“Natural” is more difficult to define than you might think! The FDA has no legal definition, not really, and they rule over the bath products industry. Crude oil bubbles right up out of the ground on a regular basis, but most people who wear the “all-natural” label shun petroleum products. Some products seem natural, but aren’t. So here’s what we do:
Bio-Identical Products
Bio-identical means that something has been created in the lab, but is exactly like the one produced in nature, both to the human eye and in lab tests. When it comes to soap, this usually means colorant.
Ultramarine is a great pigment, and it comes in a variety of colors. In soap, it helps make gorgeous blues, pinks, and purples that are difficult to come by. Ultramarine is powdered bits of gemstone, called “lapis lazuli”. Unfortunately, while lapiz is generally safe in its whole form, it has issues. When it is powdered, other compounds that are just occlusions in jewelry become hazards in soap. Things like radioactive elements and skin-toxic compounds. Not only are many natural versions of ultramarine unsafe, in many cases it’s not even legal to use them.
But, several of our labels read, “ultramarines”. You can check, but I promise they’re there. Because I’d rather use something created in a lab that is safe, than something that is made in nature but is unsafe. However, these soaps are not labeled “100% Natural”.
Natural Scents
When possible, I use essential oils to create the scents in Raven’s Claw products. Essential oils are the extracted aromatic essences from plants (here is some great, neutral, information on essential oils). I also use infused oils, though those “scents” are really by-products of the infusion. Many of our 100% Natural soaps are unscented, or retain the scent of the flowers or additives in the soap.In these cases, you can know with a glance at the label to see if any ingredient might irritate your skin – we’re all different!
Fragrance oils are different. They are secret formulas approved by the FDA, so you and I don’t know what’s in them. There are some natural fragrance oils, blends of essential oils and other natural compounds that have been approved by the proper fascists authorities. They are included in our all natural line, because they are natural. If you prefer soaps with only essential oils or unscented bars, this is your list. And for more information on how fragrance oils work, check out these tips.
Sodium Lactate
This additive is quite common to small-batch soapmakers, and isn’t exactly un-natural. It’s made from sodium and lactic acid, which comes from fermenting sugary plants like beets or potatoes. In the type of soaping we do, it is used to help the bars harden more quickly for removal from molds. It also helps the bars come loose with perfectly neat edges and smudge-free sides. Sodium Lactate is also used to treat certain medical conditions as part of Ringer’s Lactate and alone. These uses have nothing to do with soaping – there is zero medicinal value to Sodium Lactate in soap. It’s just an interesting note.
At this time, we don’t feel the need to use any additives not necessary to make the bar. This may mean extra curing time before a bar can be sold, or extra time in the mold before we can make new soap. As our business grows, we may re-consider this additive, but know for certain that if we do, we’ll tell you it’s in there!
The BIG Exception – Lye
No, we’re not lying, our lye is made in a lab, and we’re proud of it! It might be fun to experiment with making your own lye from wood ashes. Like rendering your own lard or infusing your own oils, it’s another step in the process over which you have full control, making a soap that is even more handmade. I might even try it one day, but without a serious investment in equipment and testing, it won’t be for sale any time soon.
Homemade lye brings a whole new set of complications to soapmaking. Each batch has to be tested to ensure it isn’t more powerful than expected, or too dilute. So that it reacts properly with the oils to form soap, there should be very few contaminants- in something made from wood ash, which is basically dirt. It’s a process, and it does not easily allow for the production of standard, safe bars every time. For this reason, we use reliable lye from reputable sources. It reacts the same way every time, and we can produce bars of consistently high quality because of it.
Wildcrafting
Some of the herbs and plants used in our soaps are grown right here on our property! This is about as natural as it gets, since we use all-natural methods of growing as well. We can’t say we’re organic, because our small property is not so licensed by the overlords government. But these are the foods we feed our family, or “weeds” growing wild on land not treated with pesticides, fertilizers, or anything else but sun and rain.
Seeing as how we wish to continue growing these things, or having them grow wild, we use our resources responsibly. We follow strict rules for foraging, to ensure continued plant growth. We only use plants whose identities are known with 100% certainty – we take zero chances in this area! Foraged plants are only taken from property we own or have permission to use. Any wildcrafted plant is so noted in the product description.