|
Magnolia
Hill Soap,
Inc. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there lye
in soap?
There
is no lye in natural soap as a finished product.
But all soap is formed by the combination of a base and an acid.
In soap -making the base is lye but during the soap -making process the
lye is transformed into soap and glycerin.
What is the
shelf life of natural soap?
We
have kept soap over a year with no signs of rancidity; in fact, we’ve
never seen a rancid bar. (If soap
turns brown in patches and smells off, it has gone rancid - throw it out)
The pure essential oils in our soap act as a natural preservative.
How should I
store my soap?
Natural
soap is better stored unwrapped. If
you must wrap it, it should be in paper or cellophane, not plastic. Storing the
soap unwrapped has the added advantage of making available the scent from the
essential oils. People have a
tendency to keep the soap displayed because it is so beautiful. Just remember
the soap does its most good when it is in contact with your body.
Does natural soap melt faster than commercial soap?
How
fast natural soap “melts” depends on the oils that are used in creating the
soap and how you use the soap. We
indicate whether soap is hard or medium hard in our descriptions.
A medium hard soap will “melt”
faster than a hard soap. But these
softer soaps are also the soaps that have been infused with ingredients most
beneficial to your skin such as milk and honey.
You can greatly extend the life of your soaps by using a proper soap
dish. Soap should never sit in water; rather a soap dish should be
used that elevates the soap and allows any water to drain off away from the
soap. The reason some commercial
soap will seem to not “melt” is because of the synthetic preservatives that
have been added to the soap.
What is the difference between soap I buy in the grocery store and the soap I buy from Magnolia Hill?
Our
soap is just pure soap made from plant oils. The Handcrafted Soapmakers
Guild (of which we are members) did an analysis of the more popular commercial
soaps. All of the soaps that were
analyzed were made from tallow, which is an animal fat.
There is nothing wrong with this unless you are philosophically opposed
to animal products. Our soaps are made with plant oils. All of the soaps in the analysis had chemical preservatives
our soaps have none. Most of the
soaps in the analysis appear to have extracted the glycerin and then a few added
some of the glycerin back in. Our
soaps have all of the natural glycerin; usually 25% of handcrafted soap is
glycerin. All of the commercial
soaps that were scented used artificial fragrances.
Our soap is scented only with pure essential oils.
Plus we use many organic ingredients in our recipes and it is doubtful
that the commercial producers go to this expense.
What is the difference between soap and detergent?
Soap
has been made for centuries. It
has always been the result of a reaction between an acid (oils) and a base
(historically wood ash). During
World War I the Germans were unable to get the oils used in soapmaking – which
are mainly oils from plants that do not grow in Germany such as olive, coconut,
and palm. However, they discovered
that they could synthesize the reactions that made soap by using coal tar, which
they had in abundance. Since this
early discovery other synthetic ingredients have been used. These synthetic
results have since been called detergents.
Detergents have proven to be powerful cleaners, but do they belong on
your skin?
Can you make soap to fill a
custom order?
Yes, but it is important to understand that soap is the result of a process called saponification. Saponification can take up to 4 weeks to be complete. So, if you request a custom order we will require a 4-week lead-time.
If I will be or am in Jacksonville can I pick u my order and save the shipping cost?
Yes, contact us and we will give you directions.
Magnolia Hill Soap Company Inc.
3965 Gadsden Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
904-399-3241; FAX: 904-396-9467
email