Numerous factors tip the scales in favor of handmade soap over its mass-produced counterpart, spanning from the quality of ingredients to environmental consciousness and aesthetic appeal. But what exactly sets handmade soap apart from the typical store-bought varieties, and what are the key distinctions between soap that's crafted by hand and those churned out in bulk?
1. Handmade Soap Stands in a League of Its Own.
Soap is crafted from a natural chemical process known as saponification. This process transforms lye (sodium hydroxide) and rich oils/fats into genuine soap, enriched with extra oils—referred to as 'superfat'. These superfats remain in the soap to deeply nourish and hydrate your skin, with the specific oils and their quantities tailored by each unique recipe.
Unlike handmade soap, mass-produced bars are often a blend of synthetic detergents, foaming agents, and artificial ingredients. These products, lacking the natural benefits and gentle care of true soap, often don't even qualify to be labeled as 'soap'. It's essential to read labels carefully to ensure you get genuine soap, which is inherently milder and promotes healthier skin.
2. Handmade Soap Naturally Contains Glycerin.
Glycerin is a humectant, that draws moisture from the air and pulls it to the skin, leaving skin hydrated. It forms during the saponification process. This glycerin coats the skin, helping to attract and retain moisture from the air, thus ensuring your skin remains hydrated.
In contrast, many commercial soap producers remove this glycerin, leading to a soap that may deplete your skin's moisture. This removed glycerin is then typically used in lotions and creams to address the dryness caused by the soap, necessitating additional skin care products to replenish lost oils.
3. Handmade Soaps Are Crafted with Natural Oils and Glycerin.
They are also enhanced with colorants, fragrances, or special additives like flower petals. In contrast, mass-produced soaps often resemble detergents more than true soaps, packed with synthetic fragrances and lacking in nourishing components.
Despite its effectiveness in soapmaking, palm oil is a common ingredient in commercial soaps, criticized for its environmental impact and harm to wildlife. Similarly, animal fats are frequently used for their low cost, despite their potential for quality soap production. We consciously opt out of using animal fats, prioritizing sustainability by using certified palm oil sustainable products.
4. Our Customer's Health Comes First
We are acutely aware that certain chemicals, like Methylisothiazolinone, pose health risks yet remain prevalent in many products. Our diligent search for the finest ingredients has led us to choose only phthalate-free fragrance oils for our soaps and paraben-free preservatives for our bath and body products. Alarmingly, during our research, we encountered numerous fragrances flagged with serious health warnings, including cancer risks and potential harm to both fertility and unborn children.
Such hazards are not limited to industrial use; they can also affect products designed for personal care. This underscores the importance of selecting suppliers who not only understand these risks but actively prioritize the health and safety of their customers by ensuring the safety of the ingredients they use
5. Ethical Practices and Social Responsibility
At Cajun Prairie Soap Co, we believe in the personal touch, testing our soaps ourselves, along with willing family members and friends, once we're confident in their safety. This hands-on approach ensures that our products meet our high standards of safety and quality.
6. Unique Artisanal Designs
Most soap makers have their unique style and a lot of us make our amazing recipes. Handmade soaps are almost always better than mass-produced soaps when it comes to ingredients, mildness, and moisturizing abilities, and there are also an abundance of fun patterns, shapes, colors, and scents to choose from.
Cajun Prairie Soap Co carries a big selection of different styles, including all-natural options which you won’t find among mass-produced soaps, and products unique to our shop only.