HALCYON SOAPS
Handmade in Michigan
More About Halcyon Soaps
Hi my name is Janell Hudson and I am the owner and soap maker of Halcyon Soaps!
Halcyon is pronounced Hal-see-on
denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. Also means calm, peaceful & prosperous. I hope that my handcrafted soaps will bring you a little halcyon into your life!
We are a small batch handcrafted soap company based in Allenton Michigan. Most of our soaps are 100% vegetable base. But we also carry a line of goat milk soap.
It’s important to us that our customers feel fully informed and confident when working with us. That’s why we’ve made an extensive list of past customers’ questions along with answers from our experience. Browse through the information below, and if you have a question that isn’t included here, feel free to reach out to us today.
When/how did I learn to make soap?
In May 2016, I wanted to find a healthier way to clean my skin. I wasn't happy with the store bought soaps and became curious about making my own. After doing some research online, reading all the info I could find on the process of soap making, and watching youtube videos, I took the leap and made my first batch of soap. After my first few batches, I was hooked! It became a hobby at first. I started sharing my soaps with friends & family and everyone was loving my soap. With encouragement from my husband and many others in my life, I turned my hobby into a business!
What is soap?
Soap is a cleansing agent created by the chemical reaction of a fatty acid with an alkali metal hydroxide. Chemically speaking, soap is a salt composed of an alkali metal, such as sodium or potassium, and a mixture of "fatty" carboxylic acids. Hard bars of soap are made from oils and butters which are the fats mixed with sodium hydroxide also known as lye. This chemical reaction is known as saponification and creates glycerol and fatty acid salts, called “soap.”
How do I take care of my handmade soap?
Use a soap dish or rack that offers plentiful drainage to ensure the soap can dry between uses.
· Store soaps in cool, dry location that allows for air circulation. Natural soaps contain glycerin as a product in the chemical reaction of oils and lye; glycerin is hygroscopic, meaning it can attract moisture from the air and the soaps may appear to “weep”. Glycerin contains three hydrophilic hydroxyl groups which are responsible for its solubility in water and hygroscopic nature.
· The older the soap bar is, the better the soap crystalline structure becomes. Although the scent may fade overtime, the soap itself will become better with age.
· Keep soap stored out of direct sunlight: natural ingredient colors may fade.
· To store several soaps, it’s best to store similar scents together as some scents may overpower others.
Do you use artificial fragrances/colorants in your soap?
No, all of my soaps I only use essential oils for the scent and all of my colorants are natural colorants from vegetation powders or clays
Are your soaps vegan?
Yes! I only use vegetable based oils & butters in all my soaps. The only ones that are not vegan are my goat milk soap line
