DEFINITION OF SOAP: The combination of fats or oils with an alkaline base to produce a substance which cleans. TO MAKE SOAP you mix fats and oils with sodium hydroxide and water (lye). As you stir this mixture the molecules mix and change chemically to make something new - soap. In the process of saponifacation a natural glycerin is formed. Industrial soap manufacturers remove this glycerin and sell it as a by-product. With handcrafted soap, however, all of the naturally occurring glycerin remains intact. AT DENALI DREAMS we feel it is important to know what we are putting on our skin. We created our basic recipe carefully formulating ingredients to make a rich, long lasting moisturizing soap. Because skin is absorbant it is important to us that our soap ingredients are as pure and natural as possible. We color our soaps with herbs, spices and natural pigments and mainly use pure essential oils from plants for fragrance. All of our salves and balms are made with a natural beeswax base. We care about the health of our bodies and know that skin is a part of overall health. We are pleased to be able to share our finely crafted products with you. DO YOU KNOW? Glycerine Soap, (as opposed to "glycerin soap")is actually the name of a soap made with a process using alcohol to clarify the soap. MOST OF THE COMMERCIAL soap bars that line typical grocery store shelves are actually synthetic detergents. IS THERE LYE IN MY SOAP?...NO, when soap is properly made and cured, the soap no longer contains lye, as the chemical reaction has converted the alkali (lye), water, oils, and fats into saponified oils, fats, and glycerin (soap). WE ABSORB 60 PERCENT of the substances we put on our skin. So, anything you put on your skin will get under your skin. THE AVERAGE PERSON'S morning hygienic routine-including shaving, showering; applying cologne, deodorant, make-up, or lotion-puts him or her into contact with over 100 chemicals before breakfast. HAND-WASHING is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce the spread of colds and other infectious disease. MYTH: You need antibacterial soap to kill a cold virus. FACT: Regular soap will do just fine. Using Germicidal Soaps too often may produce antibiotic-resistant bacteria. HISTORY OF SOAP: The first literary reference to soap as a means of cleansing was by the Greek physician Galen in the second century A.D. By 1700, there were 63 soap companies in London, England, even though soap was still more of a curiosity than a household item. This changed with the medical discovery of bacteria and the concern that cleanliness could be a means of eliminating disease-producing germs. Soap was hard to come by for the early settlers, so when the livestock was slaughtered their fat was stripped off and rendered into tallow. This tallow was boiled with lye-water, which was leached from the wood ashes. This (often very harsh) soap was then used for washing clothes and floors and the occasional bath. There was no printed recipe for soap making at this time and a soap maker had to judge the strength and quality of the lye and its reactions. In 1832, the French chemist Eugene-Michel Chevreul demystified soap by showing that saponification was a chemical process splitting fat and lye into soap and glycerin. Soon it was discovered that adding palm kernel oil produced a soap that lathered more easily. Soap started to be wrapped and named to give it product distinction, and aggressive marketing and advertising began. By 1890 many variations of soap were offered, with the five major companies being, Colgate, Morse Taylor, Albert, Pears, and Bailey. A bar of Colgate's Cashmere Bouquet cost 25 cents, rather costly when a quart of milk was 5 cents. In 1933 Procter and Gamble introduced the first household synthetic detergent, and in 1947, Tide, the first non-soap heavy-duty laundry product hit the shelves. Now in the 21st century, a person will find that most soap bars in the grocery store are actually synthetic detergents. Fortunately there has been a revival of soap making the old fashioned way. Here at Denali Dreams we offer you a pure natural soap, that not only looks, feels and smells nice, but is good for your skin as well. Enjoy... Click here for customer comments Return the to top ***The information on this page compiled from: "Health Wise" vol.22,#10, "Real Money" jan/feb2002, Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild publication, "The Art of Soap Making" by Merilyn Mohr