Stay Young with Shmutzies Natural Soap
Stay young looking with natural soap
Here at Shmutzies, we’ve been making natural, handmade soap forever. We don’t think about the reasons we got into the soap-making business or why we set out to make the best soap we could. That’s not to say we never thought about it but we made a decision long ago and have been going with it ever since. If you haven’t thought a lot about what goes into your personal skincare products, you should keep reading.
Better for You
Natural soap is better for your skin. It contains all-natural ingredients such as plant-derived base oils, glycerin, and essential oils. By contrast, synthetic, mass-market soap is made of petroleum-based lathering agents, synthetic fragrances, harsh dyes, and dangerous preservatives. It’s not surprising that a lot of our customers tell us that their skin feels better after using our soap.
Not only is natural soap better for you, it’s also better for others. It’s better for the environment because producing its ingredients has less of an environmental impact, and because those ingredients break down easily and cause fewer problems after they go down the drain. It’s better for animals because its ingredients are already recognized as safe so no animal testing is necessary. And natural soap is good for the economy because it is often made by small, local producers so the dollars you spend on it stay in the community.
Beware
So when is soap NOT soap. Many companies use the words “cleansing bars” to describe their soap. That is because, legally, soap must be made out of mostly oil, water, and lye. If it isn’t, they have to call it something else like a detergent. That doesn’t mean that some companies don’t make actual soap and then put a bunch of other stuff in it. Dove soap is one such great example. An ingredient listed as “sodium tallowate” which is just another way of saying tallow, or beef fat, that has reacted with the lye catalyst. May not be very delicious sounding, but it is natural. But Dove also contains cocamidopropyl betaine, a synthetic surfactant. Not exactly good for you or your skin.
Buy SMART
When you look at the ingredients list of a store bought bar of soap, it’s easy to see why natural soap is a great choice. When Shmutzies started, it was also the beginning of a larger maker movement. That’s when producers and consumers shifted back to smaller, more local, more unique products. Natural soap is perhaps the quintessential small batch, local product. Did we mention it also smells nice?
If you are looking for all natural, handmade soap, give us a try. We promise you won’t be disappointed. We provide great smelling, great looking and really fun soap. There is a scent or look for everyone. And if you love us as much as we think you will, consider giving Shmutzies as gifts to those you care about this year!