequently bar soap has had a tough time competing with the
overabundance of liquids, creams and foams that skin care companies effectively
market these days.
Commercial
soap companies mass produce soap using industrial processes that decrease or
remove glycerin, and to compensate they add a range of synthetic ingredients to
create what they perceive as the perfect bar. Take the time to check out the
ingredient labels of supermarket bars and you will see for yourself. Liquid
washes can be just as drying or even worse than these mass-produced soap bars,
since many contain harsh chemical surfactants that can be very drying on the
skin. Again, take a close look at the ingredient lists of liquid washes and you
can confirm this for yourself. Some industry professionals are of the opinion
that these big companies want these products to dry your skin so as to create a
demand for their lotions and moisturizers.
However
enlightened consumers are now demanding products that are free from
preservatives, added chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Natural handmade soap
bars fit this bill, especially as these soap bars are more economical and have
environmentally friendly packaging.
And
why don’t handmade natural soap bars dry out the skin? The answer is very
simple……in the hands of a competent soap maker, the recipes for these soap bars
are “super-fatted.” What this means is that the soap-making recipe leaves a
portion of unincorporated natural vegetable oils in the finished soap, and
these super-fatted soaps have superior moisturizing and emollient qualities. This
is something that the large commercial soap makers can never achieve, as it
takes at least thirty day to make one batch of cold-process handmade natural
soap.
I
do hope that the above answers the many questions we receive on this topic.
Kind
regards,
Dr.
Mike
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