“But I can buy a bar of Dove soap for $1.99.” I know that’s what you may be thinking, what is the point. I’ve been there and I’m glad that’s in my past. Yes, you can buy a 100 gram Dove beauty bar for about $2 on Amazon or slightly higher at your local pharmacy. The Dove brand is synonymous with soap, but the first thing you will notice is that most ‘soaps’ are in fact NOT soap. These days you’ll find that most commercial body cleaning products are actually synthetic detergents. In the long run using handmade, “natural” soap is worth the price. As with most most marketing, they use similar wording that is often overlooked by the end consumer. Does it actually matter? 

Yes! It matters for a number of reasons. The same thing can be said for soda being used as a replacement for water or a box of candy bars to replace meals. Will you survive, yes, but there are far more nutritious options available to you so why would you skimp on the better option if it is available to you? The same can be said for skin and body care. Let’s get into the nitty gritty.

1. You need to wash your hands. Plain as day, you should be washing your hands regularly. What you put on your hands is important. If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that a lot of people on this planet are NOT washing their hands regularly or properly. When you wash your hands you are removing naturally occurring oils. Homemade soap is a natural humectant that helps to attract and retain moisture. Also, there should be no reason you are solely relying on hand sanitizer as a way to clean your hands. WTH!
2. Ingredients matter. It’s not just the bubbles and a lather that matter, but how they’re created. Our ingredients are ones that you should be able to pronounce and also know what they are. Some commercial cleansing/beauty bar makers have gotten very savvy in how they label their ingredients (in the US), many appearing to be very similar to handmade, real soap.  Real soap is made from natural fat/oil, an alkaline (like sodium hydroxide) and water. On the other hand detergents use things like sodium laureth sulfate and benzyl salicylate. Think about what actually went into making the product that you are putting on your body’s largest organ.
3. Think about your skin. Your precious skin deserves better. What you put on your skin is very important. While you might have the motherload of hotel soaps in your stash, you likely notice that the bars often leave your skin dry and irritated. Handmade soaps can aid in moisturizing your skin far better than commercially produced cleansing ‘soap’ bars.
4. There is also the environment to consider. When you wash your hands everything is going down the drain. Natural oils and byproducts break down and turn into nontoxic materials that don’t pose as high of an impact on the environment  when compared to synthetic surfactants. This has a direct impact not only on the water we use, but also aquatic life (plants and animals).
5. You are buying art. Yes, the bar of soap will eventually end up dissolving, but you have a small piece of art that serves as a way of brightening up your bathroom or kitchen in the interim. Sometimes the scent of a bar may evoke an emotion or memory that brings you joy. A brightly designed bar may brighten your mood on less than great days.

You are also supporting small businesses, which is a great way to help grow our economies.

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