The Oregon Soap Shoppe
Oregon, Illinois

Cold Process Handmade Soap

Legend has it that soap was discovered in ancient Greece, or so the legend goes. Soap was generally used for cleaning and not bathing until the 17th century. There is an account of a Spanish princess who had two baths in her entire life. The day she was born, and the day she got married. In pioneer times, soapmaking was a Spring chore done as soon as the ice of Winter thawed. Pioneers say that "soap is good for what ails you" as they noted that their handcrafted soap work great for poison ivy, rashes and other skin maladies.

In the early 19th century, an enterprising group of soapmakers who referred to themselves as "soap boilers" relieved the family of the chore of soapin' and handcrafted soap became an item that familes could buy at the mercantile. Today's modern soapmakers step into the shoes of their predecessors to continue the tradition of this time honored profession.

Here at the Oregon Soap Shoppe, we take our time handcrafting your soap. We blend precious, expensive essential oils, at low temperatures, to help retain the naturally made glycerin in every bar. The lower the temperature, the higher the quality of the bar. In fact, this "cold process" helps create a soap that is milder, moister, and creamier... making the soap lather more without the use of chemically-made ingredients.

It takes several hours to cook and stir the ingredients to make a single batch of soap. We then have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for the soap to cure before we can cut the bars.

Wooden Boxes - Retaining Moisture

Wood retains heat. And heat helps produce glycerin. We stack several batches of soap on top each other and cover them with a wool blanket. After three days, the boxes are still warm, which means that the soaps are curing properly; otherwise known as the "saponification chemical in the soap.