People often ask me, "Why soapmaking?" Well, I make soap for a simple reason...my skin seems to be allergic to most commercially made bath and body products, no matter what the brand or cost.

It doesn't matter whether I buy them at the supermarket or cosmetic counter, the result is dry, flaky, and irritated skin.

When I began to read their labels, I soon understood why.....THEY AREN'T REAL SOAP

In an attempt to counteract the effects of those harsh, detergent-based bars and cleansers, I spent a small fortune on more products...but nothing worked. They either left my skin tight and dry or they were oily and heavy, causing even more problems. It became a vicious cycle. In addition, it seemed like only a chemist could decipher the ingredients.

Although touted as 'beauty bars' they are definitely not about beauty...they are about huge profits. These mass-produced products use harsh, detergent-based chemicals, animal fats, petroleum by-products, and are often tested on lab animals under cruel conditions.

Made from a class of ingredients defined by the industry as "syndets" (synthetic detergents), they are far from good for either your skin or the environment...and certainly not for the captive animals used as test subjects.

And, as they are not formulated to the criteria designated for 'real' soap, by law they must be labeled as 'beauty bars' or 'bath bars' and not as 'soap'.

Remember...if it doesn't say SOAP on the label, it isn't real soap...it's just another synthetic, chemically enhanced product.

Even if labeled as 'soap' they are usually made with some sort of animal fat, and they aren't required to state the source of the fats. You don't want to know.

It's sort of like comparing Imitation Processed Cheese Food with a fine, naturally-aged and handcrafted English Stilton or American Cheddar cheese...there just is no comparison.

So don't be fooled by million-dollar advertising and marketing campaigns, buzz-words, slogans, or images of gentle white birds and flowers. Those mass-marketed bath and laundry products are manufactured using the cheapest ingredients possible in order to maximize corporate profits. In addition, being made with petroleum-based by-products, they promote continued dependence on fossil fuels.

Lastly, due their chemical makeup, their molecular components do not readily break down, unlike natural soap products. They end up in our ecosystems where they eventually create problems for the environment.

Do you need any more reasons for not using these products? Do you really want to wash your face and body with harsh, petroleum-based or synthetic detergents , loaded with unpronounceable chemicals and tested on unfortunate lab animals???

Mind you, I have nothing against making a profit...I just don't feel it should be at the expense of my skin...or yours...or our animal friends...or our environment.

But back to my story...

In search of a more natural product, I began to buy olive oil-based soap at my local health food store. As most of the ingredients on the label sounded pretty straightforward, I decided that if they could make soap then so could I...after all, people have been making handcrafted soap for thousands of years...and if I made it, at least I'd know for sure what was in it.

So I began to research and learn more about the process and history of soapmaking. I soon realized that:

• real soap could be more skin- and environmentally friendly
• the addition of herbs and essential oils might provide additional benefits
• on a personal level, it could contribute toward reducing petroleum and fossil fuel dependence
• it would be supportive of the ethics for reducing animal cruelty