Just Had To Share
I have had sensitive skin issues throughout my life, mainly on my face, but my body has had similar complications over the past 10 years since beginning peri-menopause. I get little bumps, dry skin rashes, not to mention the itchiness which accompanies our dry air in the winter time.
Sometimes the dry skin along with intermittent rashes could get so bad it would literally wake me up during the night. I would then be forced to reach into the nightstand in the dark where I keep my trusty back scratcher and put that itch back to bed. Ahhh....nothing like a good back scratcher.
Well in keeping with always being on the look out for that holy grail for my body care for cleansing, I recently found what I believe to finally fit the bill. I discovered the most creamiest, wonderful, beautifully handmade soaps ever.
I have tried many in my day! They have been from weekend markets offered by woman who enjoy it as a hobby.....from my local coop......commercial brands, claiming to be a simple bar of soap. Appearances are deceiving and all handmade soaps are not alike, just like all mineral makeup is not alike. Many squeeze into a certain generic type with mundane recipes and ingredients making the product less than exceptional. Formulations, finished product and most importantly, how it leaves our skin feeling, are the criteria for finding ones' holy grail.
Sarva Soaps ~ My New Holy Grail
I recently became aware of Sarva Soaps during my many tweets on twitter. The owner and I were interacting with one another during the Colorado Bill on Personal Care Products that I wrote about last month and I decided to give her website a looksie.
Trust me there are many handmade soap crafters out there and choices can get very confusing, so I have done the research for you. I am quite particular about certain ingredients that need to be in my soap to get that rich, creamy lather, and to not cause my skin to dry out. Plus in some instances, others' soaps left my skin feeling like it was burning a bit, convincing me that something was out of balance in formulation. For practical purposes my soap needed to possess Shea butter, along with Olive Oil or butter, and Avocado Oil or butter. I have found other soaps that may have one or even two of these components, but Sarva Soaps provided me with all three and then some.
Not only do her soaps fit the bill for me, they are exquisitely designed in a unique artisan fashion with finishes that are equally aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Sarva Soaps are also Vegan Friendly! The rich blend of oils and butters combined with fragrant essential oils makes for a truly pleasurable showering experience. The hot shower releases the aroma from the essential oils so you are steeped in fragrant steam, while pampering your skin with pure luxury. Learn more About Sarva Soaps!
The three soaps I chose and am currently enjoying are from her Spa line:
I have had sensitive skin issues throughout my life, mainly on my face, but my body has had similar complications over the past 10 years since beginning peri-menopause. I get little bumps, dry skin rashes, not to mention the itchiness which accompanies our dry air in the winter time.
Sometimes the dry skin along with intermittent rashes could get so bad it would literally wake me up during the night. I would then be forced to reach into the nightstand in the dark where I keep my trusty back scratcher and put that itch back to bed. Ahhh....nothing like a good back scratcher.
Well in keeping with always being on the look out for that holy grail for my body care for cleansing, I recently found what I believe to finally fit the bill. I discovered the most creamiest, wonderful, beautifully handmade soaps ever.
I have tried many in my day! They have been from weekend markets offered by woman who enjoy it as a hobby.....from my local coop......commercial brands, claiming to be a simple bar of soap. Appearances are deceiving and all handmade soaps are not alike, just like all mineral makeup is not alike. Many squeeze into a certain generic type with mundane recipes and ingredients making the product less than exceptional. Formulations, finished product and most importantly, how it leaves our skin feeling, are the criteria for finding ones' holy grail.
Sarva Soaps ~ My New Holy Grail
I recently became aware of Sarva Soaps during my many tweets on twitter. The owner and I were interacting with one another during the Colorado Bill on Personal Care Products that I wrote about last month and I decided to give her website a looksie.Trust me there are many handmade soap crafters out there and choices can get very confusing, so I have done the research for you. I am quite particular about certain ingredients that need to be in my soap to get that rich, creamy lather, and to not cause my skin to dry out. Plus in some instances, others' soaps left my skin feeling like it was burning a bit, convincing me that something was out of balance in formulation. For practical purposes my soap needed to possess Shea butter, along with Olive Oil or butter, and Avocado Oil or butter. I have found other soaps that may have one or even two of these components, but Sarva Soaps provided me with all three and then some.
Not only do her soaps fit the bill for me, they are exquisitely designed in a unique artisan fashion with finishes that are equally aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Sarva Soaps are also Vegan Friendly! The rich blend of oils and butters combined with fragrant essential oils makes for a truly pleasurable showering experience. The hot shower releases the aroma from the essential oils so you are steeped in fragrant steam, while pampering your skin with pure luxury. Learn more About Sarva Soaps!
The three soaps I chose and am currently enjoying are from her Spa line:
- Miss Lily ~ Ingredients: Olive oil, coconut oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, shea butter; essential oils; calendula petals; ratanjot powder, annatto seed infusion.
Babies can be a real challenge at bathtime. They don't want to go to bed, they sometimes don't like getting a bath, or they get playful and wiggly in the water, and then they get soap in their eyes. That's no fun!
So, here's a soap designed just for babies. Engineered to have a gentle, abundant, creamy lather--no big bubbles to jump up into baby's eyes out of nowhere (some soap does that, even to grownups). There is just a touch of lavender essential oil, in case bathtime is a bit tense. And, no pink or blue! Calendula-infused olive oil, along with shea butter, creates a wonderfully mild formula. All pigments are natural, so there's nothing funky and synthetic going on your little one's skin.
Oh... by the way... Miss Lily is great for grownups too!
So, here's a soap designed just for babies. Engineered to have a gentle, abundant, creamy lather--no big bubbles to jump up into baby's eyes out of nowhere (some soap does that, even to grownups). There is just a touch of lavender essential oil, in case bathtime is a bit tense. And, no pink or blue! Calendula-infused olive oil, along with shea butter, creates a wonderfully mild formula. All pigments are natural, so there's nothing funky and synthetic going on your little one's skin.
Oh... by the way... Miss Lily is great for grownups too!
- Ritual ~ Ingredients: Coconut oil,
castor oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil; sea salt; distilled water; sodium hydroxide; essential oils.
Ritual is Sarva's second spa salt soap, with the same base formulation as best-selling Ocean Mist. Ritual has quickly become just as popular!
Salt soaps contain at least 50% sea salt and provide a a unique creamy, lotion-like lather. You might expect salt in a soap to be drying or scratchy, but it's neither! You have to try it to believe it. Sarva's chunky salt bars have a nice heft, and their silky slip under water makes them feel so very special to use.
In Ritual, Spanish sage (a camphorous, clean-smelling sage), cedar, orange, and peppermint combine to cleanse and purify your body, mind, and spirit. Its fresh scent feels so healing... deeply therapeutic and rejuvenating. Allow bathing to become your Ritual.
Salt soaps contain at least 50% sea salt and provide a a unique creamy, lotion-like lather. You might expect salt in a soap to be drying or scratchy, but it's neither! You have to try it to believe it. Sarva's chunky salt bars have a nice heft, and their silky slip under water makes them feel so very special to use.
In Ritual, Spanish sage (a camphorous, clean-smelling sage), cedar, orange, and peppermint combine to cleanse and purify your body, mind, and spirit. Its fresh scent feels so healing... deeply therapeutic and rejuvenating. Allow bathing to become your Ritual.
- Sweet Dreams ~ Ingredients:
Olive oil, palm kernel oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, coconut oil, avocado oil, shea butter, castor oil, mowrah butter; essential oils; ground and whole chamomile and calendula flowers.
Mmmmmm... smells like a cup of your favorite cozy, comforting herbal tea. And so wonderful to use! Shea butter and mowrah butter create an incredibly mild bar. Essences of litsea and lavender combine with a rich chamomile infusion to produce a truly comforting and soothing floral-herbal-sweet bathing experience with just a soft hint of cheery citrus. Great for bedtime use!
They almost look good enough to eat don't they? They will truly tickle your senses!
Her shipping was very fast and it came priority mail. She also offers free shipping on orders over $50.00....I was so excited to get these soaps, I kept watching for my postman until he arrived. I ran to my mailbox and upon opening it, I was tantalized by the delectable aroma coming from inside my mailbox.
It Only Gets Better
I opened my package quickly and began to enjoy the subtle aromas from the essential oil blends
that are infused within every bar of soap. The soap bars were of a generous size, in fact they were larger than most other soaps I have used. She packages them in "Green Eco Friendly" boxes and provided a small pamphlet on more about her products. She also enclosed 3 additional samples of other soaps to try and though they were made without the favorite ingredients I look for, I was pleasantly surprised at the creamy feel and moisturizing lather they too produced.
In sampling these it completely changed my perspective on certain ingredients I thought I needed, to have truly moisturized, non-irritated skin.....Okay, I'll state it....I was wrong or let's say mistaken! A truly well made bar of soap with precision of ingredients for cold process will give you exactly what your skin desires regardless of that certain ingredient I was seeking.....this is what I learned! With such a grand soap of delectable substance, the ingredients I seek are merely icing on my proverbial cake only adding to the many benefits all Sarva Soaps provide.
So you can teach and old gal new tricks!
Every soap gives a creamy, lotion like lather, each scent is individualized with every decadent bar and what I truly enjoy is, they are not too perfumey....they are earthy, subtle, aromatic, spicy, floral, citrus warm and powdery all rolled into one making these soaps even your husband and children will enjoy. Sarva Soaps prices are moderate to high end, so every household can find the soap they are looking for depending on their desire and budget.
They range from $6.50 to $9.00 remembering however that these soaps provide excellence not only in ingredients used, but a a unique artisan beauty which is pleasing to the eye, and a whimsical feeling of holding one of these amazing soaps in your hand.
The generous samples consisted of Gentle Mint, Lavender Rosemary and Purity
A Side Note:
In purchasing Ritual, I was a bit hesitant since I had tried a handmade Sea Salt Soap before and I didn't like it. It was grainy, scratchy and irritated my delicate skin. It literally felt like I was rubbing a salt block on my skin. When I read Sarvas' description of her soap I decided to give hers a try since I do like sea salt for softening my bath water and she claims hers doesn't have that scratchy feeling.....I hoped for the best!
Well I am pleased to announce this soap is outstanding. The sea salt is clearly added to perfection giving me a wonderful creamy soft, slippery feel to my skin with no abrasion at all. And the scent is to die for. When using this soap, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.....and pretty much felt this way with all of my soap choices. Ritual, the perfect name I might add, created the ultimate in a Spa experience of aromatherapy combined with skin softening benefits.....And the design of this soap is most generous in portion size and definitely has some heft to it. Loved it!
What Makes True Soap Special
What some may not know if they are not familiar with using "real soap" is the natural by-product of glycerin they produce during the cold process of saponification of the oils and butters. It is an expensive component that is typically extracted from commercial brands and used in other skincare products to give them their skin soothing and softening benefits.
Don't be fooled by imitations.....this is one reason why so called "soaps" you buy in the grocery store are either full of chemicals or they are not quite as moisturizing, still leaving the skin tight and dry because the majority of glycerin has been removed. For more on Glycerin check out Wikipedia.
There are melt and pour soaps where the ingredients are already saponified and basically melted and poured into molds...fun at best but they also don't have the sustainability of
a true freshly made from scratch, bar of natural soap.
There are also Glycerin Soaps available but these bars are very soft and will literally melt away in the shower and don't possess any of the other mild ingredients that make soap so luxurious to use.
This was the problem I ran into when trying commercial brands that claim "pure and natural" soap. It looked pure by all accounts on the label, but the lather and after feel left little doubt they no longer contained the glycerin benefit of humectant properties any longer.
Cold Process Of Saponified Oils And Butters With Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
Now when you see this ingredient, some may take pause since we know that Lye is caustic and extreme caution is required when working with this raw ingredient. It is used in the making of cold process soaps so using the heat method is no longer necessary. It is through the chemical reaction once mixed with the oils and butters that heat is generated and the cold process begins in saponifying the oils and butters. However, once the cold process occurs and then finishes, you end up with completed bar of soap and the lye no longer remains in the soap....it is gone! The cold process using sodium hydroxide creates a very hard bar of soap compared to using potassium hydroxide which is used for creating softer or liquid soaps. To learn more about the safe use of lye check out Wikipedia.
This is another reason I am so impressed with Sarva Soaps....she lists sodium hydroxide in her ingredients (probably more as an identifier for noting the cold process) even though it is not required since it is not an ingredient that remains in the soap. You may see other labels read "saponified ingredients of" instead of listing the sodium hydroxide. She clearly possesses the talent to create the ideal bar of soap through accomplishing the task of making them extremely gentle to delicate skin types like mine. The cold process requires exact measurements of lye to oils and butters to get the creamiest lather and lasting goodness in every bar. She also cures her soap for more than 4 weeks before sale. This allows the bar to pH balance and get harder with each passing week.
She also provides a FAQ page for you to learn more about her artisan creations and is ready to answer any further questions you might have....she's the expert after all!
Special Care Of Your Soaps
A true soap bar is harder than beauty bars or glycerin bars and they provide all the benefits of gentle moisturizing cleansing without harsh synthetic ingredients or the removal of the essential glycerin.
Since natural soaps retain the glycerin you'll need to store unopened soap in a cool, dry, dark place away from humidity. This also helps preserve the natural colors and essential oils from losing their intensity and potency. So keep your bars of soap fresh until ready to change them out...if you like to change
out your soaps like I do for a different showering experience, simply allow them to air dry and then store the same as unopened.
Also they will do fine staying in the shower with one caveat; make sure that you provide a soap rack allowing them to fully drain, otherwise even a truly hard bar of soap will melt and not last as long. With a bit of care, they are resilient gems of beauty treatment.
My Final Word On Sarva Soaps With A Special Offer
On a scale of 1-10 I would rate Sarva Soaps an 11. She also offers a diverse soap line from seasonal soaps like Pumpkin Pie (check it out) looks just like a slice of pumpkin pie and as of this article 10 remain in stock, and Yule (check it out) as of this article 2 remain in stock and both are currently on sale right now. Mens soaps along with practical soaps with super cleansing power for getting out that grease and dirt are also available. Check out her entire line since other choices are also on special right now.
Also their practical line of less expensive soaps are perfect for keeping at the kitchen or bathroom sink to replace all the sanitizers. Doctors have reported that using just soap and washing for 20 seconds to kill germs is ideal and better for our skin....plus natural soap will not leave your hands feeling chapped!
Join with me in supporting other enterprising Indie women in business, where ethics, integrity and love for their craft in bringing to us, the consumer, their exceptional products is of the utmost priority.
Special Offer by Sarva Soap for our Readers only: 15% off any order of $10.00 or more and they will continue this offer until 4/15/2010. At time of checkout enter the coupon code of STERLING. Please note codes are case sensitive.
Due to the richness in moisture and the natural humectant properties these soaps offer regardless of your choice, they make for great prepping of the skin for keeping it moist when using our Grecian Secret Body Souffle. Our souffle is also made from Cold Pressed Olive Butter and Olive Oil for an after shower complete body treatment.
Limited Time Offer: Special of 20% off our Grecian Secret Body Souffle while supplies last. No code necessary, already reduced within the cart.
Treat yourself to a truly skin softening luxurious experience with Sarva Soaps and our Grecian Secret Body Souffle. Remember, the body souffle is also fantastic for the face. Check it out and get yours today!
All Sarva Soaps were purchased by me and my review is based on my personal experience and my own research for a completely unbiased review!
They almost look good enough to eat don't they? They will truly tickle your senses!
Her shipping was very fast and it came priority mail. She also offers free shipping on orders over $50.00....I was so excited to get these soaps, I kept watching for my postman until he arrived. I ran to my mailbox and upon opening it, I was tantalized by the delectable aroma coming from inside my mailbox.
It Only Gets Better
I opened my package quickly and began to enjoy the subtle aromas from the essential oil blends
that are infused within every bar of soap. The soap bars were of a generous size, in fact they were larger than most other soaps I have used. She packages them in "Green Eco Friendly" boxes and provided a small pamphlet on more about her products. She also enclosed 3 additional samples of other soaps to try and though they were made without the favorite ingredients I look for, I was pleasantly surprised at the creamy feel and moisturizing lather they too produced.In sampling these it completely changed my perspective on certain ingredients I thought I needed, to have truly moisturized, non-irritated skin.....Okay, I'll state it....I was wrong or let's say mistaken! A truly well made bar of soap with precision of ingredients for cold process will give you exactly what your skin desires regardless of that certain ingredient I was seeking.....this is what I learned! With such a grand soap of delectable substance, the ingredients I seek are merely icing on my proverbial cake only adding to the many benefits all Sarva Soaps provide.
So you can teach and old gal new tricks!
Every soap gives a creamy, lotion like lather, each scent is individualized with every decadent bar and what I truly enjoy is, they are not too perfumey....they are earthy, subtle, aromatic, spicy, floral, citrus warm and powdery all rolled into one making these soaps even your husband and children will enjoy. Sarva Soaps prices are moderate to high end, so every household can find the soap they are looking for depending on their desire and budget.
They range from $6.50 to $9.00 remembering however that these soaps provide excellence not only in ingredients used, but a a unique artisan beauty which is pleasing to the eye, and a whimsical feeling of holding one of these amazing soaps in your hand.
The generous samples consisted of Gentle Mint, Lavender Rosemary and Purity
A Side Note:
In purchasing Ritual, I was a bit hesitant since I had tried a handmade Sea Salt Soap before and I didn't like it. It was grainy, scratchy and irritated my delicate skin. It literally felt like I was rubbing a salt block on my skin. When I read Sarvas' description of her soap I decided to give hers a try since I do like sea salt for softening my bath water and she claims hers doesn't have that scratchy feeling.....I hoped for the best!
Well I am pleased to announce this soap is outstanding. The sea salt is clearly added to perfection giving me a wonderful creamy soft, slippery feel to my skin with no abrasion at all. And the scent is to die for. When using this soap, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.....and pretty much felt this way with all of my soap choices. Ritual, the perfect name I might add, created the ultimate in a Spa experience of aromatherapy combined with skin softening benefits.....And the design of this soap is most generous in portion size and definitely has some heft to it. Loved it!
What Makes True Soap Special
What some may not know if they are not familiar with using "real soap" is the natural by-product of glycerin they produce during the cold process of saponification of the oils and butters. It is an expensive component that is typically extracted from commercial brands and used in other skincare products to give them their skin soothing and softening benefits.
Don't be fooled by imitations.....this is one reason why so called "soaps" you buy in the grocery store are either full of chemicals or they are not quite as moisturizing, still leaving the skin tight and dry because the majority of glycerin has been removed. For more on Glycerin check out Wikipedia.
There are melt and pour soaps where the ingredients are already saponified and basically melted and poured into molds...fun at best but they also don't have the sustainability of
a true freshly made from scratch, bar of natural soap.There are also Glycerin Soaps available but these bars are very soft and will literally melt away in the shower and don't possess any of the other mild ingredients that make soap so luxurious to use.
This was the problem I ran into when trying commercial brands that claim "pure and natural" soap. It looked pure by all accounts on the label, but the lather and after feel left little doubt they no longer contained the glycerin benefit of humectant properties any longer.
Cold Process Of Saponified Oils And Butters With Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
Now when you see this ingredient, some may take pause since we know that Lye is caustic and extreme caution is required when working with this raw ingredient. It is used in the making of cold process soaps so using the heat method is no longer necessary. It is through the chemical reaction once mixed with the oils and butters that heat is generated and the cold process begins in saponifying the oils and butters. However, once the cold process occurs and then finishes, you end up with completed bar of soap and the lye no longer remains in the soap....it is gone! The cold process using sodium hydroxide creates a very hard bar of soap compared to using potassium hydroxide which is used for creating softer or liquid soaps. To learn more about the safe use of lye check out Wikipedia.
This is another reason I am so impressed with Sarva Soaps....she lists sodium hydroxide in her ingredients (probably more as an identifier for noting the cold process) even though it is not required since it is not an ingredient that remains in the soap. You may see other labels read "saponified ingredients of" instead of listing the sodium hydroxide. She clearly possesses the talent to create the ideal bar of soap through accomplishing the task of making them extremely gentle to delicate skin types like mine. The cold process requires exact measurements of lye to oils and butters to get the creamiest lather and lasting goodness in every bar. She also cures her soap for more than 4 weeks before sale. This allows the bar to pH balance and get harder with each passing week.
She also provides a FAQ page for you to learn more about her artisan creations and is ready to answer any further questions you might have....she's the expert after all!
Special Care Of Your Soaps
A true soap bar is harder than beauty bars or glycerin bars and they provide all the benefits of gentle moisturizing cleansing without harsh synthetic ingredients or the removal of the essential glycerin.
Since natural soaps retain the glycerin you'll need to store unopened soap in a cool, dry, dark place away from humidity. This also helps preserve the natural colors and essential oils from losing their intensity and potency. So keep your bars of soap fresh until ready to change them out...if you like to change
out your soaps like I do for a different showering experience, simply allow them to air dry and then store the same as unopened.Also they will do fine staying in the shower with one caveat; make sure that you provide a soap rack allowing them to fully drain, otherwise even a truly hard bar of soap will melt and not last as long. With a bit of care, they are resilient gems of beauty treatment.
My Final Word On Sarva Soaps With A Special Offer
On a scale of 1-10 I would rate Sarva Soaps an 11. She also offers a diverse soap line from seasonal soaps like Pumpkin Pie (check it out) looks just like a slice of pumpkin pie and as of this article 10 remain in stock, and Yule (check it out) as of this article 2 remain in stock and both are currently on sale right now. Mens soaps along with practical soaps with super cleansing power for getting out that grease and dirt are also available. Check out her entire line since other choices are also on special right now.
Also their practical line of less expensive soaps are perfect for keeping at the kitchen or bathroom sink to replace all the sanitizers. Doctors have reported that using just soap and washing for 20 seconds to kill germs is ideal and better for our skin....plus natural soap will not leave your hands feeling chapped!
Join with me in supporting other enterprising Indie women in business, where ethics, integrity and love for their craft in bringing to us, the consumer, their exceptional products is of the utmost priority.
Special Offer by Sarva Soap for our Readers only: 15% off any order of $10.00 or more and they will continue this offer until 4/15/2010. At time of checkout enter the coupon code of STERLING. Please note codes are case sensitive.
Due to the richness in moisture and the natural humectant properties these soaps offer regardless of your choice, they make for great prepping of the skin for keeping it moist when using our Grecian Secret Body Souffle. Our souffle is also made from Cold Pressed Olive Butter and Olive Oil for an after shower complete body treatment.
Limited Time Offer: Special of 20% off our Grecian Secret Body Souffle while supplies last. No code necessary, already reduced within the cart.
Treat yourself to a truly skin softening luxurious experience with Sarva Soaps and our Grecian Secret Body Souffle. Remember, the body souffle is also fantastic for the face. Check it out and get yours today!
All Sarva Soaps were purchased by me and my review is based on my personal experience and my own research for a completely unbiased review!
Thank you for this fantastic post! Sarva's soaps do indeed look magnificent and she does a wonderful job making everything special. Thanks also for the great lessons on soapmaking. I appreciate your blog!
ReplyDeleteI too am a huge Sarva Soap fan and can vouch for their long-lasting properties when kept on a soap rack to allow for proper draining. My bar of Rustic Mint is just now running out and I've been using it daily since mid-January!
ReplyDelete