In many commercial soaps, the glycerine is extracted and sold separately (at a higher cost), and replaced with cheaper substances; commonly sodium lauryl sulphate. These harsh soaps do clean the skin, but they also strip it of its natural moisture, leaving skin feeling dry, tight, and itchy. Heather's Natural Soap is made from scratch using 100% natural ingredients. In addition to the naturally occurring glycerine, our soap contains nutrient-rich vegetable oils such as olive oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, and cocoa butter. These oils all possess excellent moisturizing and healing properties. With the exception of our unscented soap (for ultra-sensitive skin), our soap contains pure essential oils for their wonderful fragrances and therapeutic benefits. They are sourced only from ethical producers and are pesticide and fertilizer free. Other healthy ingredients found in our soap include oatmeal, honey, green tea, and various herbs and spices. Because our soap is all natural and vegetable based, it is biodegradable and friendly to the environment.

All of our soap is made by hand in small batches. To make a batch of natural soap, sodium hydroxide (lye) is added to purified water. The lye causes the water to heat up significantly and must be allowed to cool down to 38 degrees C. While the lye solution is cooling, the oils are placed in a large pot on the stove and heated until they also reach 38 degrees C. When both have simultaneously reached the same temperature, the lye solution can be added to the oils. They are then blended together until the mixture starts to trace (thicken). At this point, any other ingredients (essential oils, herbs, spices, etc.) can be stirred into the mixture. It is then ready to pour into moulds, allowed to harden overnight, then cut into bars and placed on curing racks. The bars are left to naturally air cure for at least four weeks before they are ready to use. Curing is necessary for two reasons: 1) to allow all of the lye to completely react out of the soap, and 2) to allow water to evaporate, which hardens the bar and makes it last longer. When the bars have finally cured, they are carefully hand-trimmed, hand-wrapped, and hand-labelled. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of time and effort to make a quality natural soap, but the results are definitely worth it. Try a bar and see for yourself!