Why I Started Making My Own Soap (It Wasn’t for Fun)
Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you how this whole soapmaking journey started.
The problem: My hands were a mess. Dry, cracked, sometimes bleeding. I was using “moisturizing” soap from the store, but it made my skin feel WORSE.
The lightbulb moment: I read the ingredient list on my soap. Sodium laureth sulfate, synthetic fragrance, propylene glycol, triclosan… I didn’t recognize half the ingredients. And I was washing my face and body with this stuff every single day.
That’s when I decided: I’m going to make my own soap. With ingredients I can actually pronounce.
10+ years and 10,000+ bars later, I’ve learned A LOT about what makes handmade soap different from store-bought. Let me share the real differences—no marketing fluff, just honest experience from someone who’s been making soap in her Enola kitchen for over a decade.
Handmade vs. Store-Bought: The Ingredients Tell the Whole Story
Let me show you the REAL difference. It all comes down to what’s actually IN the soap.
Store-Bought “Soap” (Let’s Read a Label)
I picked up a popular drugstore “beauty bar” and read the ingredients:
- Sodium lauroyl isethionate (synthetic detergent)
- Stearic acid
- Sodium tallowate or sodium palmate
- Lauric acid
- Sodium isethionate (another detergent)
- Water
- Sodium stearate
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Fragrance (mystery chemicals!)
- Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate
- Titanium dioxide
- Trisodium etidronate
- BHT (preservative)
- Tri closan (antibacterial agent linked to health concerns)
Notice what’s MISSING? Glycerin. The thing that actually moisturizes your skin.
Why it’s missing: Commercial soap manufacturers REMOVE glycerin to sell separately (it’s valuable!) or extend shelf life. That’s why store-bought soap leaves your skin feeling tight and dry.
Handmade Cold Process Soap (Our Lavender Bar)
Here’s what’s actually in one of our bars:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Shea butter
- Lavender essential oil
- Sodium hydroxide (lye - reacts with oils to create soap, then is gone)
That’s it. Six ingredients. All natural. All recognizable.
What’s IN it that matters: GLYCERIN. Handmade soap KEEPS all the glycerin created during the soap making process. It stays in the bar, moisturizing your skin every time you wash.
Why These Benefits Actually Matter (Real-World Examples)
1. Glycerin = Your Skin Stays Soft All Day
What glycerin does: It’s a humectant, which means it PULLS moisture from the air into your skin and locks it there.
My experience: When I started using handmade soap, I noticed I didn’t need to apply lotion as often. My skin just… stayed soft. That’s the glycerin working.
Store-bought soap effect: That tight, squeaky-clean feeling? That’s your skin being STRIPPED of moisture. Not clean. Stripped.
2. Essential Oils = Scent + Skin Benefits
Synthetic fragrances in store-bought soap are made from petroleum-based chemicals. They smell nice, but they can irritate skin and trigger allergies.
Essential oils in handmade soap provide natural scent PLUS therapeutic benefits:
- Lavender - Calming, anti-inflammatory (our Lavender Goat Milk soap is a customer favorite!)
- Tea Tree - Antibacterial, helps with acne (our facial bars use this)
- Eucalyptus + Peppermint - Opens airways, refreshing (perfect for shower time)
Real feedback from Williams Grove craft show: “I’ve been using your Lavender soap for 2 weeks and my skin irritation is gone. What’s different about this?” It’s the essential oils + glycerin + natural oils. No synthetic junk irritating her skin.
3. Natural Exfoliants = Gentle, Effective, Eco-Friendly
Some of our soaps include:
- Oatmeal (in Honey Goat Oat soap) - Gentle exfoliation, soothes eczema
- Coffee grounds - Energizing scrub for rough skin
- Dried herbs - Gentle cleansing
Why this matters: Plastic microbeads (in commercial exfoliating soaps) pollute waterways and harm marine life. Natural exfoliants break down safely and work just as well—if not better.
Why Sensitive Skin LOVES Handmade Soap
My grandson has eczema. Here’s what we learned:
Store-bought soap made it WORSE:
- Synthetic fragrances → irritation
- Harsh detergents → dryness and flare-ups
- Lack of glycerin → tight, uncomfortable skin
Handmade soap (specifically Honey Donkey - our unscented, ultra-gentle bar) made it BETTER:
- No synthetic fragrance → no irritation
- Natural oils + glycerin → moisturized, calm skin
- Gentle cleansing → no stripping or dryness
This isn’t just my grandson. At every craft show, I meet people with sensitive skin, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea—all looking for soap that WON’T trigger a reaction. Handmade soap with natural ingredients is gentle, nourishing, and calming instead of harsh and irritating.
Handmade Soap is Better for the Environment (Here’s Why)
I care about this. Not because it’s trendy, but because I have grandkids who will inherit this planet.
Natural Ingredients Break Down Safely
Store-bought soap chemicals (triclosan, synthetic fragrances, detergents) wash down your drain and into waterways. They don’t break down easily. They harm aquatic life.
Natural soap ingredients (coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, essential oils) are biodegradable. They break down naturally and don’t pollute waterways.
Minimal Packaging
Our soap comes wrapped in paper. That’s it. No plastic bottles, no excess packaging.
Store-bought soap often comes in plastic bottles or excessive packaging that ends up in landfills.
Every small choice matters. Switching to handmade soap is one easy way to reduce your environmental impact.
When You Buy Handmade, You Support Real People
Here’s the reality: When you buy handmade soap, you’re not making a corporation richer. You’re supporting ME—Stacie, a mom and grandma in Enola, PA who makes soap in her kitchen.
What your purchase supports:
- A small family business (me, Maddi, Scott)
- High-quality, carefully sourced ingredients
- Real people who care about what they make
- Time, care, and love in every single bar
Each bar we make is tested on our own family. If it’s not good enough for my grandson’s sensitive skin, it’s not good enough to sell. That’s the difference between handmade and mass-produced.
The Bottom Line: Handmade Soap is Worth It
After making over 10,000 bars of soap, I can tell you with certainty:
Handmade soap with natural ingredients is BETTER than store-bought commercial soap—for your skin, for sensitive skin conditions, for the environment, and for supporting small businesses.
It costs a bit more than drugstore soap. I’ll be honest about that.
But here’s what you get:
- Natural glycerin that actually moisturizes
- Essential oils with therapeutic benefits
- Gentle ingredients that won’t irritate sensitive skin
- Eco-friendly, biodegradable formula
- Support for a small family business
Is it worth it? Try one bar. Use it for 2-3 weeks. Feel the difference on your skin.
I’m confident you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Shop Our Handmade Natural Soaps
All our soaps are made using the cold process method in small batches in Enola, PA.
Popular soaps:
- Lavender Goat Milk - Calming, moisturizing, gentle
- Honey Donkey - Unscented, ultra-gentle for sensitive skin
- Honey Goat Oat - Gentle exfoliation for eczema-prone skin
- Beach Bum - Refreshing, ocean-inspired scent
- Hemp Charcoal Eucalyptus (facial bar) - Deep cleansing for oily/acne-prone skin
Shop online:
Visit in person:
- Carlisle Creative Vibes (152 N Hanover St, Carlisle, PA) - Come smell all the soaps and ask me questions!
Stay connected:
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes soapmaking and skincare tips
- Join our mailing list for special offers and natural wellness guides
Questions about which soap is right for you? Message us on Facebook or visit our Contact page. I love helping people find their perfect soap!
— Stacie (Momma Bears Creations, Enola PA)
P.S. - The next time you’re in the soap aisle at the drugstore, flip over that “beauty bar” and read the ingredient list. Really read it. Then compare it to the ingredient list on one of our bars. The difference will tell you everything you need to know.