Flash
back to ancient Greece, and, in particular, the Island
of Lesbos.
The inhabitants of Lesbos often sacrificed animals to
their goddesses by cremating them.
As a result hardwood ashes, which contain alkali,
often came in close proximity to the animals' tallow,
and after a downpour a yellow liquid would often flow
from the smoldering campfire down to the river.
The Greek women noticed a strange phenomenon
involving their laundry: whenever the river water was
yellow, their clothes emerged much cleaner than when it
wasn't. Thus
saponification was born—named after
Sappho, the most celebrated poet of Lesbos.
People began to toy with this newfangled invention.
They discovered that using salt water in the
saponification process made for less glycerin and a
harder soap that no longer needed to be cured for a
month before use.
This was called yellow soap, handy for
cleaning
clothes, dishes, and—yes—the human body.
Legend has it that Louis XIV, king of France, beheaded
three soap smiths whose products irritated the man's
inordinately sensitive—and regal—skin.
(At that time, the very act of bathing was a
luxury reserved for the rich.)
The only four soap smiths left in Paris convened.
Their lives were at stake.
They frantically devised a better way of making
soap that involved pouring and then curing it.
It took them a month to make a single bar—the
first known instance of handmade soap—but they were able
to stay alive in the process.
Today, 300 years after King Louis was scrubbing himself,
Vermont Soap Organics uses this
time-tested saponification process.
Vermont Soap combines and mixes palm, palm
kernel, and olive oils—all certifiably organic—along
with alkali at precise temperatures.
They stir the concoction for hours and hours as
it gradually thickens; eventually, we add botanical
concentrates as well as organic hers, spices, and
grains.
The mixture is then poured into wooden moulds and as it
hardens, alkali salts rise out of it.
After four days, we take the now-solid block of
soap, slice off the layer of alkali salts, and chop it
into smaller bars, which are then cured on our
one-of-a-kind drying racks for about three weeks.
There is not a more effective process for
producing mild soap—and especially not soap that is
moisturizing, soothing, and can last two times longer
than regular bars.
Vermont Soap Organics
integrates a variety of essential oils
and extracts to make unique types of designer
soaps that cater to individuals' different skin
types. If your skin is not generally dry, then
Peppermint Magic, Balsam Swirl, and Citrus Sunrise are
the soaps for you—all made with natural astringents.
If you have normal skin that only gets dry once
in a while, Lavender is your choice because it soothes
pores. People with consistently dry skin
should try Shea Butter; if you have
very sensitive dry skin, try Oatmeal Lavender.
Then there’s Honey soap, which uses
cornmeal for exfoliation and honey, a great moisturizer.
The Honey soap also has a natural astringent—clove
oil—for good measure.
Woodspice is perfect if your skin is
on the oily side, plus it is a natural deodorant.
For people with extremely sensitive skin, we make Oats
‘N Aloe Unscented, which is very mild. Oats ‘N
Aloe is also hypoallergenic, and it is especially
effective for people with eczema, dermatitis,
and psoriasis.
