Introducing The Soap Box, a natural-soap revolution – our own brand of handmade natural cold process soaps
At Natural Ireland we are committed to bringing you handcrafted soaps using only natural ingredients. Your skin is in for a treat with the Soapbox’s ALL NATURAL range of handmade cold process soaps.
Using cold process methods ensures that the natural emollients and nutrients actually make it to your skin; our soaps are handcrafted in small batches to achieve the desired results. This method of soap making produces a lovely mild soap which is rich in naturally occurring glycerine. Because the soap retains its natural glycerine, it is great for the skin. Each variety has its own natural exfoliant in the form of flower buds and seeds, citrus rind, wholegrain and seaweeds. The colour is obtained from plant roots and seeds.
A blend of olive, coconut and castor oil is used, which results in a glycerine rich bar with a rich luscious long lasting lather. Beeswax is added for hardness. The scents in this range are from a blend of high quality pure essential oils, each with their own therapeutic properties.
Glycerine is an humectant which means that in soap, it helps draw moisture from the air into your skin. Have you ever found that many of the commercial soaps on the market are very drying to the skin? The main reason for this is that the glycerine is extracted from them and sold separately to the cosmetics industry. Naturally we leave this glycerine in our soaps so that all the goodness makes it to your skin, hence the reason they are so moisturizing.
At soapbox we believe that the more natural the product the more beneficial it is for our skin. That’s why we use only natural ingredients in our soaps.
We take great pride in our soaps and our ALL NATURAL ethos.
We hope you enjoy using them as much as we enjoy making them!
Talk about spoiling your skin!
Typical Ingredients
The base oils which form the bulk of the oils used are olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil.
Beeswax is added for hardness and for its anti-bacterial properties. It also forms a protective layer on the skin while allowing it to breathe. We have chosen these oils for their skin loving properties and for the lovely rich lather they produce. The scents in our soaps are obtained by using only pure natural essential oils. The colours in our soaps are derived from plants. We add exfoliants in the form of plant buds or seeds, oatmeal, orange rind and seaweed to name a few.
Remember, there are no hidden synthetic fragrances in our soaps. It is these ‘fragrances’ or ‘perfumes’ that often cause skin irritation in people.
Natural Handcrafted vs Commercial Soap Products.
Most soap manufacturers make it a practice to remove the glycerine that is produced during the saponification (soap-making) process. The glycerine is a highly profitable substance, often sold to other companies who use it to make lotions and moisturizers,
A large number of commercially produced soap contains chemical based synthetic lathering agents and artificial colours. It should be borne in mind that your skin is porous and absorbent. It absorbs whatever it comes in contact with and continuous use of chemical laden products will cause the body to store some chemicals in the body fat. With enough accumulations of toxic chemicals, illness can occur.
The eco-system
A recent report by the UK’s Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) revealed that synthetic chemicals from soap, body washes, shampoos and other healthcare products were getting through the filters at water purification plants. Chemicals listed included phthalates, which are linked to reproductive disorders in humans and animals, and parabens, a preservative, with links to cancer.
Choosing the right soap
The cold process method of soap making is the most time consuming but is by far the best method for producing the highest quality soaps.
Cold process soaps are made using a combination of oils or fats and lye. All the caustic properties of the lye are removed during the saponification process. When the lye interacts with the oils or fats, it creates glycerine which is very valuable and very important for skin care. The type of oils and fats used make a difference in how hard or soft the final soap is and how well it lathers.
Soap Labeling
With handmade soaps, just like with commercially manufactured bars, it is important to consult the labels because you want to select soaps that use only pure oils or fats. Soap that uses artificial colours or fragrances should be avoided because they are almost always synthetic chemicals, which are bad for the skin and for the environment. Coloured or scented Natural Handcrafted soaps should always use pure essential oils and natural, colorants.
To sum it up, the best soap for your skin and our planet is a handmade, all natural cold process soap bar. Once you’ve tried one of these lathery treasures, you’ll never again be satisfied with ‘store-bought’ bars. So do yourself and your world a big favour and start using REAL soap.
