Q: What is Cold Process Soap, and why is it beneficial for your skin?
A: Cold Process Soap is a traditional method of soap making that involves combining natural oils and butters with a lye solution at relatively low temperatures. This process allows for greater flexibility in ingredient selection, meaning artisans can incorporate a wide variety of skin-loving components such as essential oils, botanical extracts, and natural colorants.
Lye is the chemical sodium hydroxide (NaOH). It is highly corrosive and will burn your skin on contact. It is often found in industrial grade cleaning agents. In the process of making our soaps, the lye reacts with the fatty acids in the vegetable oils to form a soap molecule. At the end of the 30-day saponification process, the lye would have completely reacted, so do not worry that there will be such harmful chemicals in your soap.
The question on whether soap expires has always been tricky. My answer is, it depends. If you store our soaps properly, they can last for centuries. Keep in mind, time does affect the intensity of soap fragrance. Tips on how to store handmade soaps:
1. Store unused soap in a covered container that is not airtight shut in a cool and dry location, such as linen closets.
2. Keep stored soap out of direct sunlight, as natural ingredient colors may fade and result in rancid soap bars.
3. For soap that is in use, use a soap dish that provides drainage so as to enable it dry before the next use.