Before we go into these reasons I thought it useful to ask why do we need soap or body wash anyway – why can’t we just clean with water. Well, that’s because water has a high surface tension; this results in water molecules sticking together. Imagine drops of rain falling on a window - the glass is not uniformly wet, instead the water drops tend to stick together and drop downwards by force of gravity. In order to break this surface tension we need to introduce a molecule that will break both the surface tension – to allow the water to completely wet the area and to attract dirt and grease. This is exactly what soap and detergents do.
Since the 1980’s liquid soaps and shower gels have gained massive traction in the skin care market. These are mostly made of cheap petroleum based chemicals, with colours, scents and some skin conditioning additives added to overcome their innate harshness.
At the Soap Bar, we believe that a good handmade soap bar is far superior for your skin and the environment. Here are our reasons:
Minimal packaging. Shower gels and body washes are packaged in single use plastic bottles. By using bar soap you are contributing to a cleaner environment for future generations
Less bar soap is used to wash your hands and body than body wash – cheaper for you and better for the environment
Handmade bar soap is made with a minimal carbon footprint. Handmade soap is made with pure natural ingredients, whereas shower gels are made with chemicals mainly petroleum products that have a large carbon footprint.
The Soap Bar hand made soaps are palm oil free, so you can be reassured that you are not contributing to deforestation of rainforests.
Many people think that bar soap is unhygienic. This is not true – the ph of handmade soap is usually around 10 – not very conducive to growing bacteria – and even if it did, as soon as you place the soap under the water any bacteria would be washed away. Our skin has an acid mantle that acts to protect our skin – even when we wash with a soap that has a ph of 10, our skin very quickly restores the protective acid mantle.
Handmade soap has a high percentage of glycerin – this is produced as a by product of the soap making process – it acts as a humectant and draws moisture to itself. This helps to reduce any ‘dried out’ feeling that commercial soap can leave on your skin.
At the Soap Bar, we use skin loving oils that synergistically work together to leave your skin soft, supple and nourished. Our unique essential oil blends are designed to nourish your spirit, soul and skin.
If you want to make the change, or just continue to enjoy the environmental and skin benefits for the next week we will be offering 20% off on line purchases - just enter the coupon code BAR SOAP at checkout!
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