Frequently Asked Questions

Do you use lye?  Isn't that dangerous?

Yes we do use lye in our soapmaking process.  Real soap can not be made without lye.  Yes lye is a caustic substance, it is Sodium Hydroxide.  The soap making chemical reaction called saponification happens when lye is mixed with melted oils, fats or butters.  The lye transforms the fats into salts and the salts are soap.  Soap that is made with lye (when used correctly) is actually the mildest, most gentle type of soap available.

We are very careful when making our soaps and measure our ingredients with absolute accuracy to ensure that only the correct amount of Sodium Hydroxide is used to saponify the oils in our batch.  We actually leave our soaps with a 3% superfat which is leaving 3% of the oils unsaponified to give an extra moisturising and nourishing bar of soap.

 

What method of soap-making do you use?

We use the traditional method of Cold Process soap-making.  This means that no additional heat is added other than the heat that occurs naturally from the soap making process (saponification).  We prefer this method of soap-making as we like to create soaps with designs so that they look great.  Hot process soap making does not give as many options with design as cold process.

 

What ingredients do you use?

Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide (not present in the finished bars), Natural Essential Oils, Natural Colourants, Natural Exfoliants such as poppyseeds and oats.  Some of ours soaps contain Goats Milk or Beer.

 

What is the weight of the soap bars?

The soap bars weigh 100g at least.

 

How long will it take to receive my soap after ordering?

We keep stock of all soaps and ship your soaps within 1-2 days after ordering.  We use myhermes courier which will deliver your order within 3-5 days after shipping.

 

What is your shipping cost?

Our shipping is calculated and fixed at £4.25 for upto £39.99.  If you spend over £40 your shipping will be free.

 

I am very sensitive, will I be ok using your soaps?

Yes.  If you are not happy or have any problems please contact us within 30 days for a refund or replacement.

 

How are your soaps made? 

We teach soap making courses and workshops if you would like to learn visit https://soapology.co.uk/products/group-soapmaking-course

 

How do I care for my soap?

Natural soaps do need a little extra looking after.  Be sure to never leave your soap sitting in a pool of water and always place it onto a soap dish so that the excess water can run away from the soap between uses.  With a little care, your soap will last many weeks.

 

How long will your soap bars last?

It depends on the usage but in general we would say that for one person using the soap daily for a shower or bath (full body cleaning) the soap would last 3-4 weeks.

 

Your labels have allergens - what are they?

By law in the UK, we have to declare allergens on our packaging if they could be present.  All natural essential oils contain allergens.  We use essential oils in all of our soap bars except Sham-pooch and Cream Smoothie. 

 

Your labels have CI numbers - what are they?

To comply with EU law we must list all of our ingredients in INCI format and any colours we use must be listed by their CI number (colour index).  We do not use man made dyes or food colourants in soapmaking - we use natural colours such as wheatgrass powder or cocoa powder, pigments such as Iron Oxide Yellow and Titanium Dioxide and Micas.  The CI number tells you which colours we have used in the soap.  Pigments are naturally identical colours and Micas are naturally identical colours coated with a lab made shimmer or glitter. Here is a list :

CI77891 - Titanium Dioxide

CI77007 - Ultramarine Blue

CI77288 - Chromium Oxide

CI77492 - Iron Oxide Yellow

CI77491 - Iron Oxide Red

 

Do you use palm oil?

No - we do not.  Please read more about why we choose not to here.

 

Do your soaps lather well?

Yes.  We have formulated our recipe to create a moisturising creamy bar of soap with great lather.  We carefully select our ingredients based on the fatty acid profiles of the oils and we analyse through testing what works for us.  Our recipe has taken months of persistent testing and we are 100% happy with it.