Today I wanted to cover a very important topic that will answer a lot of the questions we get, as well as help spread some good information about soap ingredients. We get questions like; “does it work better?” or “I like this brand, or that brand, how is your soap different?”. This will also cover ingredient order and why that matters on labels. We put a lot of time and thought into our recipes here at Herban Desert, to bring you the best skincare products around. Here are some considerations for our ingredients and why we use them.
First, let’s cover what happens when you combine a lye-water solution with fats/ oils to create true soap. Fats (an ester) mixed with lye (an alkaline) create soap. Soap works by having a hydrophilic head which attracts water, and a hydrophobic tail which repels water to trap and carry away dirt and grim. We use the cold process method, which then requires a curing process to allow for complete saponification as well as evaporation of excess water. For us, a 6 to 8 week cure results in a harder more long-lasting bar. Through saponification, properties of fats change from when used in their original raw form.
Beef tallow is the primary fat used in our original soap recipe. Once saponified, it helps produce a thick creamy lather. On top of this, beef tallow is full of important fatty acids (A,D,E, and K) which can help hydrate and moisturize your skin. This also gives us a nice white bar that readily accepts our natural colorants.
Coconut oil is an often-misunderstood ingredient in soap. In its raw form, it is great for hydration and moisturization of skin. Once saponified, however, it adds a powerful cleansing and hardening effect in soap. It also can be very drying if used in excess. We keep our coconut oil at a level that helps our bars be extremely cleansing, without drying out your skin. The ideal percentage of virgin coconut oil in soap recipes is between 10-15%. We formulate the other ingredients to help offset the potential negative effects that are found in soap that uses coconut oil at high percentages.
Olive oil helps with moisturizing and conditioning. Its high percentage of oleic helps soften and hydrate your skin. It can make a bar of soap overly soft if not balanced with other ingredients. It also helps make a rich creamy lather. This is one of our favorite ingredients to use, slightly beaten out by beef tallow.
Avocado oil is another moisturizing and hydrating ingredient, rich in vitamins A,D, and E. It also has a higher level of unsaponifiables, which remain in the bar after the saponification process. This leads to more of it’s beneficial ingredients remaining behind to benefit your skin.
We use palm oil in order to harden our soap. It also contains a high level of oleic acid, again benefitting your skin. It also imparts a smooth, creamy lather.
Shea butter is full of oleic and stearic acids, which help nourish and condition your skin, while also helping to make a hard long-lasting bar of soap. There are also some people who have found it to be helpful with their skin conditions, though while it has been used for a very long time for these effects, we do not claim that it is guaranteed.
Castor oil produces a stable, thick lather. It also, you guessed it, helps promote hydration and nourishment of your skin. Castor oil is a wonderful ingredient, though using too much can lead to a sticky or tacky bar of soap.
These are the main fats/oils we use, as well as some of the benefits they impart on our soaps. We formulate each recipe around the effects of our fats/oils, and balance them to promote high levels of hydration, conditioning, and longevity without sacrificing cleansing properties and lather. When shopping for soap, keep these properties in mind, and take note of the order of ingredients. By law ingredients must be listed in order of usage, highest to lowest. Sometimes ingredients will be listed under their botanical names. Please, do yourself the courtesy of taking the time to check the ingredients on any bars of soap you buy, your skin will thank you!
