photo by Nickleen Faucher

BASE OILS

Olive Oil - said to help with skin cell regeneration, known humectant  which attracts external moisture to your skin to keep skin soft and supple by preventing moisture loss

Coconut Oil - emollient, moisturizing, conditioning,  easily absorbed skin protectant

Cocoa Butter -  deeply hydrating,  high in antioxidents that fight off free radicals (cause of skin stressors and signs of aging), helps soothe sensitive skin and irritations    

Hempseed Oil -  non-clogging oil that helps reduce size of pores, protects the skin from free radicals,  provides  essential nutrients required to maintain epidermal lipids, improves elasticity and softness,  anti-inflammatory, reduces redness, treats  psoriasis and eczema.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Lavender - used in aromatherapy as  as anti-depressant, anti-microbal, antiseptic, deodorant,  insecticide,  sedative

Lemongrass - invigorating, antiseptic and astringent, helps fight acne and greasy skin,  used in aromatherapy as an anti-depressant or on skin to soothe muscular nerves and pain, said to keep insects away

Orange - used in aromatherapy as an antidepressant and an aphrodisiac, antiseptic, also used as a deodorant and to combat dull skin and stress

Pine - used for cuts and sores, excessive perspiration, can help with rheumatism, arthritis,  gout, muscular aches and pains, stimulates circulation

Tea Tree - a powerful immune stimulant, can help to fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses, there is evidence that Tea Tree oil massage prior to an operation may help to fortify the body and reduce post-operative shock, combats acne, oily skin

EXTRAS

Calendula - used to disinfect minor wounds and to treat infections of the skin,  antibacterial,  stimulates production of collagen at wound sites and minimizes scarring

Chamomile - antiseptic, antibiotic, and anti-inflammation 

Cocoa powder - loaded with antioxidents to fight free radicals, help the skin fight the damaging effects of the sun

WHAT I DO NOT PUT IN MY SOAP

Additives - No phthalates, parabens, microbeads, triclosan, or phosphates here!!!

Fragrance oils -    Fragrance oils are a combination of synthetically manufactured chemicals.  I use only pure essential oils, oils that are steam distilled from the leaves, stems, flowers, and other parts of plants. 

Palm Oil - Wide scale demand for palm oil has prompted large areas of rainforest to be cleared to make way for palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia.  Deforestation in these areas accounts for up to one-third of total CO2 emissions and has a devastating impact on native peoples and many endangered species' habitats.   Since there are so many other useful soap oils available,  I choose to exclude palm oil from my recipes as yet another way to ensure that my soaps are earth friendly.  

Glycerin -   Glycerin occurs as a natural byproduct of the chemical reaction in the soap making process.   So some glycerin occurs naturally in my vegetable oil based soaps but I do not add any outsourced glycerin to my products.  They don't need it!  Many manufacturers extract glycerin from animal fat based soap in order to add it to other products.  When you see glycerin written on a label for a soap, body wash, toothpaste, shampoo, or lotion it is more often than not derived from an animal fat source.  Since the labeling do not  always specify, this can be a concern for those who choose to be vegan.    

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOAP

          As early as 4000 BC, Babylonian hunters had discovered that fat from their game could be mixed with the ashes from their cooking fires to create a cleaning substance.  The first written evidence of soapmaking was found on a Babylonian clay tablet  from  2800 BC,  inscribed with a recipe using water, ashes, and cassia oil.  Evidence of soapmaking is found in nearly every early culture, although recipes and uses of the product vary widely. Olive oil soap was common in places like Northern Italy and Israel, yet it was the medieval Kingdom of Castile, during the 15th & 16th centuries in Spain, that became famous for mass producing and exporting this type of soap.  This is where the term Castile soap comes from.  Later, soap makers in France gained popularity with olive oil based soaps that included blends of other vegetable oils with unique contributing properties.  DriftAwaySoap's  recipes are inspired by the traditional craftsmanship of these times.

 A LITTLE ABOUT LYE

           You can not make real soap without lye.   Oils + Lye = SOAP.   It is a chemical reaction called saponification.    Yet there is no lye in the finished soap.    So if my ingredients say olive oil and lye what you are getting is saponified olive oil.     Lye (sodium hydroxide)  has been historically produced by filtering water through the ashes from hardwood fires.   The resulting caustic substance has been used for the purpose of soap making for thousands of years.  Today it is manufactured in controlled scientific laboratories.   I use only Kosher Food Grade lye in my recipies.