Cotton Creek Soap And Sundries | Handmade Handcrafted Natural Soap

If you've been a regular user of homemade soap, bath and body products then you probably already know how much better it is for you and your family, but also how much better it feels on your skin. You also know mass produced bath and body products are full of destructive chemicals.

If you haven't used homemade bath and body products in the past, then it is our job here at Cotton Creek to educate you so that you may choose a better, healthier alternative to chemically produced bath and body products. After visiting the links below, please know that you do have a choice. Homemade Artisan Soap does not have to cost a fortune either. Handcrafted soaps tend to last longer if cared for in the proper way. Handcrafted soap also makes obsolete the need for extra "nourishing" lotions; since we aren't taking any of the good stuff out like they do with mass produced products. Any quality soaper will only sell you products made with 100% natural and/or organic products.

All Cotton Creek product labels are clearly marked with the ingredient in each individual product. Our soaps are colored with powders and pigments from the earth, herbs and spices, Iron Oxides and Ultramarines. Our products are scented with herbs, spices, essential oils and fragrance oils. I believe essential oils are great, but I also like fragrance oils - We have soaps that are just scented with FO's and soaps just scented with EO's - and we also have soaps that are scented with a combination of both, and, soaps that aren't scented at all. All our "food" ingredients are from 100% organic resources. We use rainwater when we can, spring water from Tennessee or Distilled water. **We can't make soap without Lye, no one can make soap without Lye** - But there isn't any active lye in any of our finished product. We encourage you to view our Friends page; you should know where the ingredients come from! You can also view the Oil Properties below to find a list of oils we use and their individual properties. As with anything handcrafted, artisan soaps and products will vary in their appearance from time to time. Cotton Creek is not a machine. We hand measure, pour, stir, swirl, mix, cut, wrap, package and mail everything we sell. Our soaps are cured for a minimum of six weeks before they leave us. This ensures proper pH testing for your safety, and at least two bars from every batch are retained, so we may use the product ourselves and keep one for archiving.

Sweet Almond Oil Prunus Amygdalus Dulcisil An excellent skin softener and moisturizer. Almond oil is great for all skin types but especially beneficial for dry or irritated skin.

Apricot Kernel Oil Prunus Armeniaca High in both vitamins A and E. It helps moisturize and soften skin. Helps skin retain its elasticity, clarity, and suppleness.

Avocado Oil Persea Gratissima Commonly used in the cosmetic industry because it soothes skin and helps transport active substances into the skin, Avocado Oil Cosmetic Grade has high concentrations of Vitamins A, D and E. Avocado Oil has the highest penetration rate among similar oils (corn, soybean, olive and almond) and is comprised mostly of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, as well as palmitic and palmitoleic acids, lecithin, phytosterol and carnotinoids.

Beeswax is used in making soaps, creams, lip balms, ointments and lotions bars. If you use fresh Beeswax, it has a natural honey scent and also has the natural healing values that the bees impart to it.

Castor Oil Ricnius Communis is one that can be added to soap aid in lather of the soap. Is also be used in small amount is lip balms, bath butters, etc.

Cocoa Butter Cocoa Butter (Deodorized) makes a wonderful addition to soaps to make them harder and add emollients. It has a natural chocolate smell which imparts a wonderful fragrance to a Cocoa Butter based cream, lotion and lotion bars. But if you don't want the scent to clash with you fragrances, there is an unscented Cocoa Butter that can be used. Has wonderful skin softening and moisturizing properties. Good for Normal to Dry skin.

Oil of Coconut Sodium Cocoate is one of the oils for soap making that give natural soap it lather. In its natural form it is very good for the skin. Beware of any product that says "derived from Coconut oil" this is the synthetic foam booster "sodium lauryl sulfate" that has been linked to many skin allergies. The natural Coconut Oil can be used in soaps, creams and lotions and is good for all skin types.

Grapeseed Oil Vitis Vinifera Grapeseed Oil leaves your skin soft and smooth without feeling greasy making it one of the most commonly used oils in massage products. It is easily absorbed into the skin and is a good oil for acne and oily skin.

Hemp Seed Oil Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil is a source of valuable essential fatty acids high in minerals and Vitamin A. This is wonderful emollient oil is used in lotions, creams, hair conditioners and natural soap.

Jojoba Seed Oil Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil is really not oil, but a liquid wax. This oil has been used for many years in skin care products because of the healing power that is has. It is said to be closely related to human sebum and this makes is very compatible with our skin. It is said to help is fighting Acne and Pimples and is wonderful for dry and damaged skin.

Macadamia Nut Oil Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Nourishing Macadamia Nut Oil has a rich, cushiony feel, but will absorb quickly. It is especially useful for dry skin, irritated skin, or for use as an anti-aging ingredient.

Mango Butter Mangifera Indica (Mango) Butter is a great addition to lip balms, lotions and creams for its moisturizing properties.

Olive Oil Pomace Olea Europaea The last oil obtained after olive oil pressing, Olive Oil Pomace is best suited for soap making. Containing a higher percentage of unsaponifiables, Olive Oil Pomace will pull the other vegetable oils into a quick saponification.

Palm Oil Sodium Palmate This oil is used as a hard base oil instead of Lard or Tallow for making a totally Veggie soap. Their oil have similar properties of Coconut oil and makes an excellent mild soap. Can be used instead of Coconut Oil because it seems to be more gentle to the skin, without causing dryness.

Palm Kernel Oil Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil Sodium Palm Kernelate
Very similar in qualities as palm oil, it produces a cleansing, hard bar of soap which lathers well.

Rice Bran Oil Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil is a nourishing oil and a powerful skin protectant, high in gamma-oryzanol as well as anti-oxidants, which will protect and replenish the skin. RBO is rich in phytosterols, helping to help reduce inflammation and soothe discomfort. It also contains the highest quantity of vitamin E in liquid form. Beneficial to mature, sensitive and delicate skin.

Shea Butter Butyrospermum Parkii s deep penetrating and long acting. Is needed to restore the skins moisture balance and prevent visible signs of aging and wrinkles. Is also known as Karite Butter or African Butter. It is from 8% to 15% unsaponifiables which makes it a great addition for soaps. Also wonderful for lotions, creams and lip balms for its moisturizing properties. Unrefined Shea Butter is more penetrating than the refined, because it has not been chemically treated and stripped of its vitamin and nutritious values.

Sunflower Oil Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil extracted from sunflower seeds. Rich in essential fatty acids, it is a good base for massage oils, creams, lotions and natural soap. Good for all skin types.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) a natural skin antioxidant, promoting healthy tissue - healing and rejuvenation.

We came upon this article written by David Fisher on About.com, he is the guide for candle and soap making. I think he has covered this ever controversial subject very well and it mirrors our feelings on the subject here at Cotton Creek.

The Great Debate

From David Fisher,
Your Guide to Candle & Soap Making.

What is the difference between fragrance oils and essential oils � especially as they relate to candle making and soap making?
Well�if you�re a candle maker or soap maker who uses them interchangeably � who makes candles and makes soaps that just smell good (to you and others,) regardless of whether it�s natural or not, then there�s probably not much difference at all. As long as it�s a quality fragrance or essential oil, and has been tested to be safe in the application you're using it for.

But if you�re dedicated to making only natural soaps and natural candles, then there is all the difference in the world! Few topics in soap making and candle making have engendered so much discussion, debate and controversy as fragrance oils vs. essential oils in candle and soap making.

But let�s start with the basics:

What is a fragrance oil?
A fragrance oil is a mix of various chemical components, some natural (from plants or even animals), and some synthetic.

They are carefully formulated and/or blended to the exact specifications of a perfumer whose goal is to design a scent. �The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained in depth on the concepts of fragrance aesthetics and who is capable of conveying abstract concepts and moods with their fragrance compositions.� --Wikipedia - "Perfumer" Sometimes they are formulated to smell like something occurring in nature (e.g. lavender, pine, bluebonnets, strawberries), or sometimes they are formulated to smell like an entirely new creation or concept (e.g. spring rain, love spell, winter wonderland.)
There are literally thousands of various compounds that each have their own scent�that blended together create a fragrance oil. Some fragrance oils contain essential oils as part of the natural components or constituents. Some do not. Some contain synthetically made constituents of essential oils. To help thin the various compounds, and to help create some uniformity of strength across fragrance oils, they are usually diluted with a �diluent.�

Whether the constituents of the fragrance oil are safe on your skin will determine whether or not a fragrance oil is �skin safe� for soap, lotions or other cosmetic applications. Fragrance oils, and especially the constituents that make up fragrance oils, are guided by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) which generates, evaluates and distributes scientific data on the safety assessment of fragrance raw materials found in perfumes, cosmetics, shampoos, creams, detergents, air fresheners, candles and other personal and household products. Perfumers and fragrance oil blenders are also guided by IFRA, the International Fragrance Association, which is the official representative body of the fragrance industry worldwide. Its main purpose is to ensure the safety of fragrance materials through a dedicated science program. They focus on fragrance safety both as it relates to the consumer and to the environment.

The DuPont Corporation used to use �Better Living Through Chemistry� as their slogan. Think of fragrance oils as �Better smelling through chemistry.� Just like chemistry has created many wonderful and safe things that make our world better, easier and more pleasant - chemistry has created many wonderful-smelling things that are a part of our everyday lives.

However, not everyone believes in "Better Living Through Chemistry"...especially as it relates to chemicals in our soaps and candles. What if you want it natural?

What's the Difference?
What is an essential oil? Much of the renaissance of soap and candle making in the 20th Century was due to people wanting to get back to more natural ways. Whether out of fear of cancer or other health problems, wanting less chemicals in our environment, or just a desire for a simpler existence, people began wanting the things around them to be more natural. From the food they eat to the soap they bathe with, some people want nothing in or on their bodies but the pure basics. These are the warriors for the use of essential oils in candles and soap.
Julia Lawless, in her book The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils states, �When we peel an orange, walk through a rose garden or run a sprig of lavender between our fingers, we are all aware of the special scent of that plant.

But what exactly is it that we can smell? Generally speaking, it is essential oils that give spices and herbs their specific scent and flavor, flowers and fruit their perfume.�
That about sums it up. Essential oils are natural oils that contain the �essence� of a plant. They are the liquid or resin that is distilled, pressed or extracted from different parts of the plant � leaves, flowers, bark, berries, root, needles, seeds, beans, peel, cones, wood, stalks etc. Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation, though some oils are gotten through other processes like expression or solvent extraction.

Sometimes the oil can come from different parts of the plant � a few plants (like an orange tree) contain several different essential oils in different parts. Orange essential oil is derived from the fruit, neroli from the flower blossoms and petitgrain from the leaves.

It takes many, usually hundreds of, pounds of plant material to make a pound of essential oil. It takes about 200 pounds of lavender to make a pound of lavender essential oil. It takes over 2000 pounds of rose petals to make a pound of rose essential oil. (That's why it's SO expensive!)

Essential oils can be used in making soap and making candles � as well as in making many other fragrant items like room sprays, lotions, bath salts and oils, balms etc. They are also, of course, the foundation for the whole practice of aromatherapy.

For the most part, they can be used in about the same concentrations, and used in the same ways as fragrance oils. Remember, many fragrance oils contain essential oils as part of their blends.

Some people may be concerned about the safety of essential oils - and rightly so. Essential oils are powerful organic chemicals. But the same care should be taken whether using fragrance or essential oils in your candles and soap. Chemicals are chemicals whether they're created in a lab, or created in nature. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe to put in or on your body.

So which is better?
I love essential oils. I also love fragrance oils. I use both of them in my soaps and candles. I do not believe that either one is inherently better than the other. They both have their proper uses, cautions and advantages. Like with all things, it is up to us candle makers and soap makers to learn all we can so that we can make educated choices about the products we make.

The Great Debate

From David Fisher, Your Guide to Candle & Soap Making.

From David Fisher,
Your Guide to Candle & Soap Making.