Q: Why use handmade soap rather than cheaper store bought soap?

A: Commercial soaps have one great thing going for them... they're cheap.  This is because when soap is made, through a process called saponification, a natural byproduct of the chemical reaction is glycerin.  Glycerin is an excellent moisturizer and valuable for softening skin.  When commercial soap is made, the glycerin is then removed for use in creams and other more expensive products while replacing the glycerin with chemical detergents which leaves store bought soap harsh and drying.  Handmade soap still contains all the natural glycerin and none of the harsh chemicals.

Q: Is your soap lye soap?

A: All soap is lye soap unless it is pure chemical detergent.  Many people remember using harsh lye soap their grandmother made.  Our soap is made through a very precise tested and true method which leaves no residual sodium hydroxide (lye) in the finished product. 

Q: Why do we use tallow in our soap?

A: Tallow is a good skin conditioner and makes the soap hard and longer lasting.  Many people think mistakenly that tallow clogs pores, possibly because of the association with commercial soaps.  Most people don't realize that nearly every commercial soap on the market uses tallow.  It shows up on the label as sodium tallowate.  However it is the harsh chemicals and detergents added to commercial soaps that clog pores, not the tallow. 

Q: Have you thought about carrying a Lip Balm Tube?

A: We hadn't initially, as we believed the tins to be more asthetically appealing, however it was brought to our attention that it's difficult for women with long fingernails to use the tins.  Well we listened and now we do carry lip balm in convenient tubes for the ease and satisfaction of our customers.

Q: Do the Bath Teas stain the water?

A: Much like regular teas, yes the bath teas do lightly stain the water as the botanicals in them seep into the bath, however through repeated tests we have found that while they color the water, they do NOT color your towels... not even white ones .

Q: What is Shea Butter?

A: Shea butter is a product derived from the nut of the karite tree in Africa.  It has numerous beneficial affects for skin, including but not limited to moisturizing and soothing of burns.  For more information on this wondrous product, please pay a call to the American Shea Butter Institute at www.sheainstitute.com.  As previously mentioned, shea butter is derived from a nut.  If you have nut allergies, this is something to keep in mind before using our products containing shea butter.  Some with allergies have used our products without negative affects, but it is always best to exercise caution.

Coming This Year!

One of our customers brought it to our attention that there is a large group of people looking for gluten-free body products. People who are gluten intolerant should avoid using body products containing gluten as it can be absorbed through the skin. We are in the final stages of verifying the gluten content of our ingredients and will be showcasing our gluten-free products in the upcoming months. if you have any questions, please send us an email at softwatersoapworks@yahoo.com. Thank you for your continued patience.

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