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The Soapmaker
Answers Questions About
Mundare Soap
Have questions? Need more convincing? Okay. Here is a list of the most common questions that I hear from people who visit my booth when I am out on the road selling soap...
How long does a bar of your soap last?
Well, that depends on a few variables. First, how the soap is cared for by you. Do you typically leave your soap in a puddle between uses? This will obviously shorten the life of your soap. When you use it do you use a washcloth or scrubber? What I have found is that when properly cared for, my soap will last longer than most "body bars" sold in the supermarket. I can't tell you how many customers have visited me after buying a bar telling me that they were initially skeptical about my claims that my soap lasts a long time, but found out for themselves that it was true. You will find that my soap gives great lather right down to the last sliver.
Why is your soap so expensive compared with ones I buy in the grocery store?
Okay, of all questions, this one is not often asked outright, but it is implicit and one I used to have before my soap making days began. To answer, you need to know that most of the bars sold in a supermarket these days are not soap at all. Check the label. Many of these bars come from soap that has had the glycerin removed by the manufacturer in order to sell it at an additional profit. This glycerin in soap, in case you are wondering is one of the things that makes handcrafted soap so nice. It is a natural humectant that draws moisture from the air to your skin. Secondly, my soaps are made with the finest vegetable oils and butters. They are expensive. I choose these over cheaper fats and oils because of their skin benefits. My scents and essential oils are of the highest quality as well. Your mother was right when she told you that you get what you pay for.Finally, when you buy one of my soaps, you are receiving a one-of-a-kind bar created by me to be a joy to use. Compare that to a mass-produced product made in a factory in China. I am not a machine and am expected to pay the usual taxes, insurances and other fees incumbent on running a business. I am not trying to get rich, but would like to earn a small profit to compensate for the hours I devote to my craft.
What is "sodium hydroxide"?
Sodium hydroxide is the chemical name for lye, that caustic and very dangerous substance that elicits fear in the hearts of many people. Yes, there is lye in my soap. In fact, there is lye in every soap that is, in fact, "soap". The cool thing is that in the process of making soap, sodium hydroxide reacts with the oils in such a way that it is no longer present in the soap as lye. Instead of fats and lye you are left with sodium salts of whatever fatty acids you have added along with glycerin. Sodium hydroxide is what causes the "magic" in making soap.
What do you recommend for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin I generally recommend a plain goat milk soap or a castile-type soap. That said, however, I have had people who reported having sensitive skin buy one of my scented regular soaps and not had a problem. As you may have noticed, most if not all of my soaps contain a generous amount of olive oil. This is one of those oils that is most gentle to the skin. Questions about the gentleness of my soaps led me to do what I had before thought unthinkable: I actually began to use my soap on my dry, sensitive-skin face. And guess what? My skin did not complain in the least.
© bemadeclean.com 2011
Return from "Frequently Asked Questions" to Handcrafted Soaps.
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