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 on-line catalog, farmer’s markets, craft shows and local retailers.
Do you have a printed catalog? – At this point in time, Soap Sprite does not have a printed catalog. The on-line catalog 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.
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 Main Line soaps for the face, hands or body? – Soap Sprite designed its soap formula (recipe) for use on all parts of the body – face, hands and body. 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 or cinnamon leaf essential oils or strong mints for use on the face.) Still, we have been asked many times for light-scented and unscented soaps that are formulated specifically for the face. As a result, we have developed a line of Face Soaps that is perfect for sensitive face skin. We also offer a line of Hand Soaps that are great for scrubbing hands and we usually have several Limited Edition Soaps for different purposes.
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 24 soap bars (or multiples of 24) of the same soap per order. Feel free to contact Soap Sprite to discuss your needs and how we can fulfill them. We need at least a 6 week notice for custom orders.
Do you offer any other products? – Soap Sprite is always working on developing new products. We may add shaving soap, shampoo soap, dog shampoo 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 the online catalog. Check our website regularly for new offerings. If you would like to be notified when new products are released, sign up to be a Soap Sprite Preferred Customer. If you are interested in other specific products, feel free to contact us. We are open to product suggestions.
Do you have a mailing list? – Yes, we have an email list but not a snail mail list. People that join our email list are called our "Preferred Customers." Soap Sprite emails our Preferred Customers to inform them of new products, special sales and new public appearances (such as craft shows). Preferred Customers also receive free gift offers and discounts that others do not receive. If you would like to become a Soap Sprite Preferred Customer, contact us with your name, email address and snail mail address (we like to know where our Preferred Customers reside). If at any point you no longer wish to be our Preferred Customer, simply let us know and we will remove you from the email list immediately.
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.
