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Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: My skin is sensitive to fragrances. Does Honey Shea Soap produce a  fragrance-free soap?

 

A: Yes. Try our fragrance-free Silky Satin.

 

Q: What makes Honey Shea Soap different than commercial soaps sold in local supermarkets?

 

A: The answer is simple. The first set of ingredients listed below are from the average commercial soap company. The second set is from a bar of Honey Shea Soap. Though there may be a few ingredients in Honey Shea Soap that you are not familiar with, it is likely that you are not familiar with any of the ingredients contained in the commercial grade soap. Further, the first eight ingredients in Honey Shea Soap are common in the average kitchen pantry, not a chemical lab. Which of the two would you rather put on your skin?

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Commercial soap ingredients:

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Tallowate or Sodium Palmitate, Water (Aqua), Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Honey Shea Soap ingredients: 

Natural Raw Honey, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Olive Oil, All-Natural Fragrance Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Sodium Hydroxide (Lye), Sodium Lactate (aids with hardening), Citric Acid (lathering agent), Mica (skin safe approved colorant).

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Q: Does Honey Shea Soap contain lye?

 

A: Technically, no. It is a fact that lye is a foundational ingredient for true soap. Without the use of lye it is impossible to produce true soap. However, true soap is the result of a chemical reaction called saponification. Saponification occurs when a lye solution (water and sodium hydroxide for bar soap, or potassium hydroxide for liquid soap) combines with triglycerides (fat or oil). Once saponification is complete, the lye is no longer present. What remains is a natural glycerin (moisturizing agent) and soap (cleansing agent). Some of the big-brand soaps are not true soap, but a chemical surfactant with additives.

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Q: How long does it take to produce a bar of Honey Shea Soap?

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A: Our handmade small-batch recipes only take a few hours to prepare. However, because we use the traditional cold-process method of soap-making, the saponification or "curing" time can take 4 to 8 weeks. Commercial grade soap companies use machines to mix their ingredients and accelerate saponification by using a hot-process method rather than the centuries old cold-process developed by our ancestors.

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Q: Why do Honey Shea Soap bars vary in size and weight?

 

A: Honey Shea Soaps are all hand poured into their respective molds which can cause a slight variance in weight due to the mixture distribution from one mold to the next. Honey Shea Soaps are also hand cut, creating the potential for minor variances in weight. Further, we have found that combining certain oils and butters will cause weights to vary. There is a standard deviation in most products that we buy. We choose to acknowledge this by listing an approximate weight range on our soaps.

 

Q: Does Honey Shea Soap Company stand by its products?

 

A: Absolutely! We use all our soaps daily and can attest to the superior quality of each recipe. Honey Shea Soap fragrances are pleasantly appealing, not overbearing; and because we use natural oils and butters, our soaps promote clean, soft, healthy skin. We are so convinced that you will enjoy Honey Shea Soap, that if you are not completely satisfied, we will go out of our way to make it right.

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