Why handmade soap?

I’ve always had sensitive skin. From clothing to cosmetics, shoes to common household chemicals, it takes almost nothing to make my skin react. Even soap and shampoo would cause a breakout. One day I just realized I’d had enough. No more junky store bought soap with it’s synthetic lathering agents and chemical names I’d need a degree to pronounce. If soap has been around since the beginning of humanity, there was no reason why I couldn’t make something better.

Cue, the chemistry! Chemistry was one of my favorite classes in school, and biological chemistry is even better. Why are some foods more digestible than others? Why do some plants make us itch? Most importantly, what process turns fats of nearly all kinds, into amazing luxury soap? Can it really be so simple???

The answer is no. It’s not simple. But it IS possible. So I researched lipid types, and acid profiles, and properties that remain after saponification (when caustics + fats become soap!). After endless hours of math and changing variables, years of testing and rewriting, I couldn’t be happier with the Brighter Day Soap formula. Each of the six oils was picked for what it contributes to the finished product. A few specialty soaps have slightly different formulas, but each recipe is developed for that specific bar and it’s needs and intentions.

The soapmaking process is relatively straightforward. Lye solution is combined with oils at a specific temperature, and comes to “emulsification”. This means the lye particles and the oils have bonded together, although they have not fully become soap just yet. The saponification process takes between one and three days, and after that time soap is usable… but it’s not good yet. Young soap is temperamental and harsh. It strips moisture from the skin, causing a tightness and cracking. The bubbles lack loft and the lather lacks vigor. A cure is necessary. During the cure, a crystaline structure forms within the soap. It lasts longer in the shower, bubbles are larger and more stable, and most importantly, the soap mellows and cleanses gently, without stripping your body’s natural barrier. Good soap is worth the wait! Most soapmakers cure their soap for one month, but I have found that a longer cure creates a better soap. Brighter Day soap cures for two months before it is ready for market. I believe in bringing you the best possible product.