1.   How do you make your homemade soaps?

I use 3 main ingredients to make homemade soap:  oil or fat, sodium hydroxide (lye) and water.  It is best to use distilled water.  I use aloe vera juice instead of water because of its soothing properties.  ​

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2.  You use so many different colors in your soaps. How do you color your soaps?

I use a variety of things to color my soaps.  I use herbs (rosemary, lemongrass), micas, activated charcoal, botanicals (roses, chamomile, calendula)  powders (cocoa, moringa leaf, bee pollen) and clays (kaolin, rose, french green).   Pureed fruits (bananas, strawberries, avocados) and vegetables (spinach, pumpkin, carrots) also add color to soap.

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3.  Why does it take 4-6 weeks for homemade soap to cure?

Homemade soap has to cure because it allows it to go through a process called saponification.  Saponification allows soap to completely lose the water weight (aloe vera liquid) and to evaporate out.  This allows the soap to dry, get harder and the lye to be totally transformed to the finished product.  The longer the soap cures, the harder the bar will be.  

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4.  What types of oils and butters do you use in your soaps?

There are many oils and butters that can be used in soap making.  Some of the oils that I use are: olive, coconut, castor, sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed and avocado to name a few.  Butters that I use are: shea, cocoa, kokum, mango, tucuma, murumuru, cupuacu, ucuuba and the list goes on.  I have used lard, tallow, duck fat, babassou and beeswax in my soaps as well.  The recipes are endless in soap making.  Each oil and/or butter provide different benefits to your skin.  Coconut oil provides cleansing properties.  While olive oil provides conditioning properties to soaps.  Shea butter has conditioning properties, provide a stable lather and gives bars a silky feel.  Cocoa butter also provides a stable reach lather and conditioning properties but is also high in vitamin E and other antioxidants.

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5.  I love the lather in your soaps.  How do you get such great lather?

Sugars usually provide great lather for soap.  This can come from honey, fruit, vegetables, aloe vera and more.  They contain natural sugars in them that boost the bubble and creamy lather in homemade soaps. 

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6. Can milk be used in homemade soap?

Yes, milk can be used in homemade soap.  Milk can increase the moisturizing qualities in soap. Milks also provide soaps with great lather.  It also contains vitamins and nutrients.  I may use milk in the liquid or powder form.  I find that the powder form is easier to incorporate in my recipes.  My soaps made with milk may include one or more milks in them.  Milks that may be found in my soaps include: goat, buttermilk, heavy cream and/or coconut milk.  Breast milk can even be used in making home made soaps.  ​

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7.  Why does my soap bars look different from what was sent to me?

I make small batches of soap and they can vary from bar to bar or from loaf to loaf.  All soaps will include the ingredients on the label and on the website.  

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