What’s so special about The Natural Soapworks?

The Natural Soapworks makes natural soaps, bath and skincare products, using carefully selected natural ingredients.  We're a small company and make everything by hand, in small batches.   So why do we go to such trouble, when commercial products are so cheap and readily available? The reason is that many commercial products can use harsh ingredients, which dry out or irritate the skin with prolonged use.  They’re often designed with mass production in mind so sometimes aren't very beneficial for our skin.  

As an example, commercial soaps often contain animal fats (these are rendered down and are called tallow - look for sodium tallowate on the label), and some even contain SLS (a very common detergent which unfortunately has proven links to some skin conditions). We think it's sad that detergent has to be added to commercial products, when pure natural soap lathers so beautifully on its own.  

 So The Natural Soapworks was created because we think we’d all be better off if we didn’t put these products onto our skin every day.  We take great pride in only sourcing great quality ingredients, and we're confident that when you’ve tried our handmade soaps and body care products you’ll agree they’re worth the time, care and attention we put into making each and every batch. Remember to also visit our new Natroma skincare website Natroma is our brand new range of facial cleansers, moisturisers, clay masks, lotions and serums. 

Why do we make really natural soap? 

Commercial soap manufacturers produce huge batches of soap (250,000 pounds or more at a time) in what is a highly mechanised process.  Typically during the manufacturing process, glycerine (a natural by-product which nourishes the skin) is removed and fillers and some synthetic detergents may be added.   (The naturally beneficial glycerine is usually sold off as a separate product).   Many large companies that produce soap and shampoos buy in the basic soap base and then add their own supplentary ingredients and packaging to the final product.

Handcrafted soap, on the other hand, requires  some skill and attention to ensure that the naturally occurring glycerine is retained within the soap.   The Natural Soapworks only makes soap by hand, and ours is made by a "cold process" saponification method. This means that there is no external heat used during manufacture. We carefully blend high quality oils and nutrients to our own unique formulation, to produce a very high quality and natural soap.    We haven't cut any corners and insist on only using the finest ingredients, and our special formulation makes our bars mild and gentle, with a rich creamy, moisturising lather. We encourage new visitors to our shop to try washing their hands during their visit, and it's no surprise that they always comment on how their hands immediately feel softer after using our soap. We carefully manufacture, scent, cure, hand cut, trim and package all of our soaps, and can guarantee that we will only allow natural (often organic) ingredients in our recipes.  We use high quality essential oils (our suppliers are members of the Aromatherapy Trade Council)in our products, which have been carefully blended to give subtle, delightful scents and skincare benefits.

Our soaps are different from some types of handcrafted soaps, which use a "melt and pour" process.   This is where a commercially produced soap base is used, and this can be melted down and then poured without changing its consistency.    The soap maker melts it down, adds colours, scents and textures before pouring into moulds and packaging for sale.   These soaps can be very beautiful, are sometimes transparent (with a stained glass effect) or have intricate patterns and beautiful colour effects. These types of soaps usually contain a high percentage of glycerine within the soap base, but may also contain some synthetic ingredients too - in the soap base itself, or in any colours or fragrance oils if they are used.

So the good news is that the consumer has a wide choice of soaps to select from. Whichever soap you choose, it's always a good idea to try to ask the soapmaker about their soap, and ensure they crafted it themselves. Soapmakers are usually passionate about their soaps, so they'll be able to describe the oils, nutrients, colours and fragrances they have used, and will include a full ingredient listing on their products.         Handcrafted soaps feel very different to those purchased in the supermarket, so we hope you support smaller handcrafted soapmakers, who love making their soaps and devote lots of care and attention into producing lovely soaps for you to enjoy!