The essence and signature of soap
Strategically placed in hotel and motel bathrooms, they usually end up as souvenirs in suitcases after an enjoyable trip. No, not the shower caps or tiny shampoo bottles, but the little squares used to wash yourself with. Indeed, soap, the toiletry item we use daily and probably the most, hardly gets any attention, unless we receive it as a gift, of course.
Soap making is an art, not just on an industrial level, but also at home where many crafters create wonderful cleaning products. As we know, soaps can be found as a liquid in a bottle, as a gel, or in a solid shape, nicely wrapped or just left naked, bare for the whole world to see and smell. Ingredients to make soap can be completely artificial, with some natural components, or the product can be totally made from nature’s elements.
A growing demand for truly natural soap has driven soap makers to invent many new products. Natural soap can begin with a blend of edible, premium quality pure vegetable oils, produced from olives, palm, coconut, as well as some essential oils like lavender or peppermint. These will add a natural bouquet or fragrance to the soap.
Often required in the making of certain soaps are natural or artificial dyes. Though usually not as vibrant as synthetic colors, natural colorants can be just as attractive. Some natural colorants include substances like turmeric, beet root powder, cinnamon, cucumber, curry powder, pureed pumpkin, clay, or sage.
A variety of upscale soaps are renowned for their powerful moisturizing and regenerative properties. Some kinds also include outside of precious oils, glycerin, goat milk, beeswax, shea butter, buttermilk, and are rich in essential vitamins like A, E, and F, to nourish and condition the skin even more.
It has been said that selecting appropriate, soothing skin cleansing and moisturizing soap can reduce conditions such as skin irritation, dry skin, rash, skin inflammation or chemical sensitive skin. In other words: selecting your soap should be according to your skin type.
Going back in time for a second: a super-moisturizing soap with a blend of pressed olive oil and bay laurel butter has been made for centuries in the ancient city of Alep (Syria). This long lasting and skin nourishing soap is made in leather cauldrons and dried out on the ancient rooftops of Alep for 9 months. Of course, today’s soap makers use different techniques and the end product is way more attractive and luxurious. Nowadays soap no longer has to be boring. Firm soap can hang on a rope, be square with flower peddles embedded, oval with lavender scent, and imported from the Provence in France, or can be sculpted in any shape imaginable from stars and angels to animals and flowers. As you can see, soap can be quite exquisite.
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