Do you want to indulge yourself a little bit more than usual when it comes to your selection of soap? If so a nice handmade soap may be just what you are looking for.
These soaps are generally a bit more expensive than their industrially manufactured counterparts, but generally speaking they will rewards you with enhanced skin friendliness as well as reduced strain on the environment.
You do need to pay attention when shopping however, which is why we will have a brief look at how to hunt down the ideal bar of soap in this article.
Why not industrial soap? You may or may not be aware that industrially manufactured soap contains many chemicals that aren't very good for your skin nor for the environment.
Despite all the "natural goodness" advertised on their attractive packaging.
Many ingredients have been added simply because they are cheap.
Makers of handmade soap often strive for higher quality, which is reflected both in the price of the product and the selection of ingredients.
The basic ingredients required for making soap are, well, rather basic.
For that reasons most soaps crafted by hand will have a somewhat similar list of ingredients and they will have been produced in a very similar fashion.
Particularly those suffering from sensitive skin will have to pay extra careful attention to the list of ingredients however.
Otherwise you could potentially be in for a nasty surprise.
Because naturally all soap makers will have their own rationale for selecting the ingredients that goes into their soap.
Also, even the best of ingredients will do you no good if you happen to be allergic to it.
This may be true with various essential oils added as well as other ingredients.
Locating the handmade alternative Sometimes you stumble upon fine handmade soaps where you least expect them.
They can be found anywhere from small boutiques and gift shops to various retail markets and bigger stores.
If you're in luck you may even find a small local manufacturer you can buy from directly.
Quite a few people have opened up their own soap making businesses lately.
If you still come up empty, there is of course always the internet where you can find a plethora of handmade soap manufacturers - from small one man or one woman operations to international brands.
With such a rich selection you should also have no problem to find soap with exactly the kind of ingredients you would like.
As well as in many different and entertaining designs.
Besides the practical questions of price, shipping costs and similar, you should also do a little bit of research before you go ahead and order.
Check out how long the manufacturer has been in business, what their reputation is and of course how they make their products.
Particularly among the small handmade soap makers you will find that quite a few run a very transparent business.
Some of them even blog about every batch of soap they make.