You have just decided to swap your expensive (and most probably not organic and not plastic free) face cleanser for an amazing natural bar of soap but now you feel overwhelmed and don't know which one to choose?
Honestly, all of our Chagrin Valley soap bars are amazing and created only with the best natural ingredients, but they are also specifically formulated to address specific skin concerns.
All skin is not created equal. Your skin type is genetically determined and unique to you! Your skin condition and needs can also change depending on your . . .
- diet
- age
- hormone cycles
- exposure to irritants
- stress
- the weather
- and other factors
The best way is to begin with trial size samples. Make note of the natural soaps that YOUR skin likes or dislikes, remember no two recipes are the same! Read the ingredients and you will often find a pattern.
Because a soap is listed under one skin type category does not mean it is bad for other skin types. For example, a number of customers have commented that our Dead Sea Spa soap has helped them with their oily skin problems, yet it also works very well on dry (aging) facial skin!
Unlike many other natural soap companies who use the same recipe for every soap selection and simply change the scent, each of our Chagrin Valley organic soap bars contains a different blend or different proportions of natural plant oils and butters. No two recipes are the same!
Dry Skin
Dry skin is a result of a decrease in sebum production, the natural skin oil necessary to keep the skin moist and lubricated. Since dry skin has a decreased oil barrier, water easily evaporates through the skin.
Dry skin looks dry, feels tight, may flake, and is more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Dry skin conditions are exacerbated by detergent soaps, alcohol-based products, chemical ingredients in cosmetic products, and change in seasons.
We have learned that some types of dry skin love the butters, like shea, mango, and cocoa. Other types love the oils rich in a fatty acid called linoleic acid, such as grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, and hemp. Still others like soaps rich in honey or coconut milk!
Our suggestions for dry skin:
Shea Rose Clay
Carrot & Honey
Chocolate & Honey
Goat Milk Oatmeal
Honey Butter
Oily Skin
Oily skin is the result of excessive secretions of sebum. It tends to attract more dirt and dust than dry skin and may be prone to blackheads and acne.
Oily skin is made worse by skin-drying or alcohol-based products, and harsh soaps or body washes. The chemicals in these products dry out the skin, which then encourages the oil glands to produce more sebum. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Comedogenic ingredients, such as mineral oil and other petroleum based ingredients, block pores and can lead to acne.
If your skin is oily, you do not want a soap that will dry out your skin. You want a natural soap that will clean and help balance skin oils. How do we decide which soaps seem to work better for oily skin? In general, natural soaps containing citrus essential oils, woodsy oils and rosemary seem to work well for oily skin and exfoliating soaps will help in the removal of bacteria and waxy oils from the pores. Everyone's skin is so unique, natural soap bars behave differently for different people. Try samples to find the best fit for you.
Our suggestions for dry skin:
Bamboo Charcoal
Dead Sea Black Clay
Juniper Spearmint
Sea Buckthorn & Tea Tree
Sea salt & seaweed Spa
Psoriasis & Eczema
Eczema is a term for a chronic condition in which the skin becomes inflamed or irritated. The affected area is very dry, almost always itchy with a rash and can appear thickened or scaly.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disorder that begins deep within the skin due to changes in the normal process of "skin cell turnover." There are numerous types of psoriasis and the symptoms vary from mild to severe, depending on the type. We suggest that people with chronic skin problems begin with soaps that contain no essential oils. Soaps like the Goat Milk Oatmeal, Carrot & Honey, Marsh Mallow Chickweed or any of the other soaps listed below that say “no added scent.”
Some people have also found the Seabuckthorn and Neem and Tea Tree soaps to be very helpful. Sea Buckthorn has been used to treat skin disorders in Eastern medicine for centuries. It is also believed to be a natural remedy to help treat periodic flare-ups of psoriasis as well as eczema.
Our suggestions for psoriasis and eczema:
Goat Milk Oatmeal
Milk & Honey Baby soap
Sea Buckthorn & Tea Tree
Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition which principally affects the face. Rosacea symptoms can vary greatly from one individual, but it often begins with a tendency to blush or flush more easily than other people and is often characterized by flare-ups and remissions.
As a skin care company we are not trying to treat the condition, the best we can hope for is to help ease some of the symptoms associated with rosacea. We recommend our Sea Buckthorn & Tea Tree Soap to help control flare-ups. It contains many of the natural ingredients often recommended to help rosacea. Be gentle when you wash with your skin. Do not rub or scrub the skin.
Using fingertips only, gently massage skin moving in a circular motion. (Save the washcloth for times you want to gently exfoliate only.) Rinse with lukewarm water and blot dry with a clean cotton towel.
Our suggestions for rosacea:
Milk & Honey Baby soap
Sea Buckthorn & Tea Tree
Sensitive Skin
Many people tell us they have sensitive skin. The question is...sensitive to what?
Some people truly have thin or a fine-textured sensitive skin. Since it reacts quickly to both heat and cold, sensitive skin sunburns and windburns easily. It is often dry, delicate and prone to allergic reactions.
Other people have skin that is simply sensitive to its environment. Seasonal temperature and humidity changes, very hot water, detergent soaps, synthetic fragrances and colors, preservatives, alcohol (used on the skin), and other common artificial additives cause irritation, which leads to red, blotchy, and itchy skin.
One customer with "sensitive skin" had great results with our natural Goat Milk soap and so decided to try some of the other bars she had bought for her husband. She had no problems with any of our natural soaps and wrote us a note saying... "I guess I am sensitive to every soap but yours!"
Our suggestions for sensitive skin:
Carrot & Honey
Chocolate & Honey
Goat Milk Oatmeal
Honey Butter
Exfoliating
On average we generate a new layer of skin every two to four weeks. As we age there is a gradual decrease in the rate at which the old dead cells leave the surface of our skin.
These dead skin cells accumulate on the skin surface and are responsible for the appearance of dull, lifeless skin. Although soap will remove dirt and excess oil, soap alone cannot remove all of the excess dead cells.
The natural soaps shown below are the one's we call "exfoliating" soaps, but we have many soaps that contain ingredients that provide gentle exfoliation.
- Some of our natural soaps contain botanicals that add a bit of exfoliation every time you wash.
- Some natural soaps contain oatmeal or clays that also aids in sloughing off dead skin cells.
- Natural soaps that contain sugar and/or milk products are high in natural acids that help loosen the glue-like substances that hold the surface skin cells to each other allowing dead skin cells to slough off more easily.
Our suggestions for exfoliating:
Adzuki Bean
Sea Salt & seaweed Spa
Dead Sea Black Clay
Avocado and Oatmeal
Goat Milk Oatmeal
Carrot & Honey
No Added Scent
We know that some people are very sensitive to added scents in their soaps. What we mean by "no added scent" is no added essential oil scents. To make a soap or any skin care item completely "unscented," commercial companies must add scent neutralizing chemicals.
Our natural soaps with "no added scent" may still have natural aromas due to honey, grains, flowers, spices, herbs, or herbal infused oils. Even our Castile Soaps have a slight scent of the extra virgin olive oil from which they are made. These scents tend to be very mild.
Our suggestions for no added scent:
Goat Milk Oatmeal
Milk & Honey Baby soap
Honey Butter
Carrot & Honey
Chocolate & Honey
Allergies
People with severe allergies--please note: If you have severe anaphylactic-type reactions to ANY of the ingredients in ANY of our products, please do not buy our products. The soaps are made in dedicated soap rooms and product rooms that are kept meticulously clean, but we cannot guarantee against possible cross-contamination of individual ingredients. We are not responsible for any individual reaction to any particular ingredient. Each product description on our website includes a complete list of ingredients. People with sensitivities to any listed ingredient should not use the product. In case you are in doubt always try an allergy patch test and if at any time irritation occurs, discontinue use of the product.
Medical Disclaimer
The content and information on this website, provided by The Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company, is for educational purposes only and is in no way intended and should not be construed as medical advice to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. The information regarding folklore or health-related benefits of certain ingredients is for educational purposes only. The information provided is not intended to prescribe or be taken as medical advice. The information provided is not meant to substitute the advice provided by your personal physician or other medical professionals. Do not use the information found on this website to self-diagnose any medical conditions or treat any health problems or diseases. If you have medical concerns regarding yourself or your family you should seek the advice of qualified, licensed health professionals. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
