Commercial soap sold in stores is often made with chemical detergents, hardeners, and synthetic lathering agents--they aren't even allowed to be called "soap" by the FDA. Some of these ingredients can be drying or irritating on the skin. Handmade River Ridge Soaps are created with pure oils and does not contain these harsh ingredients. Our base recipe is made with Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter in every bar. Each bar has a rich lather and will leave you clean and moisturized. So many have tried my soap only to come and show me their arms--they say "Look Diane it really made my skin softer and smoother!" This is because they have switched from store bought soaps filled with detergents that had strip your skin of natural oils.
Handmade soap also contains glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant that attracts moisture from the air to the skin. It’s produced naturally during the soapmaking process. It’s one of the things that make handmade soap so amazing! Some commercial soaps remove the glycerin from the bars and sell it to make lotions and creams. Without glycerin, commercially prepared soap isn’t nearly as skin loving, and can leave the skin feeling dry.