The alkali portion is lye. Lye is also known as sodium hydroxide and it is a very strong alkali. This alkali is then taken and mixed with an acid. The acids that are used in our soapmaking are vegetable oils i.e. Coconut oil, Rice bran oil etc. When these acids and alkali are mixed together they have a chemical reaction which changes them to a 'Salt', which is 'soap and glycerin', and no lye remains. This is the process called 'saponification'. Saponification literally means 'soap-making'. 'Sapone' is Italian for Soap. Traditionally the lye came from fire ash which was mixed with fat giving a crude soap which could often be very caustic.

'Handmade soap' versus 'Commerical soap'. What is the difference? Commercial soap, which you find at the supermarket is generally mass produced in a factory. Some factory made soap has small amounts of excess alkali left in them, which can burn the skin. Commercial soaps can also have the glycerin removed from them. They do this because they make a greater profit from selling the glycerin then they do selling the soap. Glycerine is a humectant, basically this means it attracts moisture. BUT when you remove the glycerin from any soap you also remove its natural moisturizing properties, and hence with their use you dry out your skin.

So when you choose Naturalus Handmade Soaps you choose soaps that are filled with natural glycerine and they will moisturize your skin leaving it soft and smooth. Amongst our soaps we have a Goats Milk range for even greater skin care and a Charcoal-Clay range for a deeper cleanse with extra rehydration. There are of course more soaps than these so please browse below because there’s bound to be something to suit you.

Why do we use Palm Oil?

Firstly I would like to say that we are against the destruction of the Orangutang and their home, we would NEVER source ANY ingredient that would cause harm to another and where they live. Our organic palm oil is from a sustainable source in Colombia, South America. 20% of palm oil is grown by smallholders/farmers who rely upon it as their sole source of income. We at Naturalus feel it is beneficial to support these families, rather than have a 100% ban on Palm Oil & that is one of the main reasons we have gone with the decision to choose Sustainable Organic Palm as is the view of organisations such as Greenpeace and WWF. We also use for its many benefits i.e. hardness of bar, conditioning properties and nice creamy stable lather it produces.

Certified Organic Sustainable Palm Oil (COSPO) is produced by palm oil plantations which have chosen to be a part of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO was established in 2004 to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil for People, Planet, and Prosperity…..

….their top principles are…

1. Commitment to transparency.
2. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
3. Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability.
4. Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers.
5. Environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
6. Responsible consideration of employees, and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills.
7. Responsible development of new plantings.

The RSPO is supported by many environmental and social activists including WWF, Oxfam, the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace. Do watch this video debate between Greenpeace, WWF, RSPO & Mongabay about Palm Oil - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBwTIP9Hc0k. Here’s what Greenpeace has to say:

“We’re not against palm oil or the palm oil industry. What we are against is any palm oil that comes from plantations converted from forest and peatland areas.”

We personally use Certified Organic Sustainable Palm Oil (COSPO) sourced from the Daabon Group in Colombia - who work with Greenpeace. DAABON is a family owned and managed company built on the passion and commitment of three generations of the Davila Family. Its headquarters and farms are located in Santa Marta, Colombia. The company's first few hectares of banana in the Magdalena region, established back in 1914, have today grown into one of the world's leading suppliers of organic tropical crops, including banana, coffee, palm oil and cocoa. They employ more than 2,500 people directly, and also support local employment by providing assistance to over 450 palm and cocoa smallholders who are organised as smallholders (co-ops).

So you can feel rest assured that the Palm oil we use at Naturalus is helping make a change, helping small farmers & their families, helping the environment and the communities that surround them. If you still feel that you would like to avoid even “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil”, then feel free to email us and we can personally make soap for you to your specifications…tanya@naturalus.co.nz



Links:

Palm Oil Debate with Greenpeace, WWF, RSPO & Mongabay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBwTIP9Hc0k


WWF:
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/palm_oil/solutions/roundtable_on_sustainable_palm_oil/

RSPO:
http://www.rspo.org/en/who_is_rspo
http://www.rspo.org/en/PALM_OIL_AND_SUSTAINABLE_PALM_OIL_FAQ

For those that would prefer Palm Free Soap we have Soap Eggs and our Sheep’s Milk Soap. We can also make a block of 10 Bars Palm Free (all the same type e.g. Calendula). Please email us for price.