Natural soap making can be traced back more than 1000 years BC, so it is a genuine age old method, although I guess it was a much cruder soap as it was done on the fire embers with oils and animal fats. When you hear of Natural soap making it will either be cold process or hot process that will be used, both methods use exactly the same ingredients and basically the only difference is that with the cold process version, because there is no heat source, it has to sit longer to cure and dry out for around 4 to 6 weeks. This is not the case if hot process is used as the application of a heat source speeds up the saponification and the soap can be used within the week, or as soon as it has hardened sufficiently. These methods use the process of combining fats or oils with water and caustic soda; most commonly I would say that it is vegetable oils, such as olive, palm and coconut oils that are used rather than the animal tallow’s of days of old.

The addition of caustic soda to the oils causes the chemical reaction that we call saponification, this removes any trace of lye (caustic soda) and as this takes place botanicals or essential oils are added before the mixture is poured into moulds to set and harden. Once set they are turned out onto racks and left alone for a month in a dry place to cure and become milder. You then have the most natural and pure soap, the glycerine is retained and it is free from any manmade additives or chemicals. This is a fantastic soap, gentle, mild and moisturising to gently cleanse your skin and is much healthier to use than commercially manufactured soaps. Handmade natural soap is a wonderful product, if you have never tried any, perhaps it time you did!