Our Process

All handmade soap is made through a process called saponification.  Saponification occurs when sodium hydroxide (lye) interacts with oils and water to form soap.  There is no handmade soap without first using lye as the mechanism to establish the chemical reaction.  When sodium hydroxide, water, and oils are combined, the saturated and unsaturated oils are converted to long strings of fatty acid salts - ie: soap!  Glycerin (excess oils) are also commonly left in the soap to provide conditioning and lathering properties.  

There are two standard processes for soap making from scratch - they are known colloquially as "hot process" and "cold process".  At Vine, we use the cold process method of soap making.

Cold process soap means that once the soap is poured into a mold, saponification takes 24-48 hours to occur - this is the time period where the lye and oils are converted and transformed.  No lye is left in the soap once saponification is complete.  After those 24-48 hours, soap is unmolded, cut, and individually stamped.  Then, there is a 4-6 week cure for soaps to be deemed usable.  During that time, excess water evaporates from the bar of soap, making for a harder, longer-lasting bar and smaller chemical reactions occur increasing bubbles and lathering properties.  (My home smells like soap every day!)   Once a soap stops losing significant weight, it is ready for use.

The type of oils you select for your soap make a difference in the hardness, lather, conditioning, and even the bubbly properties of the final bar.  At Vine, we stay away from palm oil as even “responsibly sourced” palm oil comes with concerns for deforestation and the ethics of fair wages for workers abroad.  Instead, our main oils are: olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and castor oil.

Olive oil produces a very mild bar that even sensitive skin types are able to use.  It has high conditioning properties but low hardness and cleansing - meaning it is a very soft bar but will not clean as thoroughly.  Olive oil is paired with coconut oil in our soaps to provide the balance of high conditioning, hardness, and cleansing.  

Coconut oil is known to have antimicrobial and antioxidative properties as well as a moisture booster for skin.  We love coconut oil in our sugar scrubs too as they provide a great protective layer once exfoliated.  Coconut oil can also help kill harmful microorganisms and reduce inflammation.  Best of all, it helps harden our soap bars.

Finally, we use shea butter for extra skin moisturizing and conditioning, its ability to wick away oils from the skin, and how it can boost collagen and help prevent acne.  Castor oil provides an extra kick of bubbles and suds that are traditionally expected when using soap.  (Although soap doesn’t need bubbles to clean, believe it or not!)

We take pride in the soap we make and will continue to provide the very best we can to our customers.  I hope you enjoyed the short science lesson and THANK YOU for supporting small!