FAQ

Getting to Know Your Bar

If your new bar of soap feels a little firm or the lather seems light at first—don’t worry! That’s completely normal. Because our bars are made using traditional cold process methods and cured for a long-lasting finish, they sometimes need a use or two to fully open up.

As the surface softens slightly with water, you’ll start to notice a richer lather and fuller bubbles. A couple of uses is all it takes to get the full experience.

For best results, we recommend using a washcloth, loofah, or soap saver to help build up the lather.

Why Your Soap May Weigh a Little Less Than Labeled

Because our soaps are handcrafted in small batches and cured naturally, a small amount of water continues to evaporate from the bar over time—even after it's been packaged. This process, called curing, helps the soap become harder and longer-lasting, which is great for you!

As a result, your soap may weigh slightly less than the label states by the time it reaches you. Rest assured, every bar is weighed and labeled at the time of packaging, and any slight variation is completely normal for artisan, air-cured soap.

Soap Care 

To help your bar soap last as long as possible, keep it dry between uses. Using a well-draining soap holder allows water to drain away and air to circulate around the bar, preventing it from getting soft or melting too quickly. A dry soap is a longer lasting soap!

Soda Ash

Soda ash is a harmless white powdery film that can sometimes form on the surface of handmade soap. It happens when the soap reacts with air during the curing process. While it may look a little cloudy or dusty, it doesn’t affect how the soap works or feels—your soap is still perfectly safe and effective to use.

Why we use lye (sodium hydroxide)

Sodium hydroxide is an essential ingredient in the soap-making process because it initiates saponification which is the chemical reaction between a fat or oil and a strong alkali (lye) that produces soap. Without sodium hydroxide, true soap cannot be formed, as it is the key agent that converts the fatty acids into cleansing salts, resulting in a solid, effective cleansing product. There's no sodium hydroxide left in the final product—just gentle, cleansing soap that's safe to use on your skin. 

What’s That Dark Ring in the Soap?

If you see a darker circle or ring in the center of your soap bar—don’t worry! That’s just a natural result of something called partial gel phase, and it’s purely cosmetic.

During the soapmaking process, some bars go through a warming stage called gel phase, which can create a translucent or darker area in the soap. When only part of the bar reaches that phase, it can leave a visible ring or halo once the soap cools and cures.

This doesn't affect the quality, safety, or performance of the bar in any way. It’s simply part of the handmade process—and a neat visual reminder that your soap was crafted in small batches, not mass-produced.

 

For questions about our ingredients please see our INGREDIENTS page.