Ask Soapmaker from Leslie's Garden Handcrafted Soap Questions about Real Handmade Soap

Leslie's Garden Handcrafted Soap
Ask the Soapmaker-- FAQ about Real Handmade Soap

How do I choose Real Handmade Soap?
Good Question! With so many soaps available how can you be sure that you're getting Real Handmade Soap made from scratch. Click here for some suggestions on how to choose.

How long will my Real Handmade Soap last?
Place your Real Handmade Soap on a soap saver between use and it will last as long as a commercial bar. Some of my customers swear it lasts much longer. Please do not use soap dishes that have no drainage holes -- all soaps will dissolve when sitting in a pool of water.

Does all soap contain lye?
No! A well-made, superfatted soap does not contain lye (sodium hydroxide).

This "old wives tale" started because the alkali, sodium hydroxide, is used during the manufacturing of soap. It is necessary to use a strong alkali as a reagent during saponification -- the chemical reaction that changes fats and oils into soap and glycerin. However, once saponification is complete, you are left only with soap, glycerin and a bit of skin-loving superfat.

And . . . as Leslie's Garden customers will happily tell you, Real Handmade Soap is gentle to the skin and a silky pleasure to use.

Is this a "milled soap?"
Milled soap is a commercial process of soapmaking. Glycerin is removed from the soap and then it is ground into a fine powder before being rolled through the mills and extruded into molds. Milling produces a very hard bar but it is brittle and often cracks and looks untidy towards the end of the bar. It may not actually last as long as is generally thought.

You know what I mean -- let's say you are cleaning up for company -- you clean out the sink and while doing so you notice that your soap has those dirty vertical cracks. So what do you do? You throw it away and get out a nice, fresh bar of soap for your guests.

Real Handmade Soap never develops those dirty lines and is wonderfully usable right down to the last tiny sliver.

Sometimes you will hear the expression "handmilled." This is not an actual milling process and is more correctly called rebatched soap. It is made by melting down a base soap and remolding it. If you decide to purchase handmilled soap, make sure to ask the maker if they are melting down their own Real Handmade Soap made from scratch or are they simply melting down a commercially manufactured base.

Why isn't your soap transparent?
Leslie's Garden makes Real Handmade Soap from scratch! The transparent soaps you see at crafts shows and boutiques are not Real Handmade Soap. The crafter simply purchases a commercially manufactured Melt & Pour base that is clear and meltable because of the addition of solvents. Additionally, the base is often made of detergents that are harsh to the skin. The crafter melts the base down in a microwave or double boiler, adds fragrances and dyes and pours it in a mold to set up. Melt & Pour soaps can melt in hot sunlight and quickly dissolve in the bath. Transparent Melt & Pour soap can be pretty or contain novelty toys but please save it for decoration. For skin-loving cleansing, treat yourself to the luxury of Real Handmade Soap made from scratch.

What is a superfat?
A superfat is extra oil that is added to the bar to make it especially rich, emollient and gentle to the skin. All of Leslie's Garden soaps are superfatted.

luxurious lather ~ silky touch ~ inspired by the gifts of the garden