Handmade Soaps

Comparing handmade soap and mass-made soaps is like comparing organic and inorganic items. Naturally, mass-produced soaps contain ingredients that are not recognized by the FDA while a real handmade soap mostly contains raw ingredients including oil, liquid, sad, and lye.  

In addition, most handmade soaps contain Glycerin, an emollient that attracts moisture keeping the skin moist and soft. Glycerin is lacking in most mass-produced soaps which leaves the hands irritated and dry. Besides the reason that most factories like to keep their products as low quality as possible, they also place Glycerin in the other products like creams and lotion for additional sales. Sneaky, isn’t it? 

Besides the fact that most manufacturers remove the glycerin from their products to limit costs and boost sales of other products, some big manufacturers also have some dirty secrets, and one of which is the shadowy secret behind the “fragrance” ingredient that manufacturers put. The Food and Drug Administration does not require these manufacturers to disclose the ingredients that may be containing the fragrance itself. Although not necessarily applicable to all, the fragrance ingredient may contain harmful chemicals and consumers are unaware of the potential hazard that this ingredient may induce. Some of these “hazardous” chemicals may include skin irritants and carcinogens. Additionally, other ingredients are also commonly added to mass-produced soaps, which also may result in hazardous effects. These ingredients are including but are not limited to sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens. The sodium lauryl sulfate is commonly added to make the soap foamy. The soap’s foam makes it easier to remove dirt on the skin. However, it is also a hormone disruptor. Parabens are a class of preservatives that are used to prolong the shelf life of soaps by preventing molds and bacteria growth. This may sound only that parabens are linked to breast tumors. The bottom line is, all of these ingredients are added for the benefit of the seller but potentially compromise the customer’s health.  

On the other side, using real handmade soap is advantageous. The following list the benefits you can have: 

• They are nothing more than a detergent in disguise – real handmade soap mostly uses organic and real ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals which are similar to detergent’s compounds.  
• They are moisturizing – because handmade soaps do not commonly use synthetic chemicals, they effectively moisturize and soften the skin. Moreover, ingredients such as shea butter, oils, and other organic ingredients are natural moisturizers that do not have negative effects.  
• They contain fats – butter and oil contain a lot of fat and this leaves the skin healthy and firm, rather than dry and irritated. 
• Scented natural soaps give aromatherapy – unlike the mass-produced soaps that use engineered scents, hand-made soaps use essential oils that do not only prevent all the hazards that fragrance oils provide, but also give aromatherapeutic benefits.  

• It is economical – considering the benefits handmade soaps provide, they are certainly cost-effective.  

From their benefits to health and skin to their impact on the environment, there is no reason not to shift from mass-produced to handmade soaps.