Chagrin Valley Handcrafted soaps are made in small batches with all natural ingredients. While Great Grandma used a raw egg to determine the amount of lye needed, we work with specialized charts and computer programs to determine the correct proportions of ingredients to use in the soap making process. In addition, we use accurate scales that allow us to measure ingredients by the tenth of an ounce. The result – an all natural, mild and carefully crafted handmade soap.
To learn how we make Chagrin Valley natural soap and shampoo bars Click Here!
o Are soaps safe to use during pregnancy and on small children?
Pregnancy/Children
Are your products safe to use?
PREGNANCY
We often receive questions as to whether our soaps, shampoos, and other items are safe to use during pregnancy.
We recommend that expectant mothers check with their midwife or physician before changing a skin care routine with our products, or any other line of products.
Read the label on a bar of commercial soap. Read the label on your jar of moisturizer. Now read the ingredients in a Chagrin Valley product. We use quality natural and USDA Certified Organic ingredients. No synthetic additives, colorants, fragrances, preservatives or chemical derivatives are used.
There is nothing in our all natural basic soap or other products that could cause a problem in pregnancy. Topically applying the herbs present in many of our soaps, is also not a problem. Your skin will absorb much less herb from the soap than if you would sprinkle them on your food.
ESSENTIAL OILS
The issue that seems to be of most concern is the use of essential oils during pregnancy. There is an awful lot of confusion and inaccurate information concerning the use of essential oils in pregnancy. The question of safety and safety testing has a lot to do with the actual “dose” of herb/essential oils. Most of the clinical research on essential oil safety is based on information for internal (actually ingesting) large doses of herbs, essential oils, or herbal "medicines." Obviously there have been no tests done on pregnant women.
The concentration of essential oils that are absorbed through inhalation, as in aromatherapy, and massage is much lower than if you were actually ingesting the oil.
Also aromatherapy and massage therapy use much higher concentrations of essential oils than you find in soap or even in eating the herb. With aromatherapy you are inhaling the high concentrations which get absorbed via the lungs and in the massage therapy the essential oils remain on your skin and are absorbed.
Soap does not remain on your skin very long and the percentage of essential oils used in our products is low.
When it comes to safety during pregnancy it is understandable that many massage therapists and aromatherapists decide to err on the side of caution in recommending the avoidance of certain essential oils. Some Herbalists and Aromatherapist believe that essential oils that are normally safe to use, are safe during pregnancy, while others will recommend avoiding all essential oils during pregnancy.
Some essential oils that are normally quite safe have hormone-like effects and some even stimulate uterine muscles, both of which would be contraindicated during pregnancy. Please do not ask us if one of our products is safe to use during pregnancy--we will simply refer you to this page.
When there is a growing baby to consider, if you are at all uncertain as to the safety of an essential-oil containing product, or any ingredient, please consult your doctor, midwife or health care professional!
We do not provide a list of essential oils considered safe during pregnancy because the information available is very contradictory. One aromatherapy source will list an essential oil as problematic and another states it is fine. Our soaps are gently scented with essential oils, but the and your health care professional. The most critical time is the first trimester.
SENSITIVE SKIN CAN STRIKE DURING PREGNANCY
Even if you have never had sensitive skin in the past, you may notice that a product you have been using for several years now irritates your skin. The stretching belly is often the most sensitive spot. Other potential problem areas include the hips, thighs, and bottom where the skin may become dry and flaky.
Although the exact cause is not known, raging hormones do make you more sensitive to a wide range of things and also your skin is thinning and stretching as you, and your baby, grow.
These changes can behave in unpredictable ways. For example, if you have eczema you may suffer from major flare-ups or complete remission during pregnancy.
Keep your body well moisturized and avoid products that contain synthetic additives, colorants, fragrance or preservatives. Any of these can exacerbate sensitive skin problems.
Before trying a new product, you can always do a patch test to test for sensitivity.
YOUNG CHILDREN
We often receive questions as to whether our soaps, shampoos, and other items are safe to use young children. Read the label on a bar of commercial baby soap or shampoo. Now read the ingredients in a bar of Chagrin Valley Soap.
We recommend starting with our Castile Baby Soap. It is 95% organic Olive Oil and 5% organic Sunflower Oil. No colors or fragrances. It is a mild, natural soap for the sensitive skin of newborns and children. It also makes a great baby shampoo--just keep the soap away from their eyes, we do not add any chemicals that anesthetize your baby's eyes.
Then progress to other soaps without essential oils, like our Goat Milk Oatmeal or Carrot & Honey soaps.
When you think your child is ready, try some new soaps. If your child has sensitive skin, you can always do a patch test to test for sensitivity. It is best to add only one new soap at a time and use it for a while before switching to a new soap.
Please read our Medical Disclaimer!
o What is the difference between Soap Bars and Shampoo Bars?
The difference between Soap Bars and Shampoo Bars
Before I made shampoo bars I used my soap on my hair. I still use some of my favorite soaps as shampoo. I have pretty oily hair and some of the soaps are too moisturizing for my hair.
The shampoo bars are made using the same process as our soaps...and of course are 100% natural. Also like our soaps, each of our shampoo bar selections contains different blends of natural plant oils, essential oils, and herb infused oils. No two recipes are the same.
The main differences between the soaps and shampoos are the amount of castor oil, the proportions of the base oils, the amount of extra oils or superfatting, and the way in which I use infused oils and essential oils.
Shampoo bars usually have more castor oil. The only oil containing ricinoleic fatty acid, castor is a great hair care oil, a fabulous humectant, and contributes to the fluffy, bubbly lather that people seem to like in shampoo bars.
I also like to use lots of babassu and coconut oils. These again are great oils for hair and create a gentle and cleansing lather. Jojoba oil is a great oil for shampoo bars. It's composition is actually a liquid wax that chemically resembles the natural sebum produced by the scalp. Jojoba, a lubricant and emollient, may help repair damaged hair shafts and protect from environmental damage as well.
All of our soaps are superfatted at a pretty high level. The amount of extra oil in shampoo bars varies depending on whether the bar is for dry, normal, or oily hair. We also use many natural additives, like coconut milk, that are especially good for hair.
Many of our shampoo bars are made with special oils and butters, essential oils, and herbal infused oils that are known to be especially good for hair. You can read more about the ingredients and their use in hair care products on our “ingredients” pages of our website.
Some of our customers, especially those with dry hair, wash their hair with the soap because it adds a bit more oil to their dry ends. Some customers with long hair wash their oilier scalp with the shampoo bars and their drier ends with the soap. Some customers actually use a favorite moisturizing soap as a conditioner! Men, and women with short hair, often have great success with using the soaps as shampoo no matter what type of hair they have.
Can I Use Shampoo on my Body?
Our body soaps are superfatted at pretty high rate. Superfatting is the process of adding extra fats (oils or butters) to the soap mixture. Adding extra oils creates a soap with superior moisturizing and emollient qualities, which keeps your skin nice and moisturized. Some shampoo bars are less superfatted than our soaps.
Since the shampoo bars have a bit less extra oil, they may not be as moisturizing as our soaps. We have many customers who use the shampoo bars as an all over body shampoo. Especially those who travel or like to take one bar to the gym! If your skin is very dry, you will have better success with our soap bars!
Shampoo bars are a great complete body bar!
Your fluffy lathering shampoo bars can double as body soap and shaving soap, which makes them great for camping, traveling, business trips, and the gym. No need to pack little bottles of soap, shampoo and conditioner. One shampoo bar can do it all. Just tuck the shampoo bar into a plastic zip bag or travel soap dish--no extra bottles to carry, leak, break, or pollute our environment!
o Why does handmade soap need to cure?
Why do Handmade Soap and Shampoo Bars need to Cure?
Years ago Paul Masson wineries advertised their slogan, "we'll sell no wine before it's time." At Chagrin Valley Soap "we'll sell no soap before it's time."
We use fresh plant oils and butters gently warmed and then slowly mixed with an alkaline solution. The percentages of oils used are extremely important to produce a mild and gentle soap. Once the oils and alkali (base) have been mixed, we do not add additional heat to hurry the chemical reaction along--we allow th