Our Soapmaking Process and Ingredients
The Magic of Creamy Coconut Milk
Island Thyme Soap Company uses only premium quality oils, butters, fragrances and essential oils and we use LOTS of them. Most of our bars are formulated with 7-8 different oils on a base of creamy coconut milk.
If you look closely at the ingredients listed on bottles of body wash you might see ingredients that are synthetic detergents or anionic surfactants, the ingredients that produce immediate and copious quantities of foam in body washes. Some common surfactants are labeled SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate). These agents can be harsh and may be stripping the acidic hydro-lipid protective film that sits on your skin's surface. They also full of synthetic chemicals preservatives, petroleum products, SLS, phthalates or parabens or triclosan. These additives strip the skin's 'hydro-lipid mantle and can actually irritate your skin and are they are horrible for the environment when they are washed down shower or tub drains.
We chose coconut milk for our handmade soap base because It contains a good concentration of lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid, an extremely gentle natural surfactant. When saponified during the soap making process, coconut milk creates a natural foam attribute for the lather! Coconut milk is also high in sugar, and sugar is good for making bubbles! Fats and oils are made up of fatty acids. Each oil possesses its own blend, called the fatty acid profile, adding unique properties to the finished bars like gentle cleansing, bubbles, creamy lather and hardness for a long-lasting soap bar.
Our Soapmaking Process and Ingredients
We make soap bars using the ancient practice of cold process soapmaking. We mix oils and butters with an alkali solution made with coconut milk. The result is a chemical process that takes up to 72 hours called saponification, where the chemical composition of the oils change to create. Then we cure it for at least 4-6 weeks. We make all our soap in small batches. Every step in done by hand with attention to every detail. We measure ingredients by hand, mix by hand, pour by hand, cut the bars by hand, and wrap by hand.
Our raw ingredients are never tested on animals, ethically sourced with care from producers with a commitment to sustainable practices. Our palm oil is organic and certified sustainable.
Some of our fragrances are exclusive and blended in-house with very expensive essential oils, absolutes and phthalate-free aroma chemicals. We responsibly and minimally package our soap bars to preserve freshness and never use plastic.
What's Not in Our Coconut Milk Bar Soap
Phthalates, parabens, artificial surfacants, detergents, chelating agents, harsh detergents or chemicals. Our soap is a naturally mild yet effective skin cleanser.
If you have sensitive skin, skin or nut allergies and have any questions about whether Island Thyme Soap would be suitable for you, feel free to give us a call at 1-813-314-7684 or email us at info@islandthymesoap.com and we'll be more than happy to answer any questions.