Ask the Soapman

I see that your products are manufactured in a peanut free facility, but is it also a tree nut free facility? I got super excited, then saw an answer to a question about almond oil being okay once it is saponified. For someone with life threatening allergies like me, it is NOT ok and I’m desperate to find a company that I feel safe with! Ouch. I hear you Taylor. While we do not use almond oil here typically (that was a question from a customer) we do use palm, palm kernel, coconut, olive, jojoba and shea nut oils everyday.…

Dear Soapman, I love my husband but every winter he grows a beard that comes in so scratchy I cannot kiss him! Please do you have a natural way to soften beards and save my marriage? Signed, Mountain woman33 in Vermont. Dear Mountain Woman, Fear not! Soapman is here to bring the zing back into your married life. First, wet that beard thoroughly. Then moisten a BUTTER BAR SOAP. Rub the bar right into the beard and then massage it in for a half a minute. Rinse as normal with warm water. After just a couple of uses his beard…

I’m interested in your toothbrush cleaner. How do you ensure that your alcohol is organic? Thanks so much, Nate Love your stuff! Hi Nate, Great question. Thanks. To make an organic toothbrush cleaner spray, we first had to become USDA-certified organic handlers. This means that we are trained, certified, and inspected to conform to the NOP (National Organic Program) standards. So basically, we are licensed to make genuine organic products, and all the raw materials going into these products have to have a chain of paperwork confirming their veracity and origin. Next, we had to obtain a Homeland Security license…

Is neem oil safe a safe ingredient to add to making baby bath/shampoo bar to help combat cradle cap and eczema? If so, how much and at base or trace? Of course, there is no presumption of diagnosing, treating or curing any ailment. However, I will attempt to gove you some good common sense advise here. A baby’s liver does not really kick in until about 5 1/2 months. Until then, they may develop uniquely baby diseases such as cradle cap or infant seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is not completely clear what causes this common condition. One line of thinking links…

I need a soap that does not make my face all red and cause it to break out. I cannot buy store soap as it causes breakouts. What soap do you have that will help me? There are two kinds of soapy stuff sold in stores; detergents and poorly made mass market bar soaps. It is very possible for you to have become sensitized to both. I want you to try our Butter Bar. It is chock-full of botanical soothers. Use it on your hair if you can (best for thin hair) and for shaving too. Clean your razor with…

Can people with nut allergies use soaps with almond oil in them? Hmm… depends. If the almond oil is saponified (turned into soap) then it is probably ok. If it is superfatted (added to the batch later) probably not. Best thing to do is to experiment on a small spot on your inner arm above the elbow. Dampen the area and rub in a little soap. Leave it for an hour. If there is a raised welt of any kind or irritation soothe with Green Gold or organic olive oil. All the Best! Soapman    

Hi, Is your organic Shea butter fair trade certified? How do you recommend to store it? Thank you. Vermont Soap chooses not to participate in the Fair Trade program which we feel charges excessive rates for dubious results. We do however pay well above market rates to the women supplying our vendor. We also engage in an unusual practice: Vermont Soap insists on a strict quality control regarding the shea kernels that go into our butter. The spoiled nuts are fine for short-term, local use but shea butter made from them will have too short a shelf life for our…

Do you think you’ll ever make frankincense or myrrh soaps for the holidays? I would love that… mmmmm. Me too! We are doing some experiments for a potential customer with these two botanicals in them. Might see some available on the internet in six months (under another label and website than ours). Best!

Laundry in Washing Machines: HI, Fragrances bother me. (Allergy? Sensitivity? Which ingredients? Don’t know.) What is the difference between Liquid Sunshine & Unscented Castile Soap for use in the washing machine? Thanks! Hi Carla. Got it. Fragrances are not for you. Pick up the Unscented Castile Liquid Soap. Works good in the laundry too (follow the instructions). Liquid Sunshine comes from the same base but we add grease cutting essential oils which might bother your fragrance sensitivity (asthma?). All the Best, Larry Plesent

Three questions: It appears that you are set up to ship UPS or Fed Ex, but their rates are exorbitant to Hawaii. Can you ship USPS Priority Mail? Do you have any dealers on the Big Island of Hawaii? Do you have any dealers in or around Seattle? Thank you Aloha, Thank you for emailing from so far away. Vermont Soap does not use dealers as part of our distribution system. We try to cut out as many layers as possible between our customers (you) and the CEO of the company (me). But yes – shipping can be high these…