Here's some info about commercial (store bought) soap and why it dries out your skin:
Why use handmade soap?
The benefits of using handmade soap are many.
Natural handmade soaps are made with natural oils, have a high glycerin content, are better
for the environment with no detergents or phosphates, and are never tested on animals.
More natural. Handmade soaps are made with natural ingredients, not petro-chemicals or
cheap additives. Handmade soap has a naturally occurring glycerin which is known to be
beneficial to the skin. Many soap manufacturers remove this valuable glycerin. You get this
skin loving glycerin in the handmade soap process - Almost like getting a 2 for 1.
Skin is the largest human organ and is the bodies first line of defense against dehydration,
temperature, infection and harmful substances. Handmade soaps give your skin the care it
deserves and make bathing a gentle, soothing experience.
Why you SHOULDN'T use Store Bought Soap.
Commercially made soap usually contains detergents, fillers, chemicals, petroleum, high
animal fat content, and irritants. Commercially made soap tends to be less eco friendly as
well. While commercially manufactured soap usually costs less, the impact on your skin and
the environment is less than desirable.
Most soaps available in the store today are not really soaps at all, but detergents. Detergents
are a petroleum based product, like gasoline and kerosene. Detergents tend to leave your
skin feeling dry, itchy and tight. Alkali, the most common irritant in soap is most often blamed
for this effect. Other ingredients in mass-marketed soap have been proven harmful to human
health and can cause severe skin irritations in some people. These include ingredients such
as DEA, Isopropyl Alcohol, BHT and Triclosan (commonly found in anti-bacterial soap). The
most common ingredient in conventional bar soaps is sodium tallowate. It is the natural
product of combining tallow, or beef fat, with lye. Tallow processes quickly, produces a
harder bar of soap and is cheap and plentiful making it attractive for mass producing and
marketing conventional soap.
