The Soap Shop

Learn about the benefits of sea salt soap and why you might want to consider trying one of our handcrafted scrub (sea salt) bars.

I think it's fair to say that walking into the Artisan Soap shop is a sensual experience. Visitors comment that they can smell the soap before they even get halfway down the sidewalk. Once they come in, I love watching them take a deep breath, exhale, drop their shoulders and soak in all of the delicious fragrances that greet them at the door. 

Being able to smell is one of our five primary senses; it's a delightful experiential gift that comes with being human. Not all fragrances are as safe as those that you'll find in the Artisan Soap Shop, however, and it's up to you as a consumer to be watchful and aware.

In 2009, I took many hours of training to become a Green Irene Eco-Consultant; our motto was: Greening the World, One Home and Office at a Time. We covered many topics including light bulbs, energy and water efficiency, air and water purity, toxins, packaging, recycling, composting and more. One of the toxins we discussed quite a bit were phthalates (tha-lates). Phthalates are industrial chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. There are many different kinds of phthalates, and they are also used as solvents (dissolving agents) for other materials, and as a mechanism to hold scent and color. It's in these last forms, especially, that phthalates appear in personal care products such as soap, shampoos, hair sprays, nail polishes and other cosmetics.

In fact, the use of phthalates in personal care products may help to explain why researchers have found significantly higher concentrations of these phthalates in women. In their Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Fourth Report), scientists from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that measurable levels of many phthalate metabolites had entered peoples bodies, and that women have higher levels than men for those phthalates that are used in soaps, body washes, shampoos, cosmetics and similar personal care products. 

The debate about the adverse health effects of phthalates in the human body continues. On one hand, a CDC Phthalate Fact Sheet states that, "finding a detectable amount of phthalate metabolites in urine does not imply that the levels of one or more will cause an adverse health effect." On the other hand, several studies and writers are pointing to a link between phthalates and birth defects in the male reproductive system. Earl Gray, a phthalate researcher with the US Environmental Protection Agency refers to hundreds of animals studies that show that phthalates can block male hormones, leading to a host of problems. In 2005, Shanna Swan PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester, confirmed the subtle effects of phthalates on male reproductive development with the first human study: 

"[There was] a significant relationship" between the levels of phthalates in the mothers' bodies during pregnancy and changes in the genitals of their baby boys. The pregnant women with the highest phthalate levels---equivalent to the levels currently found in about a quarter of US women---were more likely to have baby sons with smaller penises and incompletely descended testicles. The boys were also more likely to have a shorter distance from their anus to their penis (called anogenital distance, or AGD), which is an indicator of masculinity."

Additional human studies have begun to emerge showing connections between phthalate levels and lower sperm quality, sperm motility, and DNA damage in men's sperm that can lead to infertility or miscarriage.

Monitoring your exposure to phthalates isn't easy because you aren't going to find the word "phthalate" in the ingredient list. Still, there are some things you can do to reduce your exposure:

• Specifically look for toys, and other products (including personal-care products) that are labeled "PVC-free", "Fragrance-free", or "Phthalate-free". If it has a fragrance, or lists fragrance in the product ingredient list, be suspicious unless the product has been specifically labeled as a phthalate-free product.
• Avoid products made of PVC plastic (#3), or that have that potent "shower curtain smell." I generally tell people that if it's a flexible plastic (vinyl shower curtains, rain coats, shower mat, etc), or if it has a potent plastic smell (vinyl shower curtains, new cars, wall paper, etc), be suspicious!
• Don't microwave food in plastic containers; use microwave-safe glass.

Here at Artisan Soaps, environmental responsibility and sustainability, and the quality and purity of what you purchase matters to me. For example, Artisan Soaps are made without palm oil, and we use as much recycled packaging as possible in order to protect and care for the earth and its inhabitants. Similarly, all Artisan Soaps and Candles are currently made with phthalate-free fragrances so that you can be assured of the purest and safest product for yourself, and your family and friends.

Nature is full of delicious (haha . . . and some not-so-delicious) smells, and we've been gifted with noses and an ability to take in all of those fragrant aromas. Just be aware, however, and know what you are sniffing! If you have questions, concerns, or more to add, please leave a comment below. 

It's been over a year since I met Ervin Huslig at Perkins for lunch one sunny afternoon. He had been sent with a special delivery: a charming wicker basket of neatly folded hand-crocheted wash cloths and puffs that his wife, Mary Ann, had made for me to sell with my soap out at the Farmers Market, and wherever else I decided to set up shop. The basket was clearly filled with the same love and colorfulness as the couple behind it. 

I first met Ervin and Mary Ann at St John's Catholic Church in Lawrence---a vibrant community that left a lasting mark on me. When I left Lawrence and moved to Great Bend in 2007, I felt great fondness for anyone from that community who stopped by on their way through. This is how I got to know Ervin and Mary Ann even more. They had just moved to Pratt, KS which was only a short drive from Great Bend. Over the years, we found ourselves together at diocesan functions, dinner theater events, and they even came to the Annual Charity Wine Tasting event that I coordinate for Catholic Social Service. I loved seeing them because of our common Lawrence connection, and I loved getting to know them even better at these different events. 

And so, when I started selling soap in 2013, Mary Ann was one of my first and most enthusiastic  supporters! She encouraged and gave suggestions, and eventually, she offered to crochet washcloths to go along with my soap. After all, she and Ervin were traveling a lot in their RV, and crocheting was something she loved to do as they drove across the country. She would make and sell the washcloths on consignment, and I would get a portion of the proceeds. I loved the idea! 

Sadly, just a few months ago on April 20th, Ervin and MaryAnn were on their way to a quilting show in Kentucky when a tire on their RV blew just outside of St Louis and Ervin lost control of the motorhome. Reports describe a fiery crash with no survivors, and just like that, Ervin and MaryAnn were gone. It was such a sudden and shocking lost.

Today, I think about Mary Ann often as I pass by the shelf where her beautiful colorful washcloths lay. I treasure them, and I am reminded that handmade items, whether they be washcloths or soap, are special life-giving treasures because they contain a magical kernel of human life that no machine-made object can ever match.

Please join me in admiring Mary Ann's handiwork in her Star-Shaped and Square-shaped washcloths. She also made some pretty cool puffs and scrubbies. Her puffs were my personal favorite!

Just about every good soap making book begins with a healthy discussion about the importance of safety when it comes to making soap. Goggles for eye protection; gloves for skin protection; aprons to protect clothing; an air mask for fumes; kids and pets out from under foot, a bottle of vinegar to neutralize spills, and a safety plan for any major accidents. The reason for all of this focus on safety boils down to one single and very important ingredient in soap: lye, otherwise known as sodium or potassium hydroxide. Lye deserves our healthy respect because it has the potential to cause serious injury.

Lye comes in many forms such as white beads, flakes, or powder, and it looks innocent enough. But lye is an extremely caustic substance that reacts and eats away at just about everything it comes into contact with. So, in addition to being careful about our own physical safety lest we receive serious burns from spilling it on ourselves, or having the liquid form splash into our eyes, we also need to pay attention to what kind of equipment we use. Aluminum is out of the question. Wood will splinter and disintegrate. Even the  thick pyrex glass measuring cup that I used to use for weighing lye began to look obviously worn, cloudy, and different than all of the rest of my glass measuring containers. Today, stainless steel, heat-resistent plastics and silicone spatulas are the go-to materials in all of my soap making tools and equipment.

So, you might be asking, if lye is all that dangerous, how can your "all-natural" soap possibly be safe for me or my family to use?! It's a good question, but I assure you that by the time you purchase a bar of Artisan handcrafted soap, it's completely safe for you to use because the lye is no longer there.

As I've given talks about soap making over the past couple of years, I've begun to use a religious metaphor to help explain how this works: "Lye gives itself up to make peace between oil and water."

Basically, soap is made of oil and water. Normally when you put oil and water together in the same container, they won't mix! You could shake and stir for hours, and still, the minute you let the container rest, the oil and water will separate into different layers. This is where the lye comes in; lye initiates a  chemical reaction that causes the oil and water to actually mix; lye gives itself up, i.e. it disappears so that oil and water can bind with each other and hold together in a solid bar of soap.

This solidified mixture and tension of oil and water in your common soap bar is what gets your hands clean! Since oil doesn't mix with water, the use of water, by itself, can't remove the oil and grime from your hands. When you use soap, however, the oil in your soap bar binds with the oil and grime on your hands, while at the same time the water in your soap bar (still attached to the oil-loving molecules) binds with your tap water, lifts the oil and grime from your hands and sort of drags it away and down the drain.

So the next time you're scrubbing away, rest assured that there's no longer any lye in your Artisan Soap bar! Just remember to wash long enough so that the new-found love between oil and water has a chance to get you clean--peacefully, safely and naturally. Now, how about a nice bar of Lavender Soap?

When a new customer visits the soap shop for the first time, I like to give a short one-time introduction. Since there is a lot to look at, and smell, my intention is to give some guidance to the "lay of the land," and then let them explore and sniff to their heart's content.

The introduction always starts at the top shelf, and with an explanation about the differences between essential oil soaps and regular fragrance oil soaps. The primary difference is that essential oil soaps are made with a plant-based fragrance, while other soaps are made with a synthetic, or human-made fragrance. The plant-based essential oils are valued by many for their potential healing qualities. For example, lavender essential oil is said to promote relaxation, while peppermint oil is appreciated for its stimulating effects. I tell customers: "wash the kids and grandkids with the lavender soap in the evening; YOU wash with the peppermint soap in the morning!"

There are regulations that soap makers must follow when it comes to making claims about what a product can and cannot do. Thus, even though Cedarwood or Lemongrass Essential Oils are used by many as an anti-acne ingredient, we have to be careful about labeling soap as an "anti-acne soap," or making claims that a soap will remove or reduce acne. 

That said, there are many who value essential oils for their purity, and for their healing effects. As a soap maker, it is especially gratifying to hear stories from returning customers who have appreciated one of my soaps for this or that effect. On more than one occasion, for example, customers have lauded the Tea Tree Soap for keeping mosquitos away in the summer time.

At Artisan Soaps, you'll find essential oil soaps, regular fragrance oil soaps, and soaps that are made with a blend of essential and synthetic fragrances. With over 60 different scents to choose from, there's a good chance that you'll find more than one favorite scent!

I just got home yesterday after attending the 2013 1st Annual Central Soapers Workshop that took place at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. The two day workshop featured some outstanding speakers, soap labs, a soap contest, a chance to make soap and try new things, lots of fun give-aways and/or things to purchase, and a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with other soapers--from seasoned veterans to those who have only been soaping for a couple of months. Read on for more . . .

The speakers were outstanding! They were knowledgeable, interesting, and entertaining! Some of the topics included:

• Business financials - You need to know your numbers in order to make intelligent business decisions.
• Using natural colorants - with environmental concerns all around us, it's important to look up stream and down stream when considering the carbon footprint of the ingredients we use. In the process of being extracted from the ground, many colorants take a heavy toll on the earth. The good news is that there are hundreds of natural sustainable colorants that we can use.
• Marketing - There are lots of fun ways to photograph and present our respective soap stories!
• Recipe Design - Have someone with sensitive skin? Is someone allergic to a particular oil? Need an extra-duty cleaning bar? There are hundreds of oils that can be used to make just the right soap, once you know their properties and can run them through a lye calculator to set up the right proportions.
• Alternative Liquids - Some of you already know that I make soap with coffee, and am planning to make some beer and wine soaps, too. But that's not all you can use! Herbal extracts, tinctures, tomato juice . . . the sky is the limit....well, almost!
• Profitability with Conscience - Evidence shows that the most successful, resilient, and enduring companies are driven by values as well as money.

In the soap labs, we had an opportunity to learn some new techniques for creating some neat, patterned, swirling color effects in our soap. It's one thing to read a book or to listen to someone describe a technique, but watching someone do it in real-life provides a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and share ideas. Again, we had some wonderful presenters!

As part of the workshop, each of us had an opportunity to make a pound of soap. Majestic Mountain Sage provided all of the supplies so that we could play around with new colors, fragrances, additives and techniques that we might not normally have tried. Conditions were a little crowded and rushed, and many of us joked about how this wasn't how we did things at home! Still, it was a fun part of the workshop!

Perhaps one of the best parts of the workshop was the chance to meet and network with so many other soapers from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska and Tennessee. I met some really fun and creative women, and a couple of men, all of whom are passionate about handmade soap! To the women who organized this event....many kudos to you! You did a great job, and I am already looking forward to next year's event!