Artisanal Soaps
We make our soap using traditional methods, but with modern precision instruments for weighing and measuring the ingredients. In other words, these are old-fashioned lye soaps, but they are the opposite of harsh. We keep the batch size small, and we select our ingredients based on quality and the properties they contribute to the soap and to your skin. All our soaps contain coconut, palm and castor oils, and a high percentage of olive oil. Olive oil is an extravagant ingredient in health and beauty products. Its price is on the rise, but we haven’t substituted yet because it adds such mildness to the soap. We choose coconut oil to produce good lather and for its cleaning power. Palm oil produces a hard bar. Castor oil stabilizes the lather and is very mild as well. All the soaps are superfatted, meaning that there are more oil molecules than lye molecules available. That extra percentage of oil will leave your skin moisturized. We handcut the slabs of soap and cure them for weeks before wrapping and labeling them.
Glycerin
If this is your first experience with handmade soap, you will notice the different hand-feel from commercial soaps, caused by the glycerin produced by saponification of the oils. Glycerin is a humectant, which attracts and holds moisture. Industrial soap manufacturers extract the glycerin to sell, sometimes adding back only a fraction of what is removed. In our soap, all the glycerin is retained. You may notice a slightly slippery feel to your skin after you lather up and rinse. Just towel off gently, and let the protective glycerin sink in. See if you don't feel a difference in your skin over time. You may never go back to commercial soap.
Making it Last
Vegetable soaps are generally softer than soaps made with animal fats like tallow and lard. Therefore, we suggest that you use a draining soap dish, and let our soap dry out between uses to help it last longer. Never let it sit in a puddle of water, or under the spray of the shower.
Allergies and Sensitive Skin
All of our soap is excellent for hands and body. Many customers use it for facial soap as well, keeping in mind that unscented Edelweiss and French Lavender are the best bets for sensitive skin. Some customers report that Peppermint Plus gives them a pleasant tingle. Our Coffee soap and the Gardener’s Grits are recommended primarily for hands. See what works best, given your skin and the water in your area. As with any product you use on your body, pay attention, and discontinue use if you notice any adverse reactions.
From MARY FORREST
I have always been fascinated by the power of fragrance. My mother’s perfumes enchanted me as a child, and as an adult, I discovered herb-scented air and hypnotic florals in trips to France and India. Now I study herbs, aromatherapy and natural perfumery, and grow as many fragrant and medicinal plants as I can in my gardens in North Georgia.
I hope to awaken your senses with luxurious soaps and enticing fragrances, so that instead of settling for harsh chemicals and cheap generic scents from the mall, you will fill your everyday life with the beauty and excitement of Nature’s ingredients and aromas. Let me be your personal soapmaker. And the rest will come naturally.