Vermont Soap Organics solid soaps are made using a modern version of a 300-year-old ancient method.
Certified organic oils of palm, coconut, olive, and palm kernel oil are mixed at precise temperatures with an alkaline solution*.
The palm oil is naturally sourced from small sustainable farms where the families who harvest receive fair payment.
*To make soap, you need an oil (which is an acid), an alkaline base, and water. Saponification is a reaction between these ingredients that results in the creation of soap.
The oil and alkali undergo a structural change to form solid or liquid soap.
For the alkaline base, it is traditional to use potassium hydroxide for making liquid soap and sodium hydroxide for solid soap.
Perfect Science
The oils used in their organic, handcrafted soaps are carefully selected by Vermont Soap for the characteristics they bring to the final soap.
Vermont Soap uses the highest quality organic oils from sustainable sources.
Coconut oil creates lots of glycerin, produces good lather, and is very stable.
Olive oil has natural antioxidants and makes the soap more creamy.
Many other oils can be used, each for a specific reason. The important thing is that oil and alkali must be in perfect balance to make the perfect soap.
If you add too much coconut oil, for example, it won't turn out well.
This is a science that takes a long time to learn, and after several years of countless trials, Vermont Soap Organics found the perfect recipe.
Aging Process
At Vermont Soap, the soap mixture is then blended for hours, allowing it to thicken slowly.
When it's ready, botanical and organic herbs, spices, and grains are added. The mixture is then poured into wooden molds and kept warm for about three days.
As the soap solidifies, alkaline salts begin to rise to the top like cream.
Around the fourth day, the soap, now solid in block form, is removed from the molds and skimmed of all alkaline salts and cut into individual bars.
The soaps are then placed on custom-made drying racks made of oak and stainless steel where they cure for about three weeks.
Mild Natural Soap Without Additives
This process produces the mildest and finest soap available.
These soaps last about twice as long as conventional ones and are very moisturizing and soothing to the skin.
No measurable free alkali, meaning residues of sodium hydroxide, remains when the soap is finished.
This is part of the reason why their soap is so mild.
Conventional Soap
Many modern conventional soaps are made in a mass-produced industrial way. They may use beef or ox tallow instead of oils. In conventional soaps, many synthetic additives are added, for example to make the soap lather more. The glycerin is usually separated out to be sold elsewhere, while in natural soap it is stirred back in during soap production. Problems in mass-produced soap manufacturing can include low-quality base ingredients, alcohol, synthetic colors and fragrances, and preservatives.The soap then lacks moisture at its core and tends to have alkaline residues left in it, which will irritate the skin.
Problems arise when alkali and oil do not combine chemically. Then alkaline salts remain in the product. Excess alkali makes the soap far too strong and dries out the skin.
People with sensitive skin are particularly vulnerable to irritation from these types of soaps. Why do soap manufacturers do this? The answer is that it's cheaper and much faster.
Choose Organic Soap
We think it's better to buy an organic soap that may cost more but lasts longer and is good for skin, environment, and animals.
What's fantastic about these soaps, besides being organic and vegan-friendly, is that they can be used in many ways.
Some of them are made to counteract sweat and odor and are then designed for a specific area of the body.
The mildest soaps can be used on the face, on the body, and as shampoo soap. We love that!
