Saponification Magic: The Truth About True Soap
More than just ingredients – it’s intentional.
Let’s talk ingredients, babe. One of the reasons I started Lunar Luxe Creations is that I was sick and tired of the lack of transparency in the products I put on my body. I wanted to understand the chemical makeup of every single thing, so I could make an informed, intentional choice. While many companies lean into the “natural ingredients” model, that’s just a nice starting point. You deserve to know the why behind the what.
Lunar Luxe has entered the chat
I have done the research, the testing, and the intentional sourcing for you. I looked for skin-loving ingredients to offer a truly luxurious product and experience. While none of my products are meant to treat or solve health concerns, I can sure as hell give you the intention behind the ingredient and the truth behind our unique, proprietary recipes. Making informed decisions is a core pillar of this company, and that includes the most primal product we make: Cold Process Bar Soap.
Let’s talk soap
Okay, so plain and straightforward: our bar is simply true soap. And I know what you’re thinking, “Well isn’t all soap, soap?” Absolutely the fuck not. Most of the “bars” you see in the store go beyond the typical soap definition. They are full of unnecessary, synthetic ingredients.
True soap, for lack of a better word, is a sacred formula: oils mixed with lye. That is it.
Our Luxurious, High-Vibe Ingredients
Our signature cold process soap is made with saponified:
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Coconut Oil: For a powerful, unapologetic cleanse and rich lather.
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Shea Butter & Apricot Kernel Oil: To deliver deep, nourishing moisture—perfect for dry skin and conditioning a rough beard.
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Rice Bran Oil: For its silky, luxurious skin feel.
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Castor Oil: To boost lather and skin conditioning.
If it is scented or colored, we use ethically sourced Mica and high-quality, cosmetic-grade Fragrance or Essential Oils, meticulously sourced from trusted suppliers like BrambleBerry.com or Wholesale Supplies Plus.
The Magic of Saponification: The Sacred Chemical Dance of Cold Process Soap
This is the alchemy, babe. Saponification is the process that converts fats, oils, or lipids into soap when they are combined with an alkali, like lye.
Here’s the breakdown of this powerful reaction:
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The Fats (The Acid): Our luxurious oils and butters—Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, etc.—are known as triglycerides.
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The Lye (The Base): This is the alkali. For solid bar soap, it’s Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH).
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The Reaction: The lye solution breaks down the oils, and the sodium part of the lye bonds with the fatty acids to create soap salts (i.e., true soap).
What the Hell is Lye? The Fierce Protector
Let’s clear this up, because lye is the most misunderstood, high-drama part of soap making. Lye is a necessary ingredient for saponification to occur. Without lye (sodium hydroxide), your oils would just stay oils; you cannot make true soap without it.
The Crucial Point You Need to Know: While lye is caustic and dangerous on its own, it is completely neutralized and transformed during the chemical reaction with the oils. There is no lye left in the final, cured bar of soap. What remains is the gentle, cleansing power of true, authentic soap.
Why Most Store-Bought “Soaps” Aren’t Soap at All
Many of the bars you find in the grocery store aisle aren’t technically soap by the FDA’s definition. They are often synthetic detergent bars—made with synthetic surfactants like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) to be cheaper to mass-produce. They are harsher, stripping your skin of its natural oils, which is a massive no for anyone valuing self-care.
The FDA says a product is only “soap” if it’s made primarily of the alkali salts of fatty acids (oils + lye). If it makes a cosmetic claim like “moisturizing,” or if it contains synthetic detergents (like Dove’s Beauty Bar), it’s regulated as a cosmetic, not true soap.
The Dirty Little Secret: The Power of Retained Glycerin
This is the shit that will make you switch for good.
Big brands often remove the naturally occurring glycerin from their soap during manufacturing. They strip out this valuable, moisturizing byproduct and sell it separately for use in higher-priced lotions and creams. This leaves their “soap” bar much more drying and abrasive.
In handmade, cold process soap, all of that glorious, naturally-occurring, hydrating glycerin remains in the final product. It’s a natural humectant that draws moisture to your skin, making every wash a deeply nourishing ritual. This is the difference between a high-vibe, intentional cleanse and a stripping, drying synthetic mess.
So, babe, try a bar from our Lunar Luxe Soap Collection and feel the difference that intention, transparency, and a whole lot of glorious glycerin makes.
Stay safe, send a prayer to the moon, and stay revolutionary by putting self-care above all the noise. You deserve this, babe.🪄
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