Handmade Soap vs. Commercial Soap: A Showdown

Everyone has heard about the ‘fancy’ organic soaps in town. While some have switched to using these soaps, most of us haven't really thought about it. Let it be known, that this write-up is pretty sure to make you rethink about the ‘soap’ you have been using so far!

Read further to know some of the most shocking differences between a handmade soap and a commercial soap.

What are the components?

You will be surprised to know the drastic difference of components in both the soaps. Commercial soaps contain Surfactants, Parabens, Phthalates (a ‘plasticiser’ known to cause cancer), Sodium Isethionate (a foam enhancer), chemical solvents and Petrochemicals. All of these are extremely harmful to the human skin and they're used because of their easy of availability and cheap prices. Working with these components using machines is simple and time saving.

Handmade soaps, on the other hand fully consist of organic, naturally extracted ingredients. Essential oils, butters and glycerin together makes up for a rich handmade soap. The oils are plant based, like Aloe, Olive, Coconut, Lemon, Avocado, Orange etc. Honey, Oatmeal, Almond oil and some other milks and purees are also added which have nutrients that nourish our skin.

The Presence of Glycerine:

Glycerine is the most important part of a soap. It's a natural skin softener that attracts water from the air to help maintain a naturally moisturised skin. While the oils/butters are blending in the handmade soap-making process, glycerin maintains the integrity of the other ingredients and settles between the molecules.

Commercial soaps have no glycerin in them, even if they claim so. It is a way of making profit in which the companies add high glycerin content in creams and moisturisers so that consumers end up buying more products. Some commercial soaps claim to have produced a “full glycerin” soap. But in reality, the glycerin is just 20% and can be made out when the soap size reduces over time. When soaps don't have glycerin, the chemicals have harsh reactions on your skin, leaving it dry and flaky.

Fragrances… *sniff*

Most of us innocent beings tend to buy a soap by smelling it, and picking the one that impresses our nostrils. But in fact, these fragrances are artificial and contain chemicals that make us prone to allergies and in some cases, hormonal issues. They are known to irritate our skin, and little do we think that our soap could be the cause. Meanwhile, the beautiful scents of the handmade soaps come through essential oils and artificial flavors are not needed. Commercial soaps aggravate problems like acne, while handmade soaps help in healing acne as well as other skin issues due to the therapeutic properties of essential oils.

Method of Production

The making of soaps started during the medieval period, through a ‘cold process’ through which handmade, organic soaps are made nowadays. This process is long, and the steps must be carried out with care and caution. Most of the process includes resting of the soap for days and weeks in lieu of Saponification and air drying that “cures” the soap. Only then it becomes safe to use.

Commercial soaps are made using machines on a large-scale. It is a continuous process, with no “batches”. There is no resting of the soap and it’s blended with filler ingredients and chemicals. This is also the reason why commercial soaps are available at cheap rates. Handmade, organic soaps are priced heavy but that is because entrepreneurs face troubles while procuring the raw materials and the soap making process which is lengthy. But definitely worth the price! By the way, an organic soap lasts much longer than a commercial soap!

Which one is a better skincare product?

To be honest, commercial soaps are falsely ‘labelled’ as skincare products. There's not one component in them that cares for our skin. The clear winner here is handmade soaps that have glycerin which moisturizes our skin, essential oils and butters that nourish our skin and help in treating skin problems like eczema and acne. These oils also have beautiful scents that one can't resist! Handmade soaps are also highly environment friendly, made by people who are passionate about mother nature.

Remember, that a soap is called so because of the Saponification process during production. Commercial soaps go though no such process, hence, in fact, are not soaps at all! They could be only called as chemical laden, cleansing bars. Only to be kept at bay, away from our priceless skin.

Your skin matters. Make the right choices!