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Mission Statement/ FAQ

Mission Statement

Moon River Soap Company was created to respectfully use what nature has provided by offering pure, natural earth friendly soaps. We offer a healthy alternative to potentially harmful chemicals and detergents found in many commercial soaps . We believe in the amazing qualities of natures own botanicals to deliver safe, natural skin loving soap.      

Frequently asked questions......

Is your soap made with lye?

Yes, all soap is made with lye(alkali) and oil or fat (acid). We choose to use nourishing plants oils as our fat, we never use hormone injected animal fat which is in most commercial soap. Once the lye and oils are mixed together this creates a saponification process which neutralizes the mixture producing one gentle skin loving soap. Natural soap is chemically a salt, commercial soap is not a salt, it is a detergent usually labeled beauty bar or some silly name because they are not allowed to legally call it soap!


What's the big deal about essential oils?

Moon River will NEVER use synthetic fragrance which has been known to trigger headaches and happens to be one of the most toxic ingredients in so many products. The hazards of synthetic fragrance can be linked to hormone disruption, immune system damage, trigger asthma attacks, the list is far too long to mention. Essential oils can have the opposite affect and actually clear headaches, help detoxify the body, soothe tired muscles, benefit skin rejuvenation. The bottom line is chemicals and fragrance age your body, natural essential oils are anti aging and therapeutic to the mind and body. Essential oils cost much much more than synthetic fragrance and essential oils will eventually fade in scent because it is natural.


Why are essential oils so expensive?

It takes 2000 rose petals to produce 1 single drop of rose otto oil. It takes about 200 pounds of lavender to produce 1 pound of Lavender essential oil.  The most expensive essential oils such as Rose Otto, Jasmine,and Neroli are just too expensive to use in soap, we would have to charge hundreds of dollars for a single bar of Rose scented soap. There is no such thing as coconut or lilac essential oil, these type of scents are synthetic, very cheap to buy as well.  Many so called natural soap makers use synthetic fragrance which in my opinion defeats the whole purpose of producing a natural bar of soap.  Even the big natural companies like Burts Bees use synthetic fragrance.


Why isn't your soap clear if it contains natural glycerine?

Making natural cold pressed soap will automatically produce a nurturing bar with glycerin. In order to make the bar transparent we would have to do an additional process involving alcohol and sugar which will never be as moisture rich as our pure and natural glycerin soap. French milled soap is actually the opposite where the natural glycerin is extracted to produce a much harder bar of soap that can be molded into fancy shapes. Commercial soap has been through a process where the glycerin is extracted and used separately. Probably to make the lotion you will need to repair your dried out skin from the glycerin depleted detergent soap!  


Why does the soap need to cure?

After the soap is poured we will cut and dry out  the soap a minimum of 4 weeks on the open shelf.  The soap needs to breath and allow the water to evaporate from it . The soap will shrink slightly in this time period. We then box the soap and store several months before putting the soap on the shelf to sell. The harder the soap, the longer it lasts.


Where do you get your ingredients?

It has taken several years to find the best quality suppliers of pure botanicals and essential oils. Our ingredients are certified organic or certified 100% pure, all of the ingredients are natural. Many of our our ingredients are Fair Trade organic.  


Do you make your products on site?

Yes we do, we formulate every recipe and we pour every batch of soap, body oil, balm and sugar scrub on site.


What is the shelf life of your products?

We recommend you use the products within one year. The soap will last far longer, the scent will just fade. The balms and oils should be used while the the active ingredients and essential oils are fresh to deliver the best skin loving results. 


What made you want to go into the soap business?

We had been using natural soap for a few years and became even more aware of the petroleum and hormone injected animal fat (sodium tallowate) used in commercial baby care products when our grandson was born. I had already been selling my "Elisabella" eye creme out of our home and it was a big hit with my friends and family. We opened Moon River Soap Company in May 2009 and had a hard time keeping the soap on the shelf since day one. We realized then how much of a need for non-toxic natural soaps and balms. The world is changing towards a greener way to live even in this unpredictable economy, the people are educated on what really matters in life. We are proud to be free of hormone injected animal fat, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates and synthetic fragrance.


Why are your face and eye cremes labeled Elisabella?

 Elisabella was created by myself when I first began making my own eye creme out of our house. The name was a derivative of my own name. When we decided to open the store I felt the name was too girly and would discourage men from stepping in to our skin loving soap store. We decided to continue our paraben free face and eye creme line under the familiar Elisabella name.  


Every batch is hand poured and made daily. We are proud to use Non-GMO, organic and natural botanicals. Although Moon River can make no medicinal claims, many of our customers tell us they have improved their troubled skin, eczema, acne, psoriasis or dermatitis.

 email moonriversoap@gmail.com