I am so thankful for the response that we received at the Hope Watermelon Festival with our handmade soaps. Blown away actually. The interest in our cold process soaps has inspired the launch of our online store and this educational blog post. Since our ‘soft opening’, I have answered a lot of questions about handmade soap to individuals. I don’t know everything, but I do have some fun facts!
We are in Texarkana, Arkansas
After much driving between here and historic Hope, Arkansas, we shuffled our lives around to house the shop at our home. I recently finished an office remodel that allowed for a little wiggle room. The master plan is to have a stand-alone shop in the back yard, but for now it’s my kitchen. My pack of rambunctious animals are no longer a safety concern because I’ve evicted the lot of them. Now that the weather is cooler, the dogs can wait outside until Momma Jenny is finished making and cleaning up her mess. (Raw soap would force euthanization if ingested by a pet. Very serious.)
Danny and I will miss our frequent visits to Burton Farm in Hempstead County, but not too much. Alex and Darrell just bought a few new goats and I cannot stay away! All of their ‘kids’ are adorable.
Soap Making is Special… and Isn’t
Making your own soap is great for so many reasons. It being accessible to people at home is one. The supply of information free to the curious is endless online. Anyone is able to order all kinds of materials using the internet. For us Old Schoolers (shout out to my bowling league team), real paper books can fly into your mailbox.
Not everyone makes soap for so many reasons. It takes patience to read, watch, learn and practice. Getting started with most new hobbies can run you into a bank loan. Looming over most mortals is the fear of messing up. Looming over the rest of us is the reality of cleaning up afterward. The possibility of a lye burn isn’t romantic. Those left undaunted may lack time, space or a partner with a sense of humor.
bars of soap have to cure
The most difficult part of soaping is waiting for the beautiful bars to cure. Soap makers suggest the best time frame for this is 4 to 6 weeks. The clock for curing starts when bars are cut or separated from the mold. As the moisture evacuates the soap, the bars become harder and will last longer. Nobody wants mushy soap. You can help your soap last longer by keeping it in a dry place when it’s not being your favorite thing.
Planning is Critical
Six weeks of waiting can allow for mishaps in timing. I require about two months to launch a new soap. As we go through the year, I will do my best to keep ahead of the seasonal game.
Secret: Keeping up with stock feels scary. Secret #2: I love thrills.
Integrity, Attitude are Everything
My family and I will not sell you a bar of soap that isn’t good. Everyone reacts differently to lots of substances, including soap. A bar that Emily & Katherine love may be my least favorite. That’s why we offer choices. My promise to you is all of the choices are safe. I’ve already had to bury a few batches. I’m a hardened quality control engineer now.
We want you to feel loved during and after your 3 Cords Creations experience. For most of us, our workplace is our mission field. This endeavor is certainly one of my family’s vehicles to bless others.
Ingredients make all the difference
We offer some of our soaps made with no artificial ingredients. That means no false fragrances or colors, only scented with essential oils or unscented. Right now this includes Natural Honey, Green Dream and Carrot Eucalyptus. Here’s the key to this: the only artificial ingredient I use is fragrance oil. I know that any false fragrances can be toxic, just like many household cleaners. I also know that soap is a rinse away product. Just laying down facts.
Goat milk deserves hype
Many people asked about goat milk based soap. I am making a batch today of lavender essential oil scented goat milk soap and I can’t wait. Goat milk has lactic acid and good fats that help the skin restore itself. I am currently trying to work out how legal it is to use locally sourced goat milk in my homemade soap. I know in our area, selling goat milk to drink is not permitted. But I’m not thirsty! There have been two pretty iffy attempts at goat milk soap so far. Still learning, I’m not sure what isn’t jiving.
Ain’t no Lie: Lye is not a Joke
I use food grade lye to make the soaps. You cannot make a true soap without lye, it causes saponification. The lye is the magic that turns the moisturizing oils into a solid. Lye is not a joke. Therefore, I wear goggles and protective gloves when handling lye. Before the first 24-hour period is up, the soap batter will be caustic. Fight Club didn’t have it just right, but they were close. I have accidentally given myself an itchy, tiny hole in my arm.
All about that Base… oil
It’s surprising how many choices of oils I have to choose from! I will name a few. My collection includes cocoa, mango, and shea butters, as well as coconut, castor, avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed, argan and vitamin E oils. Not all of my soaps will be vegan moving forward. Lard, aka pig fat, is an amazing addition to a solid bar of homemade soap. The Black-A-Tea Black bar, suggested for use on the face, contains lard. Who would’ve ever thought of putting frying oil on your face?! Soapers. We’re all crazy.
Fumbling Upward
We are a new business. There will be mistakes made, made better, and will make us better. We offer our attention to detail and ask for your patience. Namaste.