In short, soap is the resulting product of a chemical reaction that occurs between a base or alkali and the fats in oils and butters. The process known as Saponification, is the joining of the fat molecules with the base or alkali. Can soap be made without a base or alkali? No. “Soap” made without an alkali or base is actually not a soap at all, it’s a detergent. Many of the commercial brands you find in stores are really just detergents camouflaged as soaps that contain foaming agents, preservatives, hardening agents, and synthetic colors and fragrances. Homemade soaps have naturally occurring glycerin, which is responsible for additional skin moisturizing. Most big commercial brands remove the glycerin from their soap so that they can sell you their “hydrating and moisturizing” lotions.
You might notice on some of our soaps, that they have a white powdery covering. This is called Soda ash. Soda ash forms when the unsaponified lye reacts with the naturally occurring carbon dioxide in the air during the saponification process. This doesn’t affect the soap and the soap is safe to use. Some soap crafters steam their soaps before sale to remove the soda ash, but we embrace the ash here at Humble Hive! But not to worry, the soda ash will disappear after the first use!