FAQs
How is soap made?
Soap is made when a strong base, sodium hydroxide (lye), mixes with oils. The chemical process is called saponification and creates a new product, soap. There is no free lye remaining in the soap. It's perfectly safe; like how you shouldn't eat raw cookie dough, but baked cookies are fine.
What does your store name mean?
Saponification is the name for the chemical process that turns oils and lye into soap. It's a unique word specifically tied to soapmaking. "Home" is an essential part of our brand, and so Home Saponified captures the idea of a very special product made in a warm, homey place.
What makes your handmade soap different?
Most commercial soaps are actually detergents and some can strip your skin of moisture. Detergents are made of synthetic (lab-made) chemicals and ingredients. Soap is made from naturally occurring oils and fats. Cold process soap cleans without stripping moisture from your skin, and actually leaves behind some oils to help lock in moisture.
Why are your soaps barely scented?
Our soap caters to people with sensitive skin and other sensory sensitivities. Strong fragrances, especially synthetic ones can be really irritating. That's why some of our soaps are completely unscented.
For the soaps that do have a scent, we only use a small amount of essential oils in those batches. Essential oils are distilled from plants, and are used in soap as an alternative to synthetic fragrance oils. Although natural, essential oils are highly concentrated and some may still be irritating to the skin. We always follow the recommended ratios in our soap, and we are careful in the selection of our oils.
How long have you been making soap?
Rowena has been making soap since 2018, and launched Home Saponified in May 2020.
Why are the bars small?
Because it's more likely that all of the soap will get used up! Sometimes really large bars of soap don't dry out as well and get slimy and fall apart. Or maybe you get tired of using that soap and throw the bar away. Or you decide halfway in you don't like it. Smaller bars mean less wasted, and less of an investment if you're trying out a new soap.
Is your soap vegan?
On a technicality, most of our soap is vegan. However, this is not necessarily true for all bars. Make sure to check our ingredient lists, or contact us with any questions!
How do you create the colors in your soap?
We compromise on quantity of colors, not quality. We only use botanical and clay colorants, so although the colors aren't as vibrant and varied as synthetic colorants, they will be natural and gentle. We're always experimenting with new natural colors in our soaps, and getting better at creating new shades!