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
Coffee - coffee grounds are used to absorb odor, and exfoliate
Ginger - stimulates circulation, exfoliating
Seaweed - has too many health benefits to list!! contains lipids, proteins, minerals and vitamins that are easy to absorb, re-balancing, nourishing, hydrating, cell regenerating, detoxifying, purifying, oxygenating, and re-mineralizing to name a few
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.
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.