Why are handmade soaps more expensive?
A: Handmade soaps are usually produced in small batches to ensure higher quality. They are not machine-made (hence "handmade") and take more labor to produce. Only quality vegetable oils are used. Check the price of a bottle of olive oil (one of the main oils we use to produce our soaps) and you can see an example of the cost of the ingredients!
Our soaps also are quite hard and last longer than detergent bars. They do not crack or split when they become smaller and can be used down to the last sliver.
What is the difference between your soaps and those I buy in stores?
A: Soap is no longer manufactured in the U.S. except by small companies. The bars of "soap" sold in retail outlets in the U.S. are actually detergent bars made from chemicals (usually petroleum). These bars can still be labeled "soap" legally and hence the confusion. The natural glycerin, a moisturizer or "humectant" that draws moisture from the air and into your skin, is always removed for use by other industries. This results in a bar that dries the skin. Natural soaps leave the glycerin in, which adds to the quality of the soap. While we don't usually list glycerin as an ingredient, every bar of our soap has it! It forms naturally in the soap making process and is another reason why our soaps feel so good!
What is a lotion bar?
Lotion bars are solid "lotions." These come in push up tubes similar to large lip balm containers or in screw top jars. The bars contain oils and waxes that are solid at room temperature, but melt at body temperature to absorb into the skin. Liquid lotions contain chemical ingredients and alcohols which are not present in our lotion bars. Castle Hill lotion bars contain ingredients like cocoa butter, Shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and natural beeswax. Vitamin E and/or grapefruit seed extract are used as the only preservatives.
Why do some of your items have expiration dates?
We use only natural preservatives and antioxidants like grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E and rosemary oil. Although these products from nature work well, they are not as "deadly" (i.e., toxic) as some of the harsh chemical preservatives. All of the lip balms, lotions, etc. that we make are made with food grade oils like olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, etc. and as such they do not have the indefinite shelf lives of chemical cosmetics.
I used some of your lotion on my dogs paw pads and he licked it off. Will this hurt him?
All of our lotions are created using food-grade oils. They are non-toxic. Some of the essential oils we use in some of our preparations could cause adverse reactions in animals if ingested in quantity. It's doubtful your dog will have a reaction unless he/she eats the entire product. It's best to check with your veterinarian. Cats can feel the toxic effect of some essential oils (especially tea trea oil) and should be taken to the veterinarian if any is ingested. Any of our products that contain tea tree oil are clearly labeled.
What is hand milled soap?
Hand milling sounds really great, doesn't it? Wow! My soap is hand milled! Hand milling is also known as rebatching. Soap that was previously made is shredded, melted down and then remolded. This is a faster way of getting a hard cured bar of soap and does absolutely NOTHING for the quality of the soap. A lot of soap crafters (not soap makers) hand mill soap. If you go to a craft store and ask for the soap making supplies, what you'll be directed to are the rebatching or handmilling soap supplies. These hobby store kits contain premade "soap." One shreds this soap (usually undyed and unscented), remelts it, adds color and fragrance, and repours it into a mold. This "soap" is usually akin to a commercial detergent bar. Read the ingredients.
Rebatching or hand milling soap is popular with people for gift giving. You take an undyed and unscented soap and make it your own for gift giving. You can use fancy molds or make those little guest soaps shaped like roses.
If you're interested in this type of craft, purchase an unscented and undyed quality soap from Castle Hill soaps. Email us at info@castlehillsoaps.com for quotes on larger quantities of soap for rebatching. We provide logs of luxurious soap just like what we sell in bar form for crafters to use.
What's with the business opportunities?
We initially started our home business making handcrafted soaps, etc. Although successful, it's a lot of work producing quality soaps and other products! We wanted some other lines of business to supplement our soap making.
With all the problems with the pet food recalls in 2007, we searched for weeks to find a healthy pet food that was also safe to feed! When we found it, it turns out it was also a business opportunity to provide other pet owners with quality safe dog and cat foods, treats and supplements.
This slowly expanded and we have moved into 4 lines of business with over 400 products from personal care to health to pet products to scented candles and a lot more. There are multiple networking opportunities for others to have a bona fide home business with real income for less than $50. Contact us at info@castlehillsoaps.com or call Randy or Bob at 217-529-6101 for more information and to schedule a presentation.
