“Wash your hands” …. we’ve heard it since we were small, it’s been part of our lives since we could understand language but today it has new meaning, new importance.

In this world of looming dangers and invisible threats, soap has found its place in the sun. Bursting out of the proverbial phone booth ready to tackle the alien invaders, humanity has truly found its superhero. OK…it is just soap, but it is fast becoming a very significant part of our lives if not an imperative for well-being and peace of mind.

This begs the question, are all soaps made equal?

Today we are lucky enough to find soap on almost every corner and as with many of the products we take for granted we have stopped asking some very important questions.

What is soap made of?

WARNING! SCIENCE CONTENT!

The dry definition of soap is a substance used with water for washing and cleaning, made of a compound of natural oils or animal fats with sodium hydroxide or another strong alkali, and typically having perfume and colouring added.

Why is soap made from these things?

Most of what we call dirt is grease or oil which will not come off with just water. This is because oil and grease are non-polar, which means they will not dissolve in the water. Soap has both polar and non-polar ingredients and without getting too scientific these ingredients act as a middleman that allows the oil and the water to mix and thus be easily removed taking the dirt and bacteria along with them. Natural soap is also a natural surfactant meaning that it lowers the surface tension of water droplets and dissolves the fat membrane of viruses rendering them completely inactive.

What is the difference between commercial and handmade soap?

When any product makes the move from artisanal to mass production, certain concessions are necessary.

Be it to reduce cost or manufacturing time, ingredients will be changed, other ingredients added to create a product that looks and feels the same (and hopefully does the same job) but is more conducive to the manufacturing process. Soap is no exception to this but there are certain additives that are of concern:

• Fragrances
• Parabens
• sodium laureth sulfate (sles)
• methylisothiazolinone & methylchloroisothiazolinone
• cocamidopropyl betaine
• triclosan

We will take a closer look at these ingredients in our next blog

What is artisan soap?

The essence of handmade artisan soap is one of natural, beneficial, luxurious ingredients that improve function and bring a sense of beauty and joy to the act of cleaning.

Malindi Lilly soaps are made with the finest, purest, most natural ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter, macadamia nut, olive and sunflower oils.

Choosing a soap that is free from potentially harmful chemicals and manufactured in a way that respects the environment allows you the simplest pleasure of knowing you are using a soap that works as intended and leaves your skin feeling nurtured, rejuvenated and renewed.

Join us in our next few blogs as we take a more in depth look at the delightful world of artisanal soaps and turn this everyday need into a charming introspection.