Hopefully this page will answer most of your questions. For order-related questions, see the
How To Order page.
Do you have a retail store? – No, Soap Sprite does not have a
store front and we have no plans to start one. We sell our products via our website, home parties, farmer’s markets,
craft shows and local retailers.
Do you have a printed catalog? – In an effort to prevent landfill waste, Soap Sprite
does not have a printed catalog. Our website is the catalog. It is updated often as indicated by the "updated dates" at the bottom of
each page.
Do you sell Wholesale? - Yes, we offer our soaps at wholesale quantities and prices to
selected and qualified businesses. You must be a licensed business, have a resale license and agree to Soap Sprite's
wholesale terms and conditions. For more information, see our Wholesale page then contact us with the necessary information.
Do you make the natural handmade soap and body care products that you sell? – Yes,
we sure do. Soap Sprite is proud to offer products that are formulated and made ourselves. We have put significant
research and development into each and every product before offering it to the public. You will find that our natural
handmade soap and body care products are of very high quality.
Do you use synthetic fragrances? – Absolutely not. Darlene O'Neal, creator and owner
of Soap Sprite, is terribly allergic to synthetic fragrances and avoids them completely. The whole reason that she learned
to make her own body care products was to avoid synthetic ingredients, especially synthetic fragrances. As a result, all
scents in Soap Sprite's products are from natural sources (mainly pure plant essential oils), not synthetics.
Do you use synthetic colorants in your natural handmade soaps? – No. Although some
of Soap Sprite's soap colors are quite vibrant, they are not from synthetic colorants. We obtain all of our soap colors
by using various herbs, spices and natural clays in different ways. We consider oxides to be synthetic and, therefore,
do not use them. We also do not use clays that have synthetic colorants added to them. We are dedicated to using only truly
natural ingredients, right down to our colorants.
Do you offer colored lip balms & foot rubs? - No, we do not offer colored balms of any sort.
In the tubes, our lip balms and foot rubs appear yellow. When in use, they are clear on your skin. The yellow color is due to
the color of the raw ingredients such as cocoa butter, unbleached beeswax, lanolin and various plant-base oils that are dark
in their natural form. Combining all of these ingredients in the proportions that we do creates a yellow- looking product.
What is the life-span & best way to care for your products? – Soap Sprite’s
handmade soap and body care products are manufactured from natural ingredients and can be good for a year or more but are best
used within 6 months of purchase. When not in use, the best way to store all of our products is in a cool place away from
humidity and direct or strong sunlight. Several products are designed to melt with your body’s heat and, therefore,
are especially sensitive to heat.
How long will your soap last when in use? – There is no clear-cut answer to this question
because of the variables involved. Whether you use the soap directly on your body, with a washcloth, with a net pouf, etc.
impacts how long the soap lasts. How much and how hard you scrub the bar also impacts its life-span. How often you
use the soap and how well you let it dry between uses is also an important variable. To increase the soap’s life-span,
use a soap dish that allows water to drain away from the soap and allow the soap to dry completely between uses. With proper
care, Soap Sprite's natural handmade soaps will provide you with many luxurious showers and baths.
How long will your lip balms & foot rubs last when in use? – How long these products
last depends on how often they are used and how much you use each time. Therefore, how long they last will vary depending
upon the person. Soap Sprite has received much positive feedback from people that have used these balm products.
Are your natural handmade soaps for the face, hands or body? – We designed our soap
formula (recipe) for use on all parts of the body – face, hands and body. To our soap recipe, we add different ingredients to customize our soaps for different purposes. We offer a line of Hand / Scrubby Soaps that are great for scrubbing hands and/or feet; Goat Milk Soaps with real goat milk that are wonderful for the face and the whole body; Unscented Soaps for those that prefer unscented soaps for all purposes; Shaving Soap for men and womens' shaving needs. We usually have several Limited Edition Soaps for different purposes. Most of our Everyday Soaps can be used on the face, hands and body depending on preferance. We, at Soap Sprite, use most of our
soaps on our faces with only positive results. We do not recommend any soap containing clove bud, cinnamon leaf or strong mint essential
oils or hard scrubbies for use on the face.
Why should I use natural handmade soap instead of commercial soap? – Do you have all
day for us to answer this question? No? O.K. Then we will just point out the top reasons.
(1.) Commercial "soaps" are not true soaps. Most of them have had synthetic ingredients added that make it
so they can not legally be called true soaps. Legally and chemically, they are considered detergents.
Don't believe it? The next time you are in the store, read the labels. You will see labels such as
"beauty bar", "deodorant bar" and "bath bar" but you will not see "soap" on the majority of commercial soaps.
Soap Sprite's natural handmade soaps, on the other hand, do not contain these harsh ingredients and are true soaps.
(2.) When oils/fats, lye and water are combined to make soap, natural glycerin is also created in the process.
Natural glycerin is wonderful for your skin. But instead of leaving it in the soap for your benefit, commercial
soap manufacturers often remove all or most of the glycerin then sell it to others for use in other products such as
moisturizers. Some commercial soap manufacturers even remove the glycerin then add part of it back in and call
it "glycerin added" soap. If they did not remove it in the first place they would not have to add it back in.
Geesh! On the other hand, Soap Sprite's handmade soap retains all of the wonderful, skin-loving glycerin.
Glycerin attracts water to your skin & moisturizes your skin. The naturally occurring glycerin in handmade
soap makes a noticeable difference in how well your skin reacts to the soap.
(3.) Commercial soaps often contain different synthetic chemicals to serve different purposes such as making
the soap harder faster (instead of waiting for a normal cure like we do for handmade soap), reducing soap scum, adding
lather, acting as a cheap filler, adding synthetic scents and adding synthetic colors, to name a few. Often these
chemicals dry the skin, too. Soap Sprite's handmade soaps do not contain these unnecessary ingredients. We
offer only high-quality soap that is made with Mother Nature and your skin's health in mind.
(4.) Commercial soaps are made using some of the cheapest ingredients possible, even petroleum by-products.
These cheap ingredients simply do not have the same benefits as other ingredients. Many commercial soap
manufacturers seem to be focused mainly on profit. Soap Sprite's handmade soaps are created with a focus on
quality natural ingredients and beneficial properties of the ingredients. We choose to use ingredients that
are more expensive than what commercial soap manufacturers use - not so we can charge more - but because we are more
interested in making soap that not only cleans your skin but is also good to your skin. We sincerely believe
that our more expensive ingredients are worth every penny considering the beneficial qualities that they bring to
our finished soap and to your skin.
Are Soap Sprite's soaps made with lye? – All soaps are made with lye. This is
true of "commercial," “melt & pour,” glycerin” and “liquid” soaps as well.
Anyone that tells you differently is either uninformed or telling you what you want to hear. The key thing to understand
is that even though lye is used as an ingredient, no lye is present in a properly made finished soap. Lye is a necessary
ingredient, along with oils/fats and water/liquid, to make any soap. Lye is used as part of a chemical reaction that
changes the ingredients into soap - a process called "saponification." Without lye you simply can not have soap.
Since Soap Sprite uses the traditional cold-processed method to make solid soap (not liquid soap), we use a lye known as
sodium hydroxide. A different type of lye (potassium hydroxide) is used to make liquid soaps. We formulate all
of our soaps so that no lye is left in the finished soap. Actually, we formulate our recipes so that all of the lye
is chemically changed into soap plus a small amount of oils are left untransformed. By doing this, we can guarantee
that no lye is left in the final product. This is not granny's skin-eating soap! This is incredibly luxurious,
bubbly, good-for-your-skin soap!
Are Soap Sprite's soaps "glycerin soaps"? – That depends on what you mean by
"glycerin soaps." Yes, Soap Sprite's soaps contain all of the natural glycerin that is created during the soap-making
process. No, our soaps are not pre-manufactured soaps that are re-melted and inaccurately called "glycerin soaps."
Some folks think that "glycerin soaps" are pure glycerin. This is not true. (Glycerin is actually a thick liquid.)
What is commonly referred to as "glycerin soap" (also known as "melt & pour soap") is really a detergent. It
contains synthetic ingredients that are added to make it re-melt the way that it does and synthetic detergents that are
added to give it additional lather. Some "glycerin soaps" even contain alcohols which dry the skin. "Glycerin soap"
is NOT true soap. Soap Sprite's natural handmade soap IS true soap and does contain REAL, natural glycerin.
Do you accept custom orders? – Depending on your needs, we may be able to accommodate
custom orders for soap. Custom orders are sold only in groups of 30 soap bars of the same soap variety per order.
Feel free to contact Soap Sprite to discuss your needs and how we can fulfill
them. We need at least a 5 week notice for custom orders plus 50% non-refundable payment up front.
Do you offer any other products? – Soap Sprite is always working on developing new
products. We are currently in the final stages of adding Shaving Soap to our line. We may add shampoo soap, dog shampoo soap, liquid soap, facial cleanser and a few other products but need
to complete the all-important research and development first. As we add new products to our line, we will update our website. Check our website regularly for new offerings. If you would like to be notified when new products
are released, sign up to be a fan of our Soap Sprite Page on Facebook. If you are interested in other specific products that you think we should offer, feel
free to contact us. We are open to product suggestions.
Do you have a mailing list? – No, we do not have a snail mail list
and have discontinued our email list. However, we do have a
Soap Sprite Page on Facebook. We update our Facebook Page with information about new products, special sales and new public
appearances (such as craft shows). We also post free gift offers and discounts that others do not receive. If you have a Facebook
account and would like to receive our News Feed Updates then become a Soap Sprite Fan by clicking on the Facebook link then clicking
"Become A Fan." If you do not have a Facebook account, you can start one (it's free) or just click on our "Find Us On Facebook" link regularly
to see what's been posted since your last visit.
What is your policy regarding privacy? - We value a person's right to privacy and despise
junk and spam mail. We will not share, sell or otherwise provide your contact or other personal information to anyone else.
How do I order Soap Sprite products? - Refer to the How To Order
page.
I have a question that is not addressed here or on the How To Order
page. - If you have any other questions, need more clarification or want to make comments, feel free to
contact Soap Sprite. We not only welcome but also encourage your questions and comments.
