The European Art of Handcrafted Toiletries Lives At DayBreak!
ABOUT DAYBREAK HANDMADE SOAPS &
BOTANICAL BATH & BODY PRODUCTS
DayBreak Lavender Farm is proud to bring you an exquisite collection of handmade soaps, creams and botanical bath & body products that pleasure your senses, lift your spirit while enhancing your body's own natural moisturizing process. One of the main ingredients used in our soaps is olive oil, which attracts moisture to the skin. It provides a breathable film to prevent loss of internal moisture because unlike many ingredients used in skincare products, olive oil does not block the natural functions of our skin while it works its magic. We (heart) olive oil!!
The following are some commonly asked questions about our products:
How is soap handmade?
Making handmade soap, botanical soap is much like making cooking. The main ingredients are love, imagination and the very highest quality ingredients obtainable.
At DayBreak Lavender Farm, Jody Byrne, founder and proprietress creates, tests and “freezes” every single one of the soap formulas as well as the scents. A soap formula is "frozen" when, after many tests, Jody says it's perfect! She insists DayBreak's SoapMasters use only the historic Cold Process method which dates back to the 1500's. Each DayBreak bar is a blend of the finest available oils with our own well water and lye. The Soap Formula is stirred mix until it thickens (traces) and then natural Scent Blends and natural colorants. A 60 day aging and curing process completes the journey from oils and water to finished DayBreak complexion, cleansing or luxury bar.
The reaction that takes place when the oils (acids), and the lye (alkaline) combine is called "saponification". This process takes about 72 hours to fully cycle. But after 24 hours the formed soap is hard enough to remove from the mold and hand cut before placing on racks for curing (drying). We will sell no soap before it's time so it must cure – an aging process -- for 30 – 90 days to allow excess water to evaporate. This ensures you of a long-lasting durable bar. After being fully cured, it is ready for use.
Why use natural handmade soap? What is the difference between handmade and commercial (or milled) soaps?
It's the glycerin thing. Only handmade Cold Process soaps retain 100% of the moisturizing ingredient – glycerin. - whereas milled soaps remove the glycerin to produce a harder bar that can be forced through a machine. This allows for mass production and better formation of the company logo in the bar. These "hard" bars leave your skin feeling dry and in need of moisturizing. Read on, it's scandalous!
Why is the Cold Process method of handmade soap better for my skin?
Again, it's the glycerin thing!! We use the time-honored method of Cold Process, which unlike commercially produced soap, retains 100% of the moisturizing glycerin that naturally occurs in the soapmaking process … but only when it is done by hand.
Large commercial operations siphon off the naturally occurring glycerin for sale to lotion makers. They then add back a small fraction of the original glycerin as an ingredient. You won't see glycerin as an ingredient on our soap labels because we never took it out!
Our soaps are deliciously scented with pure essential and fragrance oils and are often inspired by our favorite foods. They also include garden botanicals such as lavender blossoms and rose petals, as well as natural colorants such as chlorophyll and paprika. Poppyseeds and oatmeal are often added to provide a gentle exfoliant. In some of our bars, we also use goatsmilk, buttermilk, coconut milk, and other exotic ingredients to enhance the benefits to your skin.
Are you creams handmade too?
Yes! The European art of handcrafted creams lives on at DayBreak Lavender Farm thanks to Michael's devotion. We are one of the few companies that still make handmade body and complexion creams in small batches. Michael personally oversees and hand stirs every batch as the temperature goes down. This is extremely precise work as the cream must be stirred every time the temperature drops a few degrees or the emulsion will separate and you will lose the batch! We love Michael's handmade creams.
How are your lotions made?
Our extra rich lotions are made with naturally extracted vegetable oils, healing and soothing organic plant extracts and moisturizing milk, cream, goatsmilk and honey. Like our creams, Michael makes every one of our Body Silks and Spray Silks. We are very lucky to have a craftsman of his skill and precision.
What ingredients do you use in your handmade soaps?
DayBreak Lavender Farm handmade soaps are created using the highest quality ingredients derived from nature and purchased only from companies doing business in an ethical and just manner.
Our soaps are made with saponified vegetable oils of olive, extra virgin, coconut, virgin coconut, grapeseed, rice bran, jojoba, castor bean and apricot kernal. We do not use cheap filler oils such as palm oil. We love unrefined shea, cocoa and avocado butters. Some of our soaps contain up to 33% Unrefined Shea Butter and/or 87% extra virgin Olilve Oil. These exquisite ingredients combine to produce DayBreak's famous rich Luxury Lather that ultra-moisturizes the skin.
Why are food-grade oils important in soap?
Never put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat! Why? Because it's going to be processed by the same internal systems as your food and it must be food-grade also!! At DayBreak Lavender Farm, we use only highest quality food-grade vegetable oils and we superfat to produce a gentle moisturizing bar. After using DayBreak Lavender Farm handmade soap you will notice your skin feels more supple, some cracks and fissures will begin to heal (love that glycerin!) and you will need less moisturizer.
What does superfat mean?
Superfat means that the soap has extra added oils in the formula to give you maximum moisturizing benefits. We superfat our soaps with castor bean oil which is high in linoleic and linolenic essential fatty acids. It is absorbed quickly into the skin and is excellent for conditioning for sun exposed and dry/wrinkled skin. And it creates the biggest, happiest bubbles you've ever seen!
How should I store my soap to ensure longer lasting bars?
When you are not using your soap it should be kept dry. In the shower or bathtub - keep it raised and out of the stream of water. We sell Soap Dishes, which are great at keeping your soap out of the puddle that often forms in the bottom of the soap dish. For your bars awaiting use - try storing them in a cool dry linen closet - or my favorite - in my lingerie drawer.
What can I do with soap slivers?
We call these Soap Bones! We never waste any of our soap and you needn't either. We do sell Soap Socks!! Or just add your soap slivers and oatmeal into a small muslin bag. Break up the soap slivers while in the bag and you have a instant scrubby bag. Mixing different flavored soaps is really interesting and adds to your bathing experience.
Is there lye in your soap?
No. Not after 72 hours. Here's the real deal, no "lye"!
All "true" natural soap must be made with lye (also called caustic soda or sodium hydroxide). Lye is the magic that causes the chemical reaction called "saponfication" which marries water with oils/fats and turns them into natural soap. Synthetic detergent soaps (like Dove or Dial and called Syndets) never contain lye. But lye never touches your skin because it's cooked off in the soapmaking process. That's why you don't see it on the label. 24 hours after the soap is poured into our wooden molds 95% of the lye has been been destroy as the hot soap cools. The curing process chews up the rest.
What is the white powder on the edge of the soap?
Some of our bars may have a white powdery substance on the top called soda ash. This substance forms when the freshly poured soap is exposed to air. It's harmless and washes off with water the first time you use the soap.
Who invented soap?
Although we like to think we've perfected handmade soap, it's the Romans who are most often credited with the discovery of soap around 1000 B.C. - directions for soapmaking have been found on Sumerian clay tablets dating around 2500 B.C. Legend says that a mixture of animal fat and wood ash from a sacrifice somehow made it into the Tiber River on Sapo Hill where women were doing laundry. They discovered that the clothes came cleaner because of this substance. Our modern word "soap" and the term "saponification" are derived from "Sapo" from where this solution was believed to originate. Want more details on The History of Soap.
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