pH, Soap, and Skin

We see many product claims along the lines of “pH balanced for skin” but like many other body care product claims this is entirely fictitious. Let's examine the scientific facts:

FACT 1: Your skin produces what is known as the Acid Mantle which is a slightly acidic secretion designed to protect. Basic chemistry tells us that if this is acidic, the most effective way to clean it off along with accumulated oils, dirt and germs, is by using an alkaline soap. Handmade natural cold process soaps usually have an alkaline pH between 9.0 and 10.0 which is ideal for the job. Most mass produced soaps, many of which are SYNDETS (synthetic detergents), have pH values between 5.0 and 7.0 (acidic to neutral) which are therefore not so ideal for skin cleaning purposes.

FACT 2: The long-term use of soap does not affect the pH-maintenance mechanism of human skin.The surface pH of human skin is around 5. Washing the skin with an alkaline soap will certainly increases the pH of the skin, however it will return to a more acidic pH within a few hours. Scientific research suggests that long-term continuous use of alkaline soap does not affect the pH-maintaining mechanism of human skin. (see Takagi, Y., Kaneda, K., Miyaki, M., Matsuo, K., Kawada, H. and Hosokawa, H. (2014), The long-term use of soap does not affect the pH-maintenance mechanism of human skin. Skin Research and Technology. doi: 10.1111/srt.12170)

Dr. Mike Thair

Co-founder & Managing Director
Indochine Natural

The Cure Room Shuffle

With a production capacity of 10,000 handmade cold-process soap bars per month we are often confronted by what we call the "cure room shuffle"…..here is Lely in the process of moving boxes of soap out of our temperature & humidity controlled cure room into the labelling/packaging room to make room for more soap on the cure racks.

Just to let you know, our handmade natural cold-process soap is cured for 30 days.

On her right are boxes of recycled soap offcuts that will be powdered for our Natural Washing Powder product….something that sells out fast and we are always short of!!

This how our soap is made HERE.

Getting Rid of Skin Fungal Conditions & Body Odors Once & For All

Long forgotten Clove is an all-natural fighter of skin fungal conditions and body odors which at Indochine Natural we have incorporated into some of our products.

The skin benefits of Clove are legendary, but before talking about these it is worthwhile reminding ourselves that the benefits of Clove have a very long history that goes back thousands of years. One of the first recorded references to Clove says that the Chinese, in order to approach the emperor, had to have a few Cloves in their mouths to sweeten the breath. Historically, Cloves were once very costly and fiercely traded and played an important part in world history and the lucrative spice trade between Asia and Europe during the 16th and 17th century that spurred expeditions as well as wars.

Cloves have been used historically to treat many ailments. They have antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmodic, antiviral, antiparasitic, analgesic, and simulative properties making them a great overall healer. They can be used to stimulate the mind as well as prevent nausea, diarrhea, ease coughs, aid in digestion, and even treat conditions like malaria and cholera. They can also be used topically to treat acne, styes and sores. In modern times many of these benefits are ignored, however there is a smattering of scientific research demonstrating the effectiveness of Clove as a microbial inhibitor. For example, A novel aromatic oil compound inhibits microbial overgrowth on feet: a case study (J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Jul 13;4:3), and Microbicide activity of clove essential oil (Eugenia caryophyllata) Braz J Microbiol. 2012 Oct;43(4):1255-60

With all of these benefits in mind, we developed the Indochine Natural Clove Soap. The spicy and woody aroma of this soap warms the senses and helps you begin each day with a clear mind and positive energy.  Because of the anti-fungal properties of Clove this is a useful soap to use regularly in your efforts to keep skin fungal conditions at bay. Plus, this Clove Soap has deodorizing properties to freshen and reduce body odor.

IMPORTANT: This soap is not a cure for skin fungal conditions, for that you need to consult your doctor.

Observant followers of Indochine Natural may have noticed that we also use Clove essential oil in our Spice Island BodyWash and Tropical Flower Shampoo.

Kind regards,

Dr. Mike Thair

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Indochine Natural Sdn Bhd

Our products are available from all JustLife stores, or the Indochine Natural online store. 

CAREFULL & METICULOUS

Each of our-30 gram soap bars destined for various boutique hotels are carefully and meticulously stamped with the hotel logo. This produces really unique and distinctive guest amenities that hotel guests enjoy, and often take home as momentos of their travels.

For each of our hotel clients, we  ask for a copy of their logo and the soap stamp logo is laser cut into a brass block for us by a specialist craftsman in the USA, and then mounted onto a wooden block.

In our production facility the brass soap stamp goes into the chuck of our Swiss made press, and ever-so-carefully the soap maker centres the logo on each individual bar of soap, and then applies just enough pressure to leave a beautiful impression of the hotel logo in the soap.

Our boutique hotel soap orders are usually in batches of 600 pcs of 30 gram bars, so this is not a quick and easy job, and requires a steady hand and good eye to produce a truly handcrafted soap that is 100% natural.

If you want to see more of our soap making methods, check out or page describing How ourSoap is Made  

WILL SOAP DRY OUT MY SKIN? DR. MIKE RESPONDS

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

INTERESTED IN HOW HANDMADE NATURAL IS MADE? 

IndochineNatural products are available from all JustLife stores 

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DR. MIKE’S THREE STEPS TO REMEDY DRY SKIN

Suffer from dry skin? You are not alone; this is a VERY common condition, especially as we get older. Dry skin complications include rashes, bacterial infections, and eczema.

STEP 1: Toss out any harsh chemical soaps and liquid body washes, these are the most common causes of dry skin. The worst offenders are deodorant or antibacterial soaps, as these generate lots of lather and leave us feeling squeaky-clean but at the same time effectively removing the oils from the surface of the skin and drying it out.

STEP 2: Seek out a handmade natural soap that has been formulated by a competent and qualified soap maker. Ask the soap maker what natural vegetable oils are used to make the soap, and if it has been “superfatted.” What this means is that the recipe has been designed in such a way that some of the natural vegetable oils have been left unsaponified, and it is these oils that can help moisturize your skin when bathing.

Of course we recommend using Indochine Natural soap, and in particular Dr. Mike has formulated our HONEY SOAP especially for dry skin. This soap is unique in that it has been superfatted, PLUS, we use organic New Zealand honey in this soap recipe. Because honey is a good humectant, it helps retain moisture in the skin.

Our fragrance free handmade natural soap with organic New Zealand honey is perfect for the delicate skin of infants and the aged. This soap makes a perfect top-to-toe for those with sensitive dry skins, scalps and problem hair.

STEP 3: Be mindful of other causes such as frequent and very long hot showers, excessive air conditioning, and sun exposure.

Indochine Natural Honey Soap is available from:

JustLife stores:

Indochine Natural online store:

PROUDLY MADE IN MALAYSIA……OR IS IT?

Indochine Natural was recently featured in a Malaysian foreign language magazine featuring natural soap; we were one of the eight soap brands featured.  Indochine Natural soaps are proudly made in Malaysia, and it was interesting to see how the other seven brands presented themselves on their websites. Two brands, Soapy and Kinder Soaps are clearly made in Malaysia, and proudly so. Then we have the imported brands, plus another group that is neither here nor there.  

These “neither here nor there” soap brands in Malaysia are interesting….they give the impression of being local, but there is no strong evidence that they are actually made in Malaysia, and one suspects that they are probably cheap China imports packaged with Malaysian branding.

We would therefore say to Malaysians, it is time to support MADE IN MALAYSIA. When was the last time you looked at something and said, I’m buying/doing/getting/trying this because it is made in Malaysia? In Malaysia we don’t see the same kind of nationalistic consumerism as we see in Australia for example with the “Australian Made” branding.

There are challenges for local startups …..firstly the Malaysian market is not big and strong enough to launch new locally made brands, and there is the consumer skepticism and doubt about locally made products. What is required therefore is a change in consumer mentality….not to completely drop overnight those imported brands but to allow a little more room for more than one product in your life, and to embrace experimentation and try a few local brands.

Apart from Indochine Natural, Soapy and Kinder Soaps, there are some other great Malaysian made handmade natural soaps out there……seek them out and give them a try, you may be pleasantly surprised, and at the same time you are supporting a locally made product. But please, do speak to the soap maker and double check that they are in fact made in Malaysia.

Check out the Indochine Natural products, all proudly made in Malaysia.

Our products are available online or at all JustLife stores in Malaysia.