3 Clues Your soap is Making You Sick

Today I’m going behind the scenes to share how Penns Hill Organic Soap started. I promise I won’t break into song. Truth be told, I’m much better at making soap than singing.  I’ll leave “That’s My Story And I’m Sticking To It” to the country singer that made it famous!

Customers often ask me how I came up with the idea to start a soap company.  We just celebrated our six year anniversay.  So here’s my trip down memory lane!

“When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade”

Well, in my case instead of making lemonade, I made castile soap.  The lemon I was handed was a layoff from the biotech field.  As a way to take my mind off the frustration of job hunting, I looked for a way to express my creativity.  By combining my natural curiosity for how things are made and my background as a biochemist, I began searching for recipes for household products I could make at home. Somehow, my research led me to an article about making castile soap. Intrigued, I thought, “why not”!

My first batch produced the best soap I’ve ever used. Ironically, I noticed my usual dry winter skin patches vanished. I gave samples to friends and family and their response was “this soap is great, where can I get more?” When my wife used the soap as a bridal shower favor, the guests raved about it. I started to see the potential for a business.

My Next Big Surprise

So, my next thought was “how do I make this even better?”  And the answer  came from my biochemist background.  It’s simple.  “Use high quality ingredients, don’t cut corners, and develop a process that is consistent and repeatable.”  As the company grew, customers asked me to expand my product line.  The original line up consisted of bar soap that was either unscented or made with organic essential oils for a subtle, natural fragrance.  “How about liquid soap?” Great question, I’d answer.  So, after many requests for liquid soap, I searched for a recipe, but struck out.  So, back to the drawing board.  After about 18 months of testing, my formula for liquid organic olive oil castile soap met the quality standards of Penns Hill Soap.  Today our liquid soap is by far our most popular product.

We only use the very best ingredients in our soap – certified organic extra virgin olive oil, certified organic essential oils instead of “fragrance” for a subtle scent (in our scented soaps) and  water. That’s it – pure, clean and natural. No fillers, surprises or ingredients you cannot pronounce. If you read the labels of other soaps, you will find they are usually made with a blend of oils. We find olive oil gives the soap a silky finish that pampers your skin. The original recipes used olive and laurel oil. We decided to follow the centuries old original formula for our liquid and bar soap.  So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Enjoy reading the following excerpt on the history of castile soap (see history below taken from Wikipedia).

Castile soap is a name used in English-speaking countries for olive oil based soap made in a style similar to that originating in the Castile region of Spain.

 History of Castile Olive Oil Soap

The origins of Castile Soap can be traced back to The Levant where Aleppo soap artisans have been making an olive and laurel oil based hard soap for millennia. However, early soap makers in Europe did not have easy access to laurel oil and and therefore dropped it from their formulations thereby creating an olive oil soap now known as castile soap.

It is commonly believed that the Crusaders brought Aleppo Soap back to Europe with them in the 11th century. Following the Crusades, production of this soap was extended to the whole Mediterranean area. The first European soap-making factories were created in the 12th century in Spain (Alicante, Malaga, Carthagene and Castile) and in Italy (Naples, Savone, Genoa, Bologna and Venice) and then, in the middle of the 15th century, in Marseille France, giving birth to Marseille soap [1]. References

[1]. Retrieved September 2011.

Garzena, Patrizia & Tadiello, Marina (2004). Soap Naturally : Ingredients, methods and recipes for natural handmade soap (1st ed.). Programmer Publishing. ISBN 0-9756764-0-7

Dietz, Brian (editor) 1972. The port and trade of early Elizabethan London: documents (London Record Society).

If you live in a cold climate knowing how to get relief from winter dry skin is essential to making winter bearable.  If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the elements, the following tips should help you make this winter more bearable for your skin.  By making a few easy changes to your skin care routine, you can make winter dry skin history.  You do not have to suffer from winter dry skin any more.Look for properties in your soap and skin products that protect and sooth, like extra virgin oils. Olive, oat, aloe and sweet almond are fine examples.  Gentle exfoliants like organic oatmeal and other soft organic botanicals will help remove rough flaky skin, leaving you smooth and soft.  If your skin is ultra sensitive, try to avoid scents.

What You Want To Avoid

Remember to read labels for your skin care products.  Look for anything you cannot pronounce.  If you have to look up the ingredient it is a red flag! The best way to get relief from winter dry skin is prevention.  Avoid products that contain artificial fragrance, alcohol and detergents.  They tend to dry and irritate.  Also, avoid parabens and other preservatives found in most commercial soap and cosmetics.

What To Use

Try eliminating one potential irritant at a time to find the culprit.  For example, you might try changing to unscented (or scent-free) soaps and laundry detergent.  Next, maybe eliminating any detergent (dish washing liquid, laundry) and substituting detergent-free cleaners.  For extra moisture, try using a very light layer of massage oil made with any of the above mentioned oils.  They can be used alone or in combination.  Stay hydrated by drinking extra water and avoid caffeine which can dehydrate.  Use a humidifier in your home, especially in your bedroom.  And, keep telling yourself – don’t worry, spring is just around the corner!

Are Parabens Really Bad?

Why Organic?
We get asked if we think a product has to be organic to be good.  When we got into the soap business, we decided as a company to use organic ingredients.  In our opinion, organic ingredients align with our mission of producing high quality products that are good for the environment and good for the consumer.  As we traveled down the entrepreneur path, we realized there is a demand for handmade soap made with organic oils.  We were overwhelmed (and surprised) by the popularity of our handmade organic unscented soaps.  People are looking to make their personal environment as pure, clean and natural as possible. Detergent free soap isn’t enough. Now scent-free non-toxic products are in demand.

So, as long as you keep wanting them, we will keep making them.  We don’t just make castile soap, we make castile soap better!

Happy 4th of July!  Want great summer skin?  We’re celebrating you, our loyal customers!  During the month of July, all non toxic organic soap products on our website are 10% off the regular price.

Please use coupon code JULY4 when placing your order.  Sale applies to orders placed on our website – www.pennshillsoap.com.

Have you heard of “MCS”? “MCS” stands for “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity”. While researching case studies related to the need for scent-free products, I came across the website thinkbeforeyoustink.com. It is packed with useful information about the importance of less toxic living. Great information for anyone
living with chemical sensitivities. Until reviewing the articles on this site, I had no idea CS and MCS was such a widespread problem. Now I understand why our unscented liquid and unscented bar organic olive oil castile soaps are so popular and continue to be our best sellers.  According to the website mcs-america.org

“…Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) affects over 48 million men, women, and children of all races.  Even though MCS is of widespread epidemic prevalence, public awareness of the toxicity … and ways to manage and accommodate MCS remains limited. …many organizations are working to improve awareness and appropriate healthcare around the world.” 

Throughout the month of May, Penns Hill Soap Company will be posting research and information to support the mission of MCS Awareness Month. We will share some “rules” you may want to follow if you are interested in reducing toxins in your personal space.

Rule #1 – Read Labels

So today, let’s talk about “rule #1” to reduce your personal chemical footprint – read the labels of the products you buy and use. You may be surprised at the lengthy list of chemicals added to soaps.  Almost all of the chemicals are not needed to produce real soap.  Many health and beauty products are laden with chemicals that may be harmful to our health.  In soaps, certain chemicals are added to promote some kind of attribute or property that we think we need to get clean.

Common chemicals found in most (if not all) commercially produced soaps are detergents called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).  SLS or SLES are added to soap to produce a rich lather and/or bubbles.  Lather may seem nice but it’s not needed for cleaning. Detergents strip the skin of its natural oils making it easier for other chemicals to penetrate your largest organ.  Is a bubbly lather worth the risk?  Think of it as leaving your front door open, letting anything enter your home at will.

Keep it Simple

When shopping for personal care products like soap, look for high quality natural ingredients.  We invite you to read our organic castile soap labels.  We hand craft our unscented liquid and bar soap from saponified certified organic extra virgin olive oil and water.  That’s it, simple natural soap.  Because it is free of detergent and preservatives, you will not see a lot of bubbles.  What you will experience is a gentle cleansing that leaves your skin soft from head to toe. If real simple soaps are what you are looking for, please visit our website at: www.pennshillsoap.com.  For more information about MCS Awareness Month, check out www.mcs-america.org.

But, apparently along with folks looking for organic alternatives, there is a scent-free movement as well.  I read recently a church is offering a “scent-free” sitting area for members that are sensitive to scents.  When my husband shops at our local mall, he has to hold his nose when he walks by the candle store.  The aroma is just too much for him.  Even though I’ve used scent free laundry detergent for many years, I didn’t make the connection that unscented soap would be so popular.  The scent-free movement has spoken!

Eugenia from Albuquerque, New Mexico wrote – “I love this soap, I use it for everything. I’m allergic to coconut and this is a perfect product for me. I make my own laundry detergent, dishwasher soap and dish soap, I use this in all those things. It’s perfect for me. Thank you for making a pure soap that MCS people can use.”

Eugenia, we are thrilled you love our product.  We are happy to create something that improves life for you.  We take special care in keeping and preparing our unscented soaps separate from our scented varieties.  We are open to suggestions to expand the unscented line.  Currently we offer bars with organic oats.  Do you have anything you might like that would add a benefit without adding a scent?  Aloe?  Seaweed?  Let us know!