Frequently Asked Questions

Sodium hydroxide, or lye, derived from wood ash, is the secret ingredient used to make any + all handmade or natural soap, and in many cases is quite literally kept secret... The truth is, true soap cannot be made without lye. The chemical reaction that occurs between the lye + oils in the soap making process is called saponification, and that cannot take place without the presence of lye. Some manufactures may choose not to list lye or sodium hydroxide or may use terms to suggest their ingredients have already been "saponified", due to the recent negative hype that lye is bad for you or is harsh on your skin. Lye, in it's chemical form, can actually be very harmful if not handled correctly, but after 24 hours into the saponification process the lye is no longer present. You are simply left with...soap, a soft + soothing natural moisturizer to your skin! The reason manufacturers can exclude this from their label is because labeling any of the soaps ingredients is not a requirement of FDA regulation. The reason Moth + Meadow includes sodium hydroxide in our ingredients is because we believe that education is key to allowing consumers to take control in understanding what they put on + in their bodies. You, as the consumer, have the right to know exactly what goes into our products + why.

Cold Process is one of several ways to make soap. This method is made completely from scratch so we get to fine tune and be in control of every aspect that goes into the soap making process. This technique uses cooler temperatures than other processes, which helps to preserve all of the natural goodness of the oils and additives we put into our recipes. Higher temperatures can destroy some of the nutrients and healing properties these natural ingredients offer. As a cold process soap maker, we get to put on the goggles + gloves and be little chemists in our soap studio. Something about that intimacy is very special to us. *We never microwave our oils, everything is brought to temp using a double boiler method.*

In recent years, palm oil has become threatened by deforestation due to popularity in the cosmetic + food industry. Our mission is our slogan "Earth Transformed." We are dedicated to being a small business that works in harmony with this World. We use all-natural ingredients Mother Nature provides and in return we need to maintain respect for the resources She offers. When those resources become endangered due to our society's consumption, we as a society must make a change. Our vision for transformation is allowing consumers easier access to environment-friendly essentials so we can all start living more sustainable lifestyles. Moth + Meadow also recognizes endangered and/or threatened essential oils and chooses to use alternatives instead.

Fragrance oils are man-made artificial fragrances that are made up of synthetic chemicals, often petroleum based, which are known toxins potentially linked to cancer, nervous system disorders + allergies. The End.

Mica powder in itself is a natural substance crafted from stone minerals. In this raw + uncolored state, mica powders are an off-white to brownish Earth-tone consistent with the rocks they are derived from. It's the artificial pigments and colorants then added to mica powder for use in cosmetics that give them their bright, sought after colors. Whether mica powders are actually "harmful" or not is greatly debated. Very little is required of the FDA in purposes of safety testing on cosmetic ingredients, so little research, if any, has been conducted. Regardless of the safety, the mining of mica is largely located in remote India, where illegal child labor + harsh work conditions are a sad reality. Thus, this type of production + the artificial nature of mica powder is reason enough to cross it off our list.

When natural oils are processed they are categorized into unrefined (virgin) or refined. For example, the first press is your extra virgin oil, that is in it's purest form. The second press is your virgin oil; both of these presses are considered unrefined oils. They retain their vitamins and nutrients and are left as close to their natural state as possible. As these presses continue the volume of each press becomes less and less simply because there is only so much oil you can get from, say, an olive. In order to get every drop they can from the plant matter, as the oil pressings go dry, they begin adding chemical solvents, such as hexane, to help further break down the plant matter so they can get every last drop out of each continued press. The result is now considered a refined oil. These chemicals end up remaining in the final product and beneficial nutrients have been stripped from these oils, which is something we would like to avoid.