Pure-n-Simple Soap
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Archive for March 2nd, 2010
Some people may think that taking a bath is a waste of time when they can spend just a few minutes taking a shower. Too many people are in a hurry these days and that’s one reason indulging in relaxing activities is so important. Taking a hot bath is about more than getting clean. Hot baths encourage tense muscles to relax and soften the skin.
A Mayo Clinic study found that soaking in a hot bath offers many of the same health benefits as exercise with less strain on the heart. Soaking in the tub can also lower blood pressure and counteract insomnia. Many people enjoy adding scented bath salts to their baths.
Once you have made the wonderful decision of using handcrafted soap bars such as goat milk soaps, it is important to know how to care for your new soap bar. Unlike commercial soaps that are loaded with synthetic ingredients and artificial hardeners, goat’s milk soaps are still in their most natural state, containing all the natural glycerin that occurs during the soap making process. If you were to leave a hand crafted goat’s milk soap bar in standing water it would turn to a mushy mess fairly quickly. This does not necessarily mean your soap is ruined, and that you just completely wasted your money. You can reshape the mushy pile of soap, usually most successfully a ball shape, allowing it to dry and reuse; however your soap will not last as long if you do not let it completely dry out between uses.
The best way to protect your handcrafted soap bars is to place them on soap trays that will keep the soap out of standing water, allowing the bar to dry out. There are many different soap trays to choose from ranging in all different prices. The main purpose is to have the bar in a dish that has drainage so that no water will puddle up. They make soap trays that have suction cups that conveniently stick to the side of the shower wall or nice dishes to place on shelves.
I have been making my own homemade soap trays, by just using window trim. Making your own soap tray is simple and fun, and they make great gifts. All you will need is some window trim, a saw, sand paper and polyurethane. If you know a carpenter you could ask for scrap pieces, all you really need is it to be about 4 inches long, and go with the ¾ inch rather than ½ inch thick trim. If you cannot access any scrap pieces, for less than $16.00 you can buy an 8 foot long piece of trim and make about 19 soap trays. That’s whole lot of gifts you can generously give out or you could decide to make a few dollars. Make sure to sand and polyurethane the soap tray for a final finish that will be water resistant.