Ask the Soapman

No Water or Lye Listed? What Gives?

September 5, 2019

Dear Soapman, I am a long-time fan of Vermont Soap but one thing perplexes me. How is it that your ingredient labels never list water or lye in the ingredients? Is this legal? What gives? Signed, A Friend and Fan but Curious Dear Curious Friend, Thanks for writing and for a terrific question. All true soaps, whether liquid, bar, gel or foam are made from oils which make you dirty, turned into soap which makes you clean. To make this wondrous transformation, both water and an alkali (lye for short) are used. The scientific word for this entire process is called Saponification. Thus…

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What’s the difference between hand soap and body wash? Can you use body wash as a hand soap?

July 29, 2019

We recently received the question: What’s the difference between hand soap and body wash? Can you use body wash as a hand soap? The Soapman writes: Yes, you can use body wash on any part of your body, including hands. No worries. Foaming hand soap is a very different product however. It is more astringent (aka de-greasing) and less moisturizing. Plus it comes out pre-foamed so it is easier to wash those hands through the day. The active ingredient in both is the organic soap molecules.

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Which Toothsalt Product Should I Use?

March 8, 2019

We are often asked “Which Toothsalt product should I use?”. The correct answer is BOTH! Neem Toothsalt is specially formulated for gums and bad breath. We put a serious amount of organic Neem leaves in there and it is meant to have a positive effect upon oral mucosa. Neem twigs been used in India for thousands of years as a combination natural toothbrush and dental floss to maintain teeth and gums. The Soapman writes: In 2004 I was teaching soap entrepreneurs in West Africa. I had been having issues with my gums and decided to give Neem a try. I…

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Three dermatologists, 3 different diagnoses. What do you recommend?

January 30, 2019

Dear Soapman, I have been to 3 dermatologists and have gotten 3 different diagnosis for my painfully dry cracked skin. Someone said your product might help. What do you recommend? Signed, Pained in Pittsburg, PA Dear Pained, Ouch! The lines between eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis are often blurred so don’t be surprised that different doctors will put a different name on your skin issues. While we do not pretend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, thousands of people with a wide variety of dry skin conditions have found soothing relief by switching to our organic products. Why is this?…

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What is my lemongrass bath gel preserved with?

January 28, 2019

Dear Soapman, What is my lemongrass bath gel preserved with? I can’t find any preservatives listed in the label. Signed, Clean But Questioning Dear CBQ, Thanks for asking. Your Lemongrass Gel Soap is preserved against degradation through oxidation (air, heat and time) by use of anti-oxidant containing Rosemary extract. The addition of Rosemary extract to our products allows for a 3 year or better shelf life under normal conditions. Lemongrass oil is also a very good gel soap preservative. Although hard data is lacking, we here are all well aware that a lemongrass soap product will stay fresh much longer…

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What do you recommend for dishwasher soap or laundry?

January 10, 2019

Hi Amanda, Use Liquid Sunshine or another Castile liquid soap flavor of your preference like lavender or lemongrass. For more detailed information, here are some search results in our website database related to laundry. Thanks for keeping it natural! Soapman

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I’m trying to use more natural products with my hair and face care as well as going more minimal, and I’m wondering what you would recommend for a shampoo. Your bar soap? Body wash? Your Equine shampoo??

December 26, 2018

Hi Natalie, Thanks for writing and for your mission to cut out the chemicals. Handmade bar soaps are unlike any foaming product you have tried…when properly made and formulated. Order up one bar of the shea butter bar soap. Use it on face, body and hair. I believe that you will be quite surprised at the difference. The second product people usually try is the foaming hand soap. If happy with both we can start replacing your cleaning products with liquid sunshine. Best to you and a happy new year. The Soap Crew

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Have you considered glass packaging instead of plastic? I hate plastic.

December 6, 2018

Hi Cheryl, We agree. Thanks for asking. Filling up the planet with plastic is a kind of collective insanity we are all waking up to. At Vermont Soap we support buying factory direct in bulk and refilling dispensers. In this way we can minimize packaging, reuse some of the containers, and recycle the bottles after. Glass makes a lovely package. It is very inert and easily recyclable. We have looked at this and concluded that with the added packaging materials and shipping challenges to get the products to you intact, higher shipping cost, higher product cost, increased breakage and added…

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Do you have any soap bases without palm oil!?

November 28, 2018

“Do you have any soap bases without palm oil!? It’s use is devastating the rainforests!” – Kara Hi Kara, Thank you for caring about this big blue ball that begat us. We care too and that is why we do what we do. Our liquid, gel, foamer and spray products are all palm oil free. Our handmade bar soaps are made with organic palm oil because great palm oil makes great bar soaps. We are happy to report that our palm oil is:  Sustainable Palm Roundtable certified Certified USDA 100% Organic Agro Palma, our supplier, won the Green Peace Top…

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Why does Castile Liquid Soap separate and get cloudy?

October 17, 2018

I buy the castille liquid base (unscented) and add water, hydrosol, aloe, and essential oils to it. Eventually there’s a bit of separation (cloudy on the bottom and clear on the top). Do you have any clue why this is happening or how I can correct this? First, try adding the essential oils to the soap and let them steep in for a couple of weeks. You can skim off any EOs that float to the top. The rest should stay in. The slowly stir in the water and hydrosol. This will help. Temperature is usually a factor too. Straight…

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