Educating the public on the benefits of Handcrafted Soaps

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 11, 2009 – The Soap Peddler currently visits several West Virginia locations for seasonal vendor booths, including outdoor flea markets in Bluefield, Beckley, Lewisburg, and Pence Springs, where Mark and Michelle Bishop enjoy speaking directly with their customers and getting to know them on a personal level. This allows for thorough educating of the customers on product usage, ingredients used, and even the production process. Common questions presented to the Bishops reflect a genuine interest in the products, and what the customer feels comfortable using on their skin - an interest that Mark and Michelle both appreciate, and are glad to elaborate on.

We make our soaps using the "CP" (cold-process) method of combining melted butters & oils with a lye solution. All soap is made with lye (sodium hydroxide), but when properly formulated, there is no lye in a finished bar of soap. The lye is simply used to create a chemical process (saponification) that turns the melted butters & oils into SOAP. With handmade soap, you still have the natural glycerin present, which acts as a humectant (drawing moisture to the skin). The difference with store-bought soaps is that they're mostly detergent based and do not contain the natural glycerin, making store-bought soaps much more "cleansing", meaning they strip away even the oils that your skin needs in order to be healthy. This stripping of the skin's oils results in dry skin patches which can further aggravate existing skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Because of the extensive product research done by Michelle Bishop, beginning in 2001, the ingredient list is explained easily as having a specific purpose in mind. According to Michelle, every ingredient is evaluated based on what qualities it can add to or take away from the finished product, which then determines whether its included in the final recipe or replaced with a different ingredient.

Soapmaking began as a hobby for Michelle Bishop in 2001, with Mark Bishop's joining in as of 2008. What prompted Mrs. Bishop to begin was her desire for a better ingredient combination in the products she was using for her own skin care needs. This outlook hasn't changed, and the determination has lead to the addition of a long product line for natural skin care that can be used safely by those with sensitive skin.

Michelle and Mark explain that by delivering essential vitamins and nutrients to your skin, in combination with a gentle cleansing routine,  you aren't aggravating existing problems, and you're helping your skin to repair and restore its natural balance.