Soap is one of those products everyone uses almost every day without thinking much about what it actually is.
In simple terms, soap is made by combining fats or oils with lye (sodium hydroxide). When these ingredients are mixed together in the right proportions, they go through a chemical reaction called saponification.
The result of these things combined is soap. That's it really.
So, is there lye in soap?
We know it may sound a bit scary. Lye is required to make soap, but properly made soap does not contain any lye once the soapmaking process is complete. During saponification, the lye reacts with the oils and fats and is transformed into entirely new molecules: soap and glycerin.
In other words, the ingredients you started with become other substances when the process is finished.
How does soap actually clean you?
You probably already know that oil and water don't mix well. This is why you might not feel one hundred percent clean after a shower without soap. The oil and grease on your skin mostly stays on your skin as the water doesn't really interact with it.
This very same truth, that oil and water don't mix well, is what soap takes advantage of in order to clean you.
Soap molecules have two different sides. One side is attracted to water, while the other is attracted to oils and grease. So when you wash, one side of soap surrounds oils and dirt and then the other side carries them away with the water when you rinse. To put it even more simply, soap basically traps the dirt/grease on your skin and then rinses it away.
What is soap made from?
Real soap can be made from many different oils, butters and fats.
Olive oil, shea butter, tallow and cocoa butter are some examples.
The oils used matter because they influence how the finished soap behaves. Some can contribute to a harder bar, some create more lather and others help produce a milder soap. After that, several ingredients can be added to change color, scrub of the soap. This could be ingredients such as clays, botanicals, exfoliants and scents.
Is all soap the same?
No, not at all.
Liquid body wash is completely different than soap and uses synthetically made surfuctants to clean your skin. Then there are also other types of bars that are synthetically made, (known as "syndet bars")
Each type of "soap" or way to wash has its pros and cons. Our standpoint is that natural soap brings the most benefits and that synthetic body washes are using ingredients that are not really necessary.
We prefer good old natural soap: natural oils, good scents and active ingredients that makes your skin thrive.