Tag Archives: carley’s soap

Informational, Tips and Tricks

The Little Chemical That Can’t: Triclosan and How to Avoid It

You probably know that the average store-bought soap is a chemical soup of Frankenstein ingredients. Ingredients that you now know can’t do anything to the skin but make it smell better. Triclosan is one such ingredient.

triclosan_Products
Triclosan-containing products

Invented in the 1960’s by a chemical company, triclosan was created as an effective antibacterial agent that kills bacteria. That might be awesome for your dirty countertops – but what of your skin? Your skin is the most exposed organ in the body and has a symbiotic relationship with the good bacteria on your body. Killing all the bacteria on your skin can have devastating effects for the health of your skin.

“[Triclosan] contributes to the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and causes a range of human problems.” – Food and Water Watch, 2009

Triclosan as an antibacterial soap is a relatively recent trend. Despite purported claims by major companies that antibacterial soaps are healthy, no such proof exists. The FDA voted 11-to-1 that antibacterial soaps were no more effective than regular soap and water. Oops.

Triclosan-Free
Carley’s Clear & Smooth doesn’t touch triclosan with a 10 foot pole. Not only do we recommend avoiding products with triclosan but we adamantly oppose anyone on the acne regime to even come in contact with antibacterial soap. Why? While bacteria is responsible for acne and many major skin irritations, the solution of wiping out the skin’s bacteria as a panacea is a short-term fix that puts the skin’s balance in disarray.

SoapCounterSwearing off triclosan
Triclosan is found in virtually every antibacterial soap there is. Your hand soap, your detergents, your other household cleaners. To swear off this harmful soap to both you and the environment, try using Carley’s Natural Soap. Here are tips for replacing your household cleaners that come in contact with your skin with natural soap like Carley’s.

  • Put a soap bar in the bathroom next to the sink instead of hand wash. Lathering up a soap bar should not be hard at all with a soap tray.
  • Check your cosmetic ingredients for any that contain triclosan. Toss them. Or donate them to your worst enemy.
  • Replace dish soap by creating your own handpump. Put chunks of the soap in a handpump and add water and shake thoroughly. Voila! You have an easy lathered and convenient handpump that won’t destroy your skin or the environment.

Remember, sometimes it’s the little things that help your skin. Triclosan is linked to skin allergies and skin irritations. It may be just the small change in your life that gives you the perfect skin you were looking for.

Products mentioned:
Carley’s Natural Soap (1 bar)
Carley’s Natural Soap (5 bars)

Informational

Stop the Presses: Bar Soap is In?

According to Ad Age, the bar soap is back. Yahoo says that face wash “is so 10 minutes ago.” Thanks to trendy marketing the liquid body wash took over the world. Nothing was more convenient than pouring some soap, lathering quickly and getting out of the shower just as quick as you came in. Just as quick as they came (about a decade) marketers are seeing bar soaps as the gateway to the “natural market.”

What do these pretty much all of these liquid wash products contain? Terrible, “Frankenstein” ingredients just like many store bought cosmetics. These body washes are supposed to last three years on store shelves – what possible natural ingredient could survive that long without a ton of preservatives?

So manufacturers are going back to the old fashion way of making soap with lye, oils, waxes and long curing times – right? Not quite. The bar soaps you see on the market are more detergents than anything. Here’s some differences that these mass produced bar soaps have from the “real” thing:

Making natural liquid soap
By and large, it is a challenge for natural soap makers (think home made) to create a liquid wash. The wash separates easily with oil resting at the bottom and the rest of the good stuff to the top. You’ve found this out if you purchased Carley’s bodywash. The wash needs a good pump or two before use so you’re getting the complete benefits of the product. After about a thousand batches (really) we’ve found the right mix of natural ingredients that don’t separate but still – we won’t hold it against anyone if they make a product that separates. What’s funner than shaking a bottle before use like – like Yoo Hoo?

We’ve been making bar soaps for over a decade. The bar is functional, sleek and most importantly – the most natural way to make a cleaning product. There’s no focus group needed for us to make what you love!

Products Mentioned:
Carley’s Bar Soap
Carley’s Bar Soap (5 pack)
Carley’s Body Wash

Tips and Tricks

Using the Natural Soap

The proper way to store the soap when traveling

Did you know that soap can breathe? You’d know a lot about natural soap if you took a look at what real soap looks like. It’s colorless, usually odorless and sensitive to the environment. Colors may change depending on the environment. Since we use the finest vegetable ingredients we can find they often vary by batch. Most of our ingredients come from incredibly diverse areas where they are made differently such as Shea butter. This means that each batch differs slightly in appearance.

Dark spots on the soap bars are not uncommon. As the soap ages, it will continue to discolor. This is normal and one of the reasons this is such a good soap! Beware of any products that look as good on Day 1 as they do in a year. Other soaps use chemicals (plasticizers) to preserve the same appearance for years.

Do not store soap in a plastic bag

Our soap bars will physically change over time. To many, as the soap ages it actually mellows and becomes even better. Like a fine wine!

Do not store this soap in a plastic bag. It is best to allow the natural soap to breathe. If you place this soap next to regular store bought soap it may absorb chemicals or odors from those soaps as well. This is also why the soap should breathe in an open environment.

Avoid a “Vanishing” Bar
While many tells us our large soap bars last forever, we have others that say they go through the bars like clockwork. With such a lathery bar of soap as ours, be sure and put the soap in a soap dish that is well drained and out of the shower stream. This will allow our soap to dry between showers or baths. If our natural soap stays wet in a puddle of water, it will melt fast.

Pro tip from our customer, Jill:

Cut your bars in quarters when you get them. They are already large “blocks” as it is and cut fairly easily. Dividing the bars increases the surface area and allows for the soap to “breathe” easier. Did we mention it’s easier to give to your friends that way?

Pro Tip from another customer, Caseh:

After cutting the bar into quarters take a cloth and wipe the soap hard a few times. This should create plenty of foam to wash the face with. This method also saves a lot of the soap so you can keep using that bar for months!