Handcrafted products are produced out of love from sparks of personal and genuine inspiration. This spirit is transferred throughout the creative process ensuring that the end result will be a superior product carefully inspected by the proud eyes of the maker. That is reason #1 to buy handcrafted.

As I sat down to write this article, it came upon me how truly vast the handcrafted industry is and with such a diversity of lovely products being produced, there are a gazillion reasons to buy handcrafted. So, I thought I would share with you why you might want to buy within my trade, handmade personal care products.

-Handmade soap retains its natural glycerin and emollients, as opposed to commercial soaps, which process out these beneficial attributes during milling. Glycerin is useful because it is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts moisture and holds it close to your skin. Moisture and skin, good right? Well then why does “big soap” do this? The milled soap that we were taught to be a better quality because it is hard, is actually soap that is lacking in glycerin. They take it out during milling in order to achieve the “desired” density.   Then later add lesser amounts of glycerin or reduced quality synthetic oils to make their soap lather more and seem rich. One such additive is mineral oil, which is petroleum based.  The excess glycerin that was extracted is either sold as a by product or used in other applications.

-Handcrafted products are generally made in small batches,  which turn out massive quantities to be efficient. Small batches insures a fresher product. This is especially important for natural products that don’t add synthetic preservatives. I make my batches by order, so they go from studio to store or shipping. Never warehoused for long periods of time.

-Large industrial equipment can be difficult to clean, wasteful of excessive environmentally unfriendly materials and sometimes require petroleum products to lubricate the machinery. Milling machinery for soaps is one example of such machinery. Petroleums used so that the machinery can perform its functions can get into the products that we use. The process of how our products are produced is often overlooked, as ingredients take the main stage.

As a creator, I feel a sense of ownership in what I am making. I want it to be the best that it can be. I joyously look at my labels that say “made by Lydia with love” on each and every product and it makes me smile.