Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that you might be thinking of asking, so we'll just go ahead and try to answer them for you!

Why should I try handmade soap?

Let the truth be known! All soaps are NOT created equal! Did you know that most of what is sold as "soap" in stores is not really soap at all! Those bars are what is known as detergent bars, or beauty bars, and contain skin drying ingredients! So, the reason to give handmade soaps a try might mainly be to use something that still contains its natural glycerin, since the commercial ones generally do not.

So what actually goes into your soaps?

To start with, we use skin nourishing and natural oils like olive, palm, coconut, mango, shea and cocoa butter. Next we add the fragrance (not all soaps contain fragrance..i.e...pure castille). We like to use both essential oils and fragrance oils. Some people prefer more "all-natural" soaps, in the sense that only essential oils and natural additives like oatmeal, honey, or milk may be used for their nourishing qualities.

Then there are others (a large portion of our clients!) who simply can't resist all of the delicious other scents like chocolate, lilacs, and pumpkin now available to soap makers. So, for them we offer skin safe fragrance oils made to mimic the very best that Mother Nature has to offer! Sometimes we toss in lovely dried herbs from our garden, and have even been known to add grits! Each variety of soaps is clearly labeled with a complete ingredient list for your satisfaction.

Oh, yeah...we also use good ole' lye. Yes, lye, also know as sodium hydroxide, Without it there is no soap, only oils, and how cleansing is that? The misconception of lye may have come about as people remember the harsh "lye" soap that their grandmothers( or mee-mas) made. Poor grandma just didn't have access to the safety advances in soap making like the digital scales and ph strips that we have now. So, say good bye to the lye heavy soap of yesteryear, and hello to today's mild and richly lathering bar of natural soap.

How big are your bars?

We handcut and trim each bar of soap. Therefore, there is a slight variance in size. They are usually a generous 4.5-5 ounces each, with the color possibly being slightly different from batch to batch

Do you make custom Gift Baskets?

Yes, yes, yes! We would be happier than peas in a pod to put together something extra special for you! Just make sure to email us with a description of all THE LITTLE GOODIES you want in there, and we'll get together on the price and specifics.

Do you do wholesale?

Absolutely! If you know of a store that our quirky southern style would fit just perfectly in, give us a holler! (ha,ha) We would truly love that!

You can also drop us a line using one of the methods below. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
email: abarletta@ec.rr.com	Postal Mail: The Carolina Soap Shack PO Box 786 Aynor, South Carolina 29511