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Your massage bars are the easiest way to give a massage. The Relief Bar really helped my sore muscles.
- Kim Ness
Edmonton, AB
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What is the difference between commercial soaps and handmade cold process soaps?
There are two processes for making soap. Commercial soap (Irish Spring, Dove, Body Shop soap) is manufactured by using a hot process method. In the hot process, oils and alkali are boiled together for a period of time to create saponification (the process where the oils and the alkali bind). During the boiling, the soap product and glycerin separate. In large commercial processes, the glycerin is separated out and sold, and the soap mixture is then formed into bars or other shapes. Since the soap mixture is boiled for such a long time, the oils in the hot soap process can go rancid. So to counter rancidity, whole arrays of chemicals are added to keep many hot process soaps fresher for a long shelf life.
Handcrafted soap manufacturers mostly use the cold process method of production where oils are heated just to the melting temperature and mixed with an alkali to create saponification. It is then poured into moulds, cut and cooled off, and then cured for approx. 4-5 weeks.
Cold process soaps retain glycerin and do not need chemical preservatives because the oil is not boiled.
Why don't larger companies make cold processed soap?
The shelf life of cold processed soap is shorter and the price is higher due to the glycerin content, essential oils and higher priced natural organic ingredients. As well, we don't add cheaper priced petroleum products in our soap.
Is there vegetable glycerin in this soap?
Yes! Our cold processed soap has a very high glycerin content that is created by the saponification process. Because we only use vegetable oils, it is a vegetable based glycerin.
Saponification is the chemical process where oils and alkali (sodium hydroxide) bind to create soap. The saponification process creates soap and a high amount of glycerin. Mountain Sky Soaps retain the glycerin in the soap.
What is shea butter? And why do you use it in your soaps and massage bars?
Shea butter is obtained from the nut of the Mangifolia tree in Central Africa. It has been used extensively in African countries to heal irritated skin and soothe stretch marks. Unique to shea butter is it's high content of non-saponifiable fats, which means much of the shea butter does not turn into soap and is available as a moisturizing element in the soap.
We buy our unrefined shea butter from an African woman's collective:Shea Butter
Does your soap contain lye? Or, the truth about lye?
Yes, all soaps are a mixture of an alkali and oil. Lye is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water. For anything to have cleaning and lathering qualities, it has to have some sort of alkali. When an alkali is added to oils, saponification occurs and produces soap.
Detergents use petroleum products whereas soaps are made with organic oils.
The modern method of obtaining sodium hydroxide is to create it from sea salt. Our lye mixtures (sodium hydroxide and water) are carefully monitored and standardized to exacting recipes based on scientific recipes, not guesswork.
Many soap companies do not list all their ingredients on their label as soap is in a special category where ingredient listing is not mandatory. So you will see the following descriptions in ingredient listings:
‘Saponified oils of’ – saponification is the end product of adding an alkali to an oil or fat. A saponified product is soap.
‘Sodium tallowate, sodium canolate’ - this is another way of describing the oil which sodium hydroxide has been added to. It is describing the end product. This method of description is legally sanctioned by the powers that be.
A listing of just coconut, palm, olive and etc. oils – It is impossible to have a solid bar of oils in your hand that will lather and not melt in room temperature. If you see an ingredient listing on a soap where there is no alkali substance listed, the company is purposely being deceptive and misleading.
Mountain Sky Soaps lists all our ingredients on our products.
No, we have been making soap since 1993 and have time proven recipes tested by humans.
Why don't you make bulk soap that can be cut by the customers?
Well-made cold process soap starts hardening and curing soon after it is cut. Extra water needs to be added to have a soap that can be cut for a longer period of time, resulting in a soap that will wear away quite quickly.
We at Mountain Sky Soaps prefer to sell high quality soap rather than sell soaps that meet particular fads in the marketplace.
Can your soap be used for sensitive skin?
Many people who are sensitive to chemical fragrances, preservatives and chemical colours find our soaps easier to use.
Shampoo bars can be used just like any other shampoo. We suggest using a natural vinegar or lemon juice rinse after use. (1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in 1-cup water). The acidic rinse clears up any residue from your hair and scalp, and Ph balances the scalp naturally. It is also very refreshing. Our shampoo bars are very convenient for camping as they can be used as a mild soap as well. Our shampoo bars do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
What does River Friendly mean?
Bidodegradable - Capable of decomposing rapidly by microorganisms under natural conditions (aerobic and/or anaerobic). Most organic materials, such as food scraps and paper are biodegradable.
All our soaps are made with natural products (organic materials) that are easily decomposable in rivers and septic tanks. Detergents and soaps that are made with petroleum products will eventually breakdown but may take many years.
We live in a rural area and use septic systems. Laundry detergents, petroleum based, are very hard for septic systems and are not very river friendly. Detergents and petroleum-based products are also high in phosphates that can cause algae build up in rivers. Our soaps are river friendly because they will not cause algae build-up.
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