FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why does cold-process soap need to cure?
Cold-process soap needs time after it is made. During the cure, water evaporates and the bar becomes harder, milder in use and longer lasting, while the lather develops into what the recipe was designed to produce. We cure the bars before they go up for sale rather than sending out soft, freshly made soap.
What does cold process mean?
Cold process is traditional soapmaking: oils and fats are mixed with a carefully measured lye solution, which triggers a chemical reaction called saponification. The starting ingredients are transformed into soap and naturally occurring glycerin. In a properly formulated and fully saponified bar, there is no free lye left waiting to burn your skin.
How should I use and store the bar?
Wet the bar, work up a lather with your hands or a washcloth, wash and rinse. The important part comes afterward: do not leave natural soap sitting in a puddle of water. Put it on a draining soap dish and let it dry between uses. A dry bar stays harder and lasts considerably longer than one left wet in the shower.
What is in the soap?
Ingredients vary by bar. Some varieties include different scent materials, butters, clays, botanicals, exfoliants or other additions. Check the product information and the package for the specific bar; the package is the final ingredient declaration for that batch.
What is Buy a Bar. Give a Bar.?
It is the Beardsman™ Soap Program. For every 4 oz retail bar sold, we make four individually wrapped 1 oz bars for donation. That means the amount donated by weight matches the amount you bought; the smaller format simply works better for shelters and organizations distributing personal-care supplies. There is no roundup or donation button at checkout—you buy the soap, and we handle the other half. Read how the program works →