A soap molecule consists of a chain of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms with two distinct ends : a hydrophilic end that is attracted to water and a hydrophobic end that is attracted to dirt. Soap cleans because of the differing actions of these two ends, one connecting to dirt and the other connecting to water, allowing the dirt to be washed away.
Cold-processing is an artisanal and traditional method of soap-making that minimizes the soap ingredients’ exposure to heat, relying on the energy naturally produced by the saponification process. Cold-processing therefore allows soap to retain its skin-nourishing properties and is a more ecologically-friendly production method. This process is also the only way to obtain a superfatted soap rich in naturally produced glycerine.
The glycerine, that is naturally produced during the saponification process, is a highly hydrating substance . And while conventional soap producers extract this glycerine in order to make other products with it (and increase their profits), we leave every last bit of glycerine in our soaps in order to take full advantage of its incredibly moisturizing properties.
Oils, butters, water and sodium hydroxide are the key ingredients involved in soap-making.
Saponification refers to the transformation of these raw ingredients into soap.
Superfatting has to do with the ratio of oil-to-lye that is used during the saponification process. By using less lye and more oils, not all of the oil’s fatty acids will bond to the lye and you get what’s called a superfatted soap. The untransformed oils that remain result in a milder and more nourishing soap that is less likely to irritate the skin. In other words, superfat = super-moisturizing.
The fatty acids and glycerol in the oils and butters (called triglycerides) react with a base solution of sodium hydroxide and water (an alkali, commonly called lye) to produce soap and glycerine.
The process is a simple and almost immediate transformation of the oils into washing molecules known as “saponified oils”.
Each oil or butter has a particular mixture of fatty acids, which determine the qualities of the soap, such as cleansing, lather, hardness and conditioning.
