What is your soap made of?
We use simple, natural ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter. These oils are turned into soap (saponified) through a chemical reaction with Lye. Voila - Soap.
To incorporate the hops into our Hop Soap we infuse the Hops in the Olive Oil by letting them steep for two weeks. To scent the Hop soap we use Essential Oils.
In our Beer Soap we replace the water with Beer. Not just any beer, but local craft beer brewed by High River Brewery. The Beer Soap is scented with high quality Fragrance Oil and/or Essential Oil.
Learn more about each of our ingredients in our Glossary
Why is there Lye in the soap? Isn’t that dangerous?
The act of saponification is the chemical reaction that transforms fats/oils into soap. Without Lye there is no soap. The recipe for our soap is a technical calculation using saponification rates of our chosen oils.
The chemical reaction happens very quickly and the lye is almost completely converted to soap right away. The process is complete within 24 to 48 hours.
Where are your products made/your ingredients from?
All of our products are made on our farm. We source our ingredients from small local businesses when possible.
How long does a bar of soap last?
Our soaps last roughly a month with daily use. The longevity differs between households based on a variety of factors - including amount of lather, frequency of use, and water type. If you are looking to extend the life of your natural soap, we recommend:
1. Store your soap in a place that allows it to dry out between uses - we recommend a soap saver.
2. After using, give the bar a little shake before storing it on your Soap Saver, removing any excess water.
3. Use a loofah, sponge or washcloth to create your soap later, rather than using the bar directly.
What is the shelf life for a bar of soap?
Our natural soap has a shelf life of about 12 months. It may last up to 12 months, but we recommend using it prior to that for maximum fragrance. We also recommend storing them in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Are your bars hypoallergenic?
While not all of our bars are formulated to be hypoallergenic, I have sensitive skin and I can report a positive result when using all of our soaps.
If you have sensitive skin, we recommend checking out our Hop Soap.
Is your soap antibacterial?
While our soaps are not formulated to be antibacterial, research shows that normal soap (like our cold-processed, all-natural soap) is as effective as antibacterial soap in preventing infectious illness and keeping good hygiene.
Hops are also a natural anti-bacterial and bring that action to the soap.
How is natural soap different from commercial soap?
Many brand-name “soaps” aren’t even soap at all. If you start to look at the ingredients you will see that they are full of chemicals. You will realize that they are a chemical detergent, with preservative and chemical lathering agents.
During the soap-making process, a byproduct is created called glycerin. For the sake of mass production and cost efficiency, large companies will remove the glycerin and sell it for a hefty profit. They will then replace the glycerin with chemicals to mimic but not match the benefits.
We make our soap the old-fashioned way. Real ingredients and time tested recipe. By cold-processing the soap, the glycerin forms naturally from plant-derived oils through the process of saponification. This means you are getting a quality product that will help to nourish and protect your skin.
Bars soap vs Body Wash
Most body washes feel gentler than soap because they contain emollients. These chemical ingredients are there to moisturize your skin because the body wash isn’t soap but a detergent. These chemical detergents can be irritating and drying to skin. These added emollients contain chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens. There is plenty of information proving that these chemicals are bad.
Our natural, cold-processed bar soap hydrates and cleanses the skin without any harsh chemicals or synthetic skin softeners or lathers found in most body washes.
Is the colourant used in the soap natural?
The only colourants we use in our soap are Iron oxides. Natural pigments that enhance the colour the beer already adds to the soap.
Citric acid in the shower steamers? That sounds dangerous?
Citric acid is found naturally in citrus fruits, especially lemons and limes. We use it in our shower steamers to give them the fizz and sizzle that help release the scent into your shower.