The benefits of cold saponified soap

ARE YOU MORE OF A SOAP OR SHOWER GEL FANCY?

We often tend to ignore the famous bar of soap and prefer its cousin with a more practical design. Sometimes, it is also because we find that bar soap dries out the skin. If your skin is dry after a shower with soap, it is because you are using an industrial soap (hot saponified) or because your cold saponified soap is not rich enough for your skin. There are super fatty SAF soaps up to 10%, which is enough to leave your skin nourished and soft.

TRADITIONAL SOAP, AN ANCIENT ART...

The ancestor of soap finds its origins 2500 years before our era, in ancient Egypt: at that time, we cleaned ourselves with a mixture of potassium carbonate (contained in ashes) and clay.

Later, animal fats were used to make this paste, which has the appearance of a mild soap. Despite its cleansing properties, soap was neglected during the Renaissance to be replaced by perfume and powders. So people were content with one or two baths a year, no more.

It was in the 13th century that animal fat was replaced by olive oil. It was this new composition that inspired the Marseille soap to soap makers. It was in 1791 that the chemistNicolas Leblanc revolutionized soap making by developing caustic soda.

Despite this great history, industrialization since the 1950s has been replaced by cold saponification by mass production of soaps (with heating) and most of them with conventional brands, petroleum derivatives or chemical surfactants mixed with water and synthetic preservatives.

HOW TO MAKE COLD SAPONIFIED SOAP?

A soap is created when there is a chemical reaction between a base solution such as caustic soda or potash mixed with vegetable oils and butters, this is called the cold saponification reaction.

The cold saponification method is a traditional artisanal process that has existed since at least the 17th century. During this reaction, an emollient and moisturizing agent is formed: vegetable glycerin.

This famous vegetable glycerin is often sold to be reused in other products (especially cosmetics), but we need vegetable glycerin in soaps to make them as gentle as possible on the skin, otherwise the skin is dry and tight after showering.

Pachamamai soaps are handmade using this process. The chemical reaction between the lye and the vegetable oils and butters and the evaporation of moisture lasts up to 5 to 6 weeks, this is called curing. Our soaps dry quietly on a shelf during this time.

IS SODA BUFF DANGEROUS?

The name "caustic" soda can sometimes suggest that the soap will be aggressive for the skin, but the reaction between the oils and the soda will cause the soda to disappear completely at the end of the treatment, so there is no danger at this level. Very precise calculations are used to determine the optimal ratio between soda and oils for a mild soap. In addition, it is necessary to induce the chemical reaction that causes cold saponified soap.

WHAT IS A FATTY SOAP?

A fatty soap is the percentage of oil or butter that is added in addition to what is necessary to consume soda or potash. The saponification is then partial. For example, a soap with 8% fat, 8% vegetable oil in addition, will nourish your skin.

THE BENEFITS OF COLD SOAP:

The glycerin naturally present in soap moisturizes the skin.
The properties of oils, butters and essential oils are better preserved than in an industrial process which requires heating to produce on a larger scale.
It is a mild surfactant for facial cleansing.

THE ART OF COLD SOAP

Soap is chemistry: oil + alkaline base = soap + glycerin. But what makes a cold soap unique and irreplaceable is the art of formulation, the alchemy of fats.

If an oil or butter can be saponified, the result will not always be the same. The magic of the fatty acids contained in the oils and their balance constitute the identity of a soap: abundant foam, washing power, "conditioning" effect (sheathing) or stable and soft foam.

Thus, olive oil provides incomparable softness and emollience. Cocoa butter contributes to the hardness of the soap and provides protection and softness to the skin. Shea butter, rich in unsaponifiables, nourishes, repairs and softens the skin. Inca inchi oil is an antioxidant, rich in omega 3-6-9 and sterols, soothes, softens and repairs the skin.

Coconut oil gives hardness to the soap, giving it a washing and foaming power. In too large a quantity, the soap will be detergent and not very pleasant for the skin. The choice of unrefined oils and butters extracted cold, with preserved properties, is an incomparable asset in a soap. It is therefore of great importance to choose your soap carefully in relation to the needs of your skin.