Why cold-processed soap is better
The type of soap we use is one of the things people don't really think about. It sits on the sink, it foams up, it cleans, it does it's job.
But how soap is made changes almost everything about what it does to your skin. A cold-processed soap and a mass-produced bar might often look the same, but it's not the same category of product.
What is cold-processed soap?
Cold process is the oldest soap-making method still regularly used in modern times - because the results is so fantastic.
Natural oils and water meet lye at room temperature, no cooking involved which is where the name comes from.
Once mixed, the handmade soap is poured into molds and left to cure in a cool and dry space. During that time, the bar slowly hardens.
It's a very slow way to make something you're only using for a few minutes a day, but that patience is exactly what makes the soap work harder for your skin later on.
The 5 lovely benefits of cold-processed soap
The Glycerin benefits
The slow cure of the oils and lye leads to a natural production of glycerin. Glycerin is the secret ingredient in cold-processed soap that most commercial soaps don't have. It's the key ingredient that changes cold-processed soap into a different category of product entirely.
Glycerin acts like a small sponge, pulling moisture from the air into your skin. This natural moisturizer keeps your skin hydrated and soft.
The Lasting benefits
The weeks the bar spends curing isn't a waste of time. The handmade soap get denser and firmer the longer it cures and a well-cured bar lasts noticeably longer in the shower.
Keep them out of running water and in a good self-draining soap dish so it can dry between uses and this bar will last you longer than you expect.
Fewer bars used over the year means it's lighter on your pocket and less packaging is used which means it's lighter on the planet too!
The Environmental benefits
At Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company we care about the planet that we use to make our nourishing skincare.
A cold-processed soaps footprint is much lighter than the commercial solutions out there as we have already seen but the most important one is that it's not housed in plastic bottles.
The lighter footprint doesn't stop there. Cold-processed soaps' ingredients are biodegradable and the process of making them is energy efficient.
We wrap our soaps in re-usable canvas bags, because if we can increase it's lighter footprint even more, why not?
The Therapeutic benefits
We use pure essential oils in our soap, making each bar unique in colour and scent.
Cold-processed soap made with essential oil carries their therapeutic properties better than synthetic, commercially made soap.
Lavender for instance, has been shown in a considerable amount of research to ease stress and calm the body. That's the thinking behind our Green Lady soap that is scented with French Lavender and Frankincense. Our Hiyori Cleansing bar takes the same idea even further with Japanese Hinoki Wood, a scent that is meditative and calming.
Some sensitive skin doesn't get on well with essential oil so we made the Baby I Love You soap which is completely fragrance-free.
The Natural benefits
The plant oils that go into cold-processed soap - Olive, coconut, sweet orange, for example - carry unsaturated fatty acids like oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid, all of which nourish and soften skin.
Whats more, because of the way cold-processed soaps are made they are free from harsh chemicals, preservatives and synthetic fragrances. They are a much better choice for skin overall but in particular sensitive skin.
Where we stand
Well definitely not in the middle, that's for sure. We're so pro cold-processed soap it's not even funny. We won't ever make soap differently.
And that's on top of the fact that cold-processed soap is super hard to make.
Tommy learned the hard way, back when he was still working out of his first small production space. One freezing morning while struggling with another temperamental batch because of temperature, he moved the pot and dropped the entire thing on the floor. He looked at the mess, he looked at the clock and he locked up and went home. It took three weeks to properly clean up after.
But we won't have it any other way: the process is slow, unforgiving and occasionally temperamental, but the results is worth the effort.
Curious what the difference feels like? Shop our cold-processed soaps to experience it!