Soap was reportedly discovered centuries ago when the fat from cooking dripped into fire ash and the chemical reaction that took place created soap.  Soap has been made this way ever since using animal fat and caustic soda or caustic potash dissolved in water.

Corrynne’s Natural Soap is made to this age old recipe, however animal fat has been replaced with palm, coconut and olive oils. This type of natural soap is called cold pressed soap.
The process of saponification (soap making) occurs when fatty acids are acted upon by lye to make a mixture of soap and glycerine.  Lye may be a solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) dissolved in water.  Once the soap has saponified and been left to cure for a week no caustic agents will remain.  This process ensures that the soap retains all the moisture from the palm, coconut and olive oils. These oils form an ingredient called glycerine.  Glycerine makes soap softer and more moisturising to skin.  This is also called superfatting.  The result of a superfatted soap is that it has many fine bubbles and is very creamy and lathery.

Commercially made soap by contrast is made using cheaper ingredients such as synthetic surfactants such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. This ingredient is used to make soap lathery, forming big bubbles.  The down side to surfactants is that they strip the skin completely of oils, leaving skin very dry and exposed to the elements.  The surface of skin is made up of sebum and sweat which forms a protective layer against infections, wind and pollutions. The natural pH level of skin is in the range of between 4 to 5.5 which is slightly acidic.  When washing with soap this acid pH becomes alkaline which kills germs and washes away dirt and oils.  Because natural soaps are gentler and full of superfats the acid mantle of skin is not exposed as much.  Natural cold pressed soaps also act as a humectant, drawing moisture from the air to your skin.  Commercial soaps completely strip away this protective mantle and expose skin for a longer period of time, opening up the skin to possible infections and rashes such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. 

Corrynne’s Natural Soap also include essential oils for their fragrance and therapeutic benefits.  They are natural oils extracted from the flowers, stems and leaves of plants.  Also included in some soap bars are Australian clays for their exfoliation effect and cleansing properties.  Dried herbs, flowers and seeds add to their aesthetic appeal.

Pour yourself a long hot bath, lather up and know that you are looking after your skin. Relax!