Simply Suds

After watching some tutorials on a free photo editing software, we gave our logo a bit of a facelift (top is the new design).

Which version do you like better?

We have not posted in a while, that's because we have been revamping our formulas and looks, as well as working on some new products, to bring you only the best in handcrafted bath and body products.

Keep your eyes peeled for some exciting things to come:

Lip balms - now flavored and vegan friendly.
Lotions - new scents & sizes
Soaps - boerseep for household cleaning/laundry

And for the gents out there:

A range of nourishing beard products will launch soon!

🌿 Activated Charcoal & Tea Tree Facial Soap 🧼

Both activated charcoal and tea tree are very well known ingredients, especially when it comes to health and beauty.

Activated charcoal is believed to have detoxing properties, for both external and internal use. It is also used to help with oily skin, in the form of soaps, masks, etc.

Tea tree essential oil is also very popular for its acne fighting properties, among many other uses.

This facial soap combines these two ingredients to make a lovely foamy soap, that should leave your skin feeling clean and fresh.

♻️ How do you feel about reduce, reuse, recycle? ♻️

We think that it should be part of our daily habits, even the smallest thing can make a difference. To help you on the way, we have the option that you can return your empty lotion or lip balm jar and get a small discount on your next purchase.

Help the planet & save money at the same time - it's a win-win!

T's & C's : Returned jars should be from a Simply Suds product you purchased and should be in (re)usable condition.

👩‍🔬 Soap Science Sunday - Super Fat (SF) 🧼

The basis of all cold process soap is adding lye to oils/butters. The chemical process that takes place is called saponification and is what turns your oil lye mixture into useable soap. Adding oils and lye water in the same amounts, will result in a soap that is very harsh (cleansing, i.e drying).

By adding more oils (or reducing the amount of lye) we create an environment where some of the oils will not saponify. These oils will remain unchanged and are what makes soap more moisturizing and gentle on skin.

The amount of super fat needed depends on your recipe any types of oils used. A pure coconut oil bar should be at a SF of about 20% (coconut oil is very cleansing) while a pure olive oil soap (castile) can have as little as 3% SF, as it is already very soft and moisturizing. Soaps with a 0% SF are suitable for household cleaning, such as solid dish soap.

Photo - our pure coconut oil soap is super fatted and 20% and contains coconut milk for extra nourishment.

❗️ Exciting News ❗️
After much trial and error, we are happy to announce that we now have body lotions and lip balms available individually.

As always, our products are handcrafted with high quality ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, etc. from custom recipes I formulated and tested myself.

Check out our products under the "Shop" tab (Facebook) or WhatsApp me at 081 322 0266 if you need more information.

🧼 Lavender & Rose Geranium Soap with Coconut Milk 🧼

Did you know that it is said that Cleopatra took baths in donkey milk, lavender and rose petals? It is believed that these things contributed to her beautiful skin.

This soap is made with lavender essential oil and coconut milk, to make your skin feel extra pampered. In bar soap, milks contribute some skin nourishing properties, make it less harsh/drying and also improves its bubbliness (and who doesn't love bubbles?)

You can browse our products in the Shop section on Facebook.

👩‍🔬 Soap Science Sunday - Dreaded Orange Spot (DOS) 🧼

Dreaded orange spot may occur in soaps from time to time, as you may have guessed, it refers to the formation of orange spots on the soap. Why dreaded? I suppose because every soap maker dreads experiencing this on his/her soaps.

DOS can be caused by a number of things, the most common of which seems to be using oils/butters that have gone rancid. They may occur on the soap in the first few days or months later.

The soap is still safe to use, however, it may develop an unpleasant smell. Of course, it will also not be as pretty looking as a unaffected bar.

Some other things that may cause DOS include:
- A too high super fat (more on that will be shared next Sunday)
- High humidity & temperature while curing