| Alkanet Root
|
Natural colorant of
Alkanna tinctoria a plant from the Borage
family. Historically used for dying many things from wool to
wine. Commonly used to dye foods today, and of course soaps. |
| Aloe Vera Juice |
Sometimes used in
place of water in my soap recipes or in lotions. Aloe is very
soothing to the skin and helps rejuvenate damaged skin. |
| Bentonite Clay |
A type of volcanic
clay used in soaps to give "slip" for shaving soaps. Also used
in masks, and other toiletries to draw out impurities and excess oil
from ones skin. |
| Beeswax |
Used to harden a bar
of soap, add body to a lotion or protective and moisturizing
properties to a lip balm. I used both refined (no color or
scent) and unrefined (smells much like honey) |
| Canola Oil |
Adds conditioning
properties to soap |
| Castor Oil |
In addition to
conditioning your skin in a soap castor oil also adds a bit of lather
to the soap |
| Cocoa Butter |
Used to add hardness
to a bar of soap and for it's skin softening properties, makes the
lather stable and creates a milky lather |
| Coconut Oil |
Coconut oil produces
big fluffy lather in soap, if it wasn't so drying I'd use more in my
soaps but I try to keep this oil in lower proportions, enough so there
is good lather but not so much that it dries the skin. Also used
in lotions, creams and lip balms where in it's unsaponified state it
is moisturizing |
| Colorants |
I've sometimes
listed "colorants" as a general term on my soap labels. These
colors are made for soap and cosmetics and are perfectly safe.
Most people encounter these everyday, even in food! Below are
all the colorants I use usually in many combinations.
red 28, red 30, red 33, red 40,
yellow 5, yellow 6, yellow 10, orange 4, blue 1, green 5, green 8, ext
violet 2.
These colorants come in bottles,
mixed with water and a preservative, Diazolidinyl Urea Iodopropynl
Butylcarbamate. This preservative is found in many bath and
cosmetic products, both store and homemade. Please refer to the
manufacturer if you have any questions
Select Shades Website The wealth of information there I
couldn't even hope to replicate on this site here! |
| Goats Milk |
Goat's milk contains
high amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and alpha-hydroxy acids
that nourish and rejuvenate the skin. It makes the creamiest
soap and for sensitive skin it's the best choice. |
| Hydrogenated
Soybean Oil |
Essentially
vegetable shortening. This oil helps with conditioning qualities
in a bar |
| Iron Oxides |
Pigments used in
cosmetics, these are not mined and contain no harmful compounds like
lead, copper, cadmium or mercury See
The Pigment Lady
for more information. |
| Jojoba Oil |
Used in Pandora's
lotions since it mimics our own natural oils. Creates a
humectant layer on the skin that draws water inwards |
| Lanolin |
A byproduct of the
sheep shearing industry, it is the waxy substance extracted from the
wool (no killing of the sheep is necessary, only a haircut) Adds
the creamiest feeling to a soap recipe in my opinion! |
| Lard |
Rendered pig fat.
Yes I know....ewe. I felt that way for a long time, until I used
a lard soap in a soap swap from some online message board soapers.
WOW! Check most labels of true soaps: Sodium lardate or Sodium
tallowate is the end result of using lard or beef fat in a soap,
commercial soaps and homemade soaps utilize these great ingredients.
The reason I've started using this ingredient? It makes GREAT
soap! Remember it turns into soap so it's not like you'll be
washing in fat. The bars are hard and cleansing plus they are
very good to our skin since the properties are so similar.
Try a bar with lard, you'll love it! If you don't wish to, try
our Natural line it is animal free as is our Colorado Soaps. |
| Lye (Sodium
Hydroxide) |
Sodium hydroxide is
the reactant that turns oils and fat into soap and glycerin.
Remember that no lye is left in the soap at all, we make sure with
careful measurements and would never sell a soap that didn't meet the
high standards of Pandora's Soapbox company. |
| Mango Butter |
A fabulous butter
used in soap to bring creaminess to the bar as well as an ingredient
in Pandora's Lip balms, it moisturizers the lips very well. |
| Olive Oil |
Pandora uses light
olive oil, not pomace, to produce a very moisturizing soap.
Olive was used in the Mediterranean as the only ingredient for their
soaps since it produced such a gentle bar of soap. Olive
produces stingy lather so is therefore combined with other oils to
make Pandora's soap more complete |
| Palm Oil |
Brings hardness and
a stable lather to a bar of soap. It also makes a bar longer
lasting for more suds time |
| Palm Kernel Oil |
Related to palm oil,
palm kernel is like coconut in that it produces lots of fluffy lather.
It's not as drying as coconut but can be drying in excess, I limit
it's use the same as coconut oil |
| Safflower Oil |
Similar to olive oil
but bringing more hardness to a bar, safflower creates a bar that is
very luxurious and good to the skin |
| Saponified |
Meaning that the oil
has been reacted with lye to produce soap and glycerin. Remember
that no lye is left in the soap so the word saponified only indicated
how an oil became soap and glycerin |
| Shea Butter |
African Karite
Butter is another name for this oil. Shea adds creamy lather to
a bar and also softens your skin. I love shea and use it in many
of my soap recipes |
| Sugar |
Regular table sugar
is added to soap and helps to boast the lather without adding too much
of the drying oils like coconut or palm kernel |
| Sunflower Oil |
Another emollient
oil full of vitamins that is used in my soaps as well as a great
ingredient for my lip balms and lotions |
| Sweet Almond Oil |
Yet another oil that
adds to the richness of a soap recipe, sweet almond is also used in
lotions. |
| Ultramarine
Oxides |
Pigments used in
cosmetics, these are not mined and contain no harmful compounds like
lead, copper, cadmium or mercury See
The Pigment Lady
for more information. |
