Not all handmade soaps are created equal!
So why we chose to use only Chagrin Valley soaps?
Because they are made with the best organic ingredients you can find in your pantry or garden.
Because they are made specifically to address any skin condition and restore your natural healthy skin glow. They may be more expensive, but they’ll make a true difference in your skincare routine.
Here’s a list of all the amazing qualities that really set Chagrin Valley soaps apart and why we are convinced they are the best.
They Are Natural.
Commercial bar "soaps" and body washes are generally produced on a large scale with harsh chemicals, detergents, preservatives, synthetic fragrance oils, and synthetic colorants which can irritate your skin.
Chagrin Valley natural organic soap bars contain only the ingredients that they need—not the extra preservatives that liquid body washes or commercial bars "soaps" (97% water based!) require to increase their shelf life.
Produced in small batches with materials found in nature, like pure plant-based oils, oats, honey and goat milk, they contain no animal fats, no synthetic oils, no artificial fragrances, no detergents, and no chemical preservatives.
No Detergents
Commercial "soap" bars and body washed are made from various detergents, synthetic materials, processed chemicals and cleansers, and stabilizers that are harsh on your hair and scalp and strip it of its natural protective oils and moisture. These bars are often called "syndet" bars. Since syndets are detergents they do not meet the legal definition of the word "soap."
In order to compensate for the way in which they strip natural oils from your skin, you reach for the bottle of lotion.
Although lather has little to do with how well a soap cleans your skin, consumers often judge a soap product on how well it lathers. That is why most commercial liquid body washes and soap bars use harsh detergent surfactants or foam boosters such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or members of its family. These cheap foam boosters generate a large amount of foamy lather.
Sodium lauryl sulfates, which were originally designed to clean floors and can be found in items like garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash soaps, are known skin irritants.
The strong detergents in commercial soaps can dry the skin and may contribute to irritated skin conditions like eczema.
The foamy lather of the natural Chagrin Valley soaps comes instead from natural lathering oils like coconut, babassu and castor bean.
No Synthetic Fragrances or Colours
Commercial "soaps" and even some handmade soaps use synthetic fragrances or "nature identical" oils, colorants and other additives that can irritate your skin. Thousands of ingredients are used to create a synthetic scent. These ingredients come in powder or crystalline form and need solvents in order to be dissolved.
A common solvent that has been used for over 50 years is DEP (Di Ethyl Phthalate). Phthalates, known to cause birth defects in animals, are used to create synthetic fragrances and are also added to cosmetics to extend the shelf life. They are used in the production of plastics to increase their durability and flexibility.
Some companies reduce the strength of their fragrance oils by cutting them with chemicals like (Di Propylene Glycol). The sad fact--since "fragrance" blends are usually proprietary, the consumer never sees the list of chemicals used to create them.
Scented with pure botanical essential oils and coloured with natural clays, organic juices and organic botanicals like herbs, spices, flowers, and root powders, Chagrin Valley natural soaps bars contain only natural and organic ingredients.
More Moisturizing
Chagrin Valley natural soap bars are formulated with lots of extra plant oil and butters in a process called "superfatting." Superfatted soaps have superior moisturizing and emollient qualities. Since adding extra oils and butters can decrease the shelf-life of a soap bar, commercial soaps sacrifice the moisturizing properties for their "forever" shelf-life.
The natural chemical reaction of making soap is called saponification. Once saponification is complete, the ingredients have combined and chemically changed into soap and glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant which draws moisture from the air to the skin creating a moisturizing protective layer.
Commercial soap companies remove the glycerin from their soaps because it will decrease the shelf-life. Also, these companies can sell the glycerin to companies or use it themselves to make the lotion your skin needs after using commercial soap.
Thus, superfatting plus natural saponification creates a soap bar full of moisturizing, natural oils, and natural glycerin.
Natural Soap Bars Are Environmentally Friendly
Organic natural soap bars are eco-friendly. They are biodegradable with no harsh chemicals to contaminate our water supply.
Many of the synthetic chemicals found in commercial soaps do not naturally break down. Instead, as they wash down our drains and accumulate in our ecosystems.
These chemicals infiltrate our lakes, streams, rivers and public water systems.
Chagrin Valley soaps are made with organic ingredients. Organic ingredients mean organic farming and organic farming is better for the environment. It improves the quality of our environment by protecting our land and groundwater from contamination and by promoting the use of sustainable resources and the conservation of soil and water.
Special Recipes and Organic Ingredients
Any soap is only as good as the ingredients used to make it.
Chagrin Valley begins each soap bar recipe with a special blend of skin-nourishing oils and butters. Each oil is chosen for the special properties it gives to the soap.
Each soap bar is made unique by adding a variety of butters and oils, essential oils, oils infused with botanicals, juices, and other wholesome additives that promote naturally clean and healthy skin.
The result of this meticulous soap making process is a mild, rich, moisturizing soap that feels creamy in your hands, offers a magnificent long-lasting lather, and leaves your skin clean, soft, silky, and radiantly healthy.
Chagrin Valley natural soaps are handmade from scratch, using the cold processed method, one batch at a time, cut and trimmed by hand, and cured for 8 to 10 weeks -- to ensure freshness, consistency, and perfection.
Making soap is not that difficult. But making great natural soap is a skill that matures with increased knowledge and experience.
It does not make sense to create "all natural" products with plant-based oils and butters that are grown using toxic pesticides, that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or that use solvents or other toxic chemicals in their processing.
Compare the ingredients in Chagrin Valley Handcrafted Soaps to those of other soap companies.
Chagrin Valley Natural Soaps are handmade with herbs, seeds, grains, flowers, vegetables, fruits, and natural botanical essential oils to provide natural color, aromatherapy, texture, and gentle exfoliation.
Many of the soap bars are enriched with natural emollients such as Shea, Mango and Cocoa Butters and contain more costly organic virgin, unrefined oils and butters whenever possible because they are less refined preserving more of their inherent nutrients.
They use organic food-grade base oils, really good enough to eat, which cost a lot more than the cosmetic grade, lower quality oils.
The rich, creamy lather is produced by natural oils like coconut, babassu, and castor bean, rather than synthetic foaming agents and detergents.
Although synthetic fragrances or "nature identical" oils are available in a wider selection and at a much lower cost, the scented soaps contain only pure plant, organic essential oils from natures finest botanicals.
Try searching for "Avocado Soap" online: are the soaps you find made with real avocado pulp--or simply made with avocado oil and scented with synthetic fragrance oils? Chagrin Valley avocado soap is made with fresh organic avocado pulp, organic oats, and pure honey.
These natural soaps use lots of real produce you’ll find in your pantry or garden, like:
- carrots, cucumbers, avocados, apples and oranges.
- real chocolate, coffee, oats, beer, tomato juice, and spices.
- floral-infused oils and real flower petals.
- real fruit, fruit juice, fibers, peels, and zest.
And we think it doesn't get much better than this!
Browse these amazing soaps here and find the perfect soap for you.
Cover photo by Aurélia Dubois on Unsplash
