Soap Bases We use several types of "melt and pour" soap base. One is a clear, high-glycerin base with superior lathering qualities. This forms the basis of all my translucent soaps. Other bases include a "like cold process" soap (opaque, white), aloe vera, olive oil and goats' milk. The ingredients are listed below.

We then add a range of botanicals, essential oils, herbal infusions or other ingredients. I sometimes use soap colorants and fragrances if it will enhance the final product although many of the soaps are either unscented or naturally-scented soaps for those who can't tolerate artificial fragrances.

Botanicals These come from plants and include a wide range of ingredients such as coffee, aloe vera gel, seeds (e.g. poppy, pomegranate, sunflower), flowers (e.g. calendula, lavender, rose), oatmeal, herbs (rosemary, parsley, chamomile), grits (corn), nuts (e.g. macadamia nut butter) and extracts (e.g. vanilla). Some of these ingredients have a gritty or rough feel, and so have a smoothing, exfoliating effect on the skin, helping to shed dead skin cells. Others have known healing properties, such as aloe vera and calendula.

Plant Essential Oils These are used singly or in combinations for their scent and aromatherapeutic properties. Some are uplifting (e.g. lemongrass), others calming or soothing (e.g. lavender).

Herbal Infusions Some soaps are colored and scented naturally by herbal infusion - a strong tea made by steeping various combinations of herbs and flowers. Varieties include Green Tea, Redbush & Peach, Orange Spice, Cinnamon Apple, and Sweet Dreams (with valerian).

Other Ingredients The only animal products we use are goats' milk and honey. Some soaps contain French green clay - a cosmetic, facial-quality clay used for oily skins. We also use some additional vegetable oils such as olive oil and sunflower oil.

Soap Base Ingredients

Clear base: Purified Water Glycerine (a humectant naturally produced during soap making process), Sodium Stearate (a natural fatty component from vegetable oils), Sorbitol (moisturizing, clarity and translucency), Propylene Glycol (a derivative of natural gas, considered a safe and appropriate ingredient not just for cosmetic products, but also for ingested products like food and pharmaceuticals. It’s on the US Food and Drug Administration's list of ingredients which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and is recognized by the World Health Organization as safe for use), Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), Stearic Acid (a saturated fat derived from vegetable oils, used to make the soap base firm and stable), Lauric Acid (fatty acid derived from coconut oil, for additional emolliency), salt.

Opaque base: Saponified Coconut Oil, Saponified Palm Oil, Saponified Castor Oil, Saponified Safflower Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sorbitol (moisturizing), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soy bean protein (conditioner), EDTA (water softener), Titanium Dioxide.