I learned about natural handmade natural soap through a friend. Once I tried her handmade natural soap, I was hooked. I couldn't believe how wonderful it made my skin feel. I decided that I had to open a shop because I wanted more people to experience the amazing benefits of natural handmade natural soap. Now it's become a passion of mine.

Once I decided on opening a shop, I did tons of research and tried many different recipes until I came up with my own special blend of oils. I started making handmade natural soap full time in February 2004 and opened the shop in early May 2004. It took us a few months to make enough handmade natural soap to fill up our shop.

How is handmade natural soap made?

handmade natural soap is made with oils and caustic soda. In the old days, people used to make handmade natural soap with tallow and animal fats. At The handmade natural soap Kitchen, our main ingredient is olive oil. We don't use any animal fats in our handmade natural soap. There is a chemical reaction that takes place when you mix oils with caustic soda. The oils start to thicken and heat up, neutralizing the caustic soda. The complete neutralization, or curing time, takes about 3 weeks.

We add essential oils and herbs to our handmade natural soap for scent, texture and amomatherapy benefits. We do not use any synthetic fragrances or colors in our handmade natural soap. We like to keep things natural and simple.

How does natural, handmade natural soap differ from the stuff you would buy at the supermarket?

Most commercial handmade natural soap have synthetic detergents and artificial fragrances in them. Many commercial handmade natural soap manufacturers extract the glycerin out of their handmade natural soap and use the glycerin in their lotions, so their handmade natural soap tend to be more drying on the skin. With natural handmade natural soap, the glycerin is retained in the handmade natural soap, which makes for a much more moisturizing bar and a completely different feel from commercial handmade natural soap.

Do natural, handmade natural soap last longer than store-bought ones?

Many of my clients have told me that our handmade natural soap last a lot longer than store-bought handmade natural soap and I agree. It's important to take care of the handmade natural soap by keeping it in a well-drained handmade natural soap dish and letting it dry between uses.

What are the allergy considerations when it comes to handmade natural soap?

It is possible that someone might be allergic to one of the natural ingredients in our handmade natural soap. When in doubt, test the handmade natural soap on a small patch of skin and wait 24 hours. If no allergies surface, it should be safe to use.