When Your Soap Isn't Soap

I've been making my own soap for quite a few years now.  I sell them here and there, and give away lots of them!  People are generally receptive, but, not always as excited as I seem to be at the prospect of using handmade soap.  After a recent conversation with my son, I finally realized why that is.
He asked me, "What's wrong with store-bought soap?"
So, it occurs to me, that the majority of people do not know or realize that there IS something wrong with store-bought "soap".  First and foremost, your store-bought soap, though enticingly fragranced and perhaps beautiful to behold, is actually......not soap at all!
Soaps are made from oils, either animal or vegetable.  Lye and water are added to these oils and "saponification" takes place.  You have a bar of soap!
Sometime, during one of the world wars, as oils became scarce....manufacturers needed to find new ways to make cleansers, and soon, synthetic detergents were created.  Loads of chemical lathering agents, synthetic colors and fragrances give a deceivingly soap like presence, but your skin knows the difference.  In addition, other manufacturers began removing the beneficial glycerin that is produced during the saponification process, in order to increase profits by selling it to other manufacturers.....replacing it with artificial ingredients or chemicals.  These detergents and chemicals strip your skin of their natural moisture, (oils) and require you to slather on lotions and moisturizers....never realizing that you are creating the problem.  Even more alarming than the drying effects is the fact that your skin absorbs the chemicals from these cleansers, and they are then stored in your fat cells or other organs.  Over time they build up, and as any other toxin you might ingest, have the capacity to cause great illness.  Its really no different than eating pesticide laden produce.  You should know that these chemical additives are not exclusively found in cleansing bars, but also in most other mass-produced bath & body items, ie: conditioners, shampoos, lotions, even toothpastes.  Don't get me started on antiperspirants/deodorants!
What can you do?  Inform yourself.   Make your own soap, or find someone who does.  You may pay a little more for that soap, but you'll find it lasts a lot longer than store bought cleansers, AND you won't spend a lot of extra money on moisturizers!
What real soap can do for you?  Restore your natural skin balance and  eliminate the need for moisturizers (or at the very least decrease the need).  Really?  Really!
My favorite soap is a simple, olde fashioned bar of Castille, or Olive Oil soap.  Its the only soap you need!