Common Questions about Handmade Soap


1. How is handmade soap made?


   Oil + Sodium Hydroxide + Water = Soap + Glycerin. It's that simple! Glycerin is an essential moisturizing ingredient in skincare and cosmetics. During the soap-making process, handmade soap naturally retains about 25% glycerin, providing moisturizing and mild properties.


2. Why is handmade soap better than commercial soap?


   Most commercially produced soaps remove the glycerin produced during saponification for use in cosmetics, resulting in soaps lacking glycerin, leading to dryness after use. Moreover, some commercial soaps can't truly be considered 'soap' as they are chemically synthesized cleansers, stripping natural oils from the skin and potentially causing harm to both skin and the environment.


3. Does using sodium hydroxide in handmade soap harm the skin?


   The production of handmade soap requires an alkaline substance. While ancient people used the alkaline substance in wood ashes, modern soap makers use sodium hydroxide derived from sea salt components. Sodium hydroxide is a strong base that can harm the skin, but after saponification with oils and water, it transforms into soap and glycerin. To ensure complete saponification, handmade soap needs to cure for one to two months. Fully saponified soap won't harm the skin.


4. Why does my soap have water droplets?


   Cold process soap naturally contains 20-25% glycerin during production, along with valuable moisturizing components in plant oils. Soap tends to absorb moisture from the surrounding air, forming water droplets on the soap's surface. This doesn't affect the usage of cold process soap; simply wipe it off.


5. Normal skin reactions


   Some individuals might experience dryness, roughness, or small breakouts after using cold process soap, similar to reactions from cosmetics. This is termed as the 'purging phase.' The appearance of this phase is due to long-term use of products containing high amounts of chemically synthesized surfactants found in shower gels and the like. Residues left on the skin after inadequate rinsing can damage the skin's natural protective layer. When the skin begins using handmade soap, which lacks these damaging agents, it struggles initially to regain its balance of oils and pH levels, leading to feelings of dryness and tightness. The 'purging phase' typically disappears within a month (skin's physiological cycle is 28 days).


6. Soap color and fragrance


   Colors added to soap are usually synthetic. While synthetic colors may be vibrant and long-lasting, prolonged use can harm the skin. To prioritize skin health, my soaps maintain authenticity by using natural colorants like flower and herb teas, algae, mineral mud, Chinese herbs, green tea powder, carrot juice, cocoa powder, etc., enhancing the soap's fragrance and nutritional benefits. To complement aromatherapy, some soaps use pure plant essential oils for fragrance. However, since these aren't industrial synthetic fragrances, the longevity and intensity of the scent may vary. Essential oils, as commonly known, tend to evaporate over time.

“手工皂”常见问题

 

1、手工皂是怎么做出来的?

 

  油脂+氢氧化钠+水=皂+甘油 就是这么简单！甘油是保养品和化妆品中不可缺少的保湿成分，在手工皂皂化的过程中会自然产生25%的甘油，保湿、温和。

 

2、手工皂为什么比市售香皂好?

 

  市售的香皂大多在皂化时，将皂化所产生的甘油抽离做为化妆品用途，没有了甘油的香皂，洗后容易使肌肤干燥。更有些市售香皂，根本不能称为「皂」，因为它们是化学合成的清洁剂，不但洗去肌肤自然油脂，且可能对肌肤及环境造成伤害。

 

3、用氢氧化钠做手工皂不会伤害皮肤吗?

 

  制做手工皂一定需要碱性物质，古代人利用木灰中的碱性物质，现在则使用取自海盐成分的氢氧化钠。氢氧化钠为强碱，会伤害皮肤，但是和油脂及水一起皂化后就不再是氢氧化钠，而是皂和甘油了。为了使氢氧化钠完全皂化，手工皂制做后必需放置一至两个月的时间，完全皂化的肥皂当然不会伤害皮肤啰。

 

4、为什么我的皂皂会冒水珠？

 

  冷制皂在制作过程中会产生20-25%的甘油，加上植物油中本来含有的大量珍贵保湿成分，肥皂回自动的锁住周围空气中的水分，于是凝集成肥皂表面的水珠，对冷制皂的使用没有任何影响，擦去就可以了。

 

5、皮肤的正常反应

 

  有个别的人使用冷制皂之后会出现皮肤干燥粗糙，起小痘痘等类似与化妆品的现象，我们称之为“好转现象”，出现“好转现象”是因为长期使用含有大量化学合成界面活性剂，沐浴乳等，洗的时候不容易冲洗干净，洗后残留在皮肤上，久而久之就破坏了皮脂膜。当皮肤刚开始接触皂皂的时候，失去正常功能的皮脂膜一下子无法适应，无法在短时间内恢复油脂和酸碱平衡，所以才感觉干燥，紧绷。好转现象会在1个月内渐渐消失（皮肤的生理周期为28天）。

 

6、皂皂的颜色和香味

 

  加在皂皂里的颜色是化学合成的。化学合成的虽然颜色浓郁，又不容易褪色，可是长期使用会损害肌肤。为肌肤着想，我的肥皂会尽量保持原汁原味，用一些色素，比如花草茶、绿藻、矿泥、中草药、绿茶粉、胡萝卜汁、可可粉等，可以使肥皂更清香，更有营养。为了让皂配合芳香疗法，有一些肥皂会使用纯植物精油为皂皂增加香味。然而，由于添加的不是工业合成的香精，味道保留时间和浓郁程度会有变化。大家都知道，精油是会挥发的哦。