When people discover that I make soap, they often have similar questions that can be a bit ambiguous. As an extension of my previous post about handmade soap versus commercial soaps, I thought it would be appropriate to share more in-depth about the various types of products for cleaning your skin and help clear some questions (and myths) about the many alternatives you can choose from with regards to the basic act of cleansing your skin.
Here are some of the most common misconceptions, myths, and questions that are commonplace in the world of soaps:
- Glycerin soap is produced without the use of lye.
- Commercial soaps and detergents are more secure than hand-made soaps since they don’t contain Lye in the soaps.
- Detergents and soaps that are commercially available clean better than “soap.”
- Lye soaps can be extremely harsh on the skin.
Therefore, based on who you are talking with, you should use soaps made of Glycerin or soaps that are handmade or detergents! What should a dirty person do to clean up after the kind of confusion that’s available? It is important to look at their options and then make an educated decision. Here’s a summary of studies I’ve conducted (with additional reading links below!)
Soap (and soap-like) Products
Handmade Soap / “Lye” Soap
It’s the only type of soap that’s truly soap.
- It is made by mixing the oil (animal or plant) with lye.
- When lye is used to create soap, the soap is devoid of any lye present in the soap that is made.
- It is not possible to make soap without the use of lye.
- The product can be created using natural ingredients(essential herbs, oils, exfoliants, moisturizers, and many more)
- It is often made using chemical ingredients such as fragrance oils and chemical dyes to exfoliate, color, etc. (I do not use them, though.)
Glycerin Soaps
Many people believe that HTML0 is the best alternative to soaps made of lye.
- The soap you buy is Glycerin as the result of mixing lye with oil. Therefore, every soap made by hand is technically a soap made of Glycerin.
- Certain soaps contain additional Glycerin that they have added to them.
- Most real soaps sold in the market have the Glycerin removed (to be sold as a separate product).
- When people hear “Glycerin Soap,” they are typically discussing Melt and Pour soap.
To be classified as “soap,” the product must comprise primarily of “alkali salts of fatty acids,” which is the substance you obtain when you mix fats and oils and alkali-like lye. To be considered “soap,” those “alkali salts of fatty acids” must be the sole component that causes the soap’s cleaning actions. If the product is made up of synthetic detergents, then it’s a cosmetic and not soap. However, you can still put the term “soap” on the label.
Melt and Pour Soap
A base that is pre-made and made from processed soap and chemicals used to make transparent, meltable, and pourable “soap.”
- Available in blocks available at your local craft store for entertaining as well as “safe enough for children” craft
- Does not contain any real soap.
- It can be created using harsh chemical detergents.
- You can make it by hand using real soap, sugar, and Glycerin
Commercial detergents (artificial soap)
What the majority of people were used to and are still using includes shower gels, bars, shampoos, “antibacterial soaps,” bubble baths as well as infant wipes.
- Mass-produced soap can be authentic soap, but it is typically an unbranded detergent that is advertised as soap.
- Often petroleum based
- The skin can lose its natural oils which can lead to skin conditions and itchy skin.
- Most often, it contains chemical and synthetic bases of colorants, fragrances, and lathering agents, as well as preservatives as well as other “things.”
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