Commercial Soaps 

I initially became interested in making homemade cleaning products when I discovered how effective they were. It truly never occurred to me that they might be superior and considerably cheaper than commercially produced products.  Soap making began as a hobby but I stuck with it when I started to question the ingredients in soap and the purpose they served. Like many processed food products, commercially produced bar soap had a long list of ingredients that I couldn't pronounce and certainly had no idea why they were included.  It was about the same time I started to move away from processed food that I started to question ingredients in my cleaning products and was inspired to look for better alternatives.  

Truthfully, it wasn't something I had concerned myself with before, but then I looked at some ingredients on common soaps. What is sodium cocoate and what is the purpose of it in a bar of soap? How is it made? Is it safe for me? What is yellow 5, yellow 8, and red 4 sodium palm?

I liked the fact that homemade soaps contained a minimal number of ingredients and that the ingredients that were included were there because they served a specific purpose, whether it was to provide lather, fragrance, an exfoliating or cleansing property.   Additionally, I liked that I could tailor the ingredients to one's specific needs whether it was to moisturize, reduce allergens, or hydrate the skin.  As everyone knows, the skin is the largest organ of the body and the various layers act as an initial line of defense to bacteria. However, skin is permeable and for this reason, I wanted to know what I was putting on my skin and what residual effect(s) it would have on me. With the ingredients included in homemade soaps, I know what's in there and the nourishing effects it has on my skin and my body.