Frequently Asked Questions About Our Handcrafted Soaps And Lotions
What is the difference between a fragrance and an essential oil?
Essential oils and fragrance oils are different in a number of ways. Although both types of oil can sometimes be used for the same purposes, they are chemically different, priced differently and possess different properties. We offer a variety of both fragrance and essential oils. Essential oils are completely natural, fragrance oils are synthetic.
Essential oils are natural products extracted in a number of ways from plants. Essential oils extracted from plants contain aromatic properties used as remedies for a number of problems. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy practice to help ease muscle pain, emotional problems, menstrual issues, skin problems, arthritis and more. "Infusions" or "extracts" are not essential oils, by the way, but still have therapeutic benefits.
Fragrance oils are synthetic products and therefore do not possess the natural healing properties of essential oils. Fragrance oils are essentially a "pleasant" aroma, and many modern perfumes are created using fragrance oils. It is possible to create almost any aroma in a fragrance oil, unlike an essential oil, which is extracted from a plant.
Do you actually make the soap?
Yes! By hand and from scratch - every time.
Why are some bars bigger than others?
Your Soaptender cuts all soap freely by hand, one at a time, and always cuts big because sometimes soap will shrink slightly during the several weeks of cure time.
Do you do custom orders?
Yes! We create new soap and lotion to order. You can pick out what plant oils you like best, pick a fragrance or essential oil, or leave it unscented. We have made wedding favor soap, holiday gift baskets, and baby shower soap to order. The possibilities are endless! We find our best inspiration from our treasurers - let us know what you want! Special requests are usually such great ideas that they end up on the menu. Your Soaptender will help you brainstorm and come up with a unique recipe just for you.
What do you use for color?
We either use clay, mica, oxides (iron oxide) or lab colors (dye) to add pigment to the soap. You can request your soap to have no color or minerals only (clays, micas, oxides).
I see caprylyl glycol and phenoxyethanol on all the lotions. What is this?
Caprylyl glycol is a carrier oil for phenoxyethanol, and together are actually one ingredient called Optiphen. Optiphen is a paraben-free and formeldehyde-free preservative. Phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea, but the commercial ingredient is synthetically produced in a laboratory creating what’s termed a “nature identical” chemical. Specifically, it’s created by treating phenol with ethylene oxide in an alkaline medium which all reacts to form a pH-balanced ingredient that fights bacteria. Most personal care products are made with a lot of water and a variety of nutrients which makes an incredibly hospitable breeding ground for microorganisms. Optiphen prevents spoilage. You may order lotion without this preservative, but if you do this, you should keep it refrigerated and it will spoil within 2 weeks.
Is this soap gentle for my baby?
Although they are gentle enough for very sensitive skin, we don't recommend direct contact with anybody's eyes. Any of our soap including "Baby" soap are not tear free.
Will the bars of soap melt in the car?
No. We noticed that sometimes bars of soap got hot and a little soft when left out in the sun all day long, but never are at risk of melting.
Why can I use some lotions all over, but not on my face?
Facial skin is more sensitive than other skin on your body. Test out a small area of any skin before liberal usage. If your face stings from lotion, it is likely you have cracked skin and also that the fragrance or essential oil is too strong for such damaged skin. We recommend an ointment such as Forever 39 Ointment or unscented pure shea butter to fix cracked, sensitive skin. An unscented lotion such as Shea Meadow or Hemp Aloe should provide relief for the most sensitive skin.