Q&A about Beo Tam Handcrafted Soap

Soap is the result of saponification, a reaction between fats and lye that forms sodium or potassium salts, which is soap, along with a generous amount of glycerin. Soap molecules have 1 water-loving tail and 1 oil-loving tail. The oil-loving tail dissolves dirt, sweat, bacteria and so on stuck to the surface of our skin; when it meets water, the water-loving tails pull that mixture away into the water. That is why soap cleans.

There are 2 kinds of lye: NaOH is used to make bar soap and KOH to make liquid soap. I choose the laboratory grade, because it has the highest purity compared with the kinds used in industry.

You often read that the ingredients include caustic lye, so you may feel a little wary of this handcrafted soap. But rest assured: once the reaction is complete, the lye is always used up, because when making the soap I calculate the amount of fat so that it is always in excess of what is needed. Then I let the soap rest for at least 1 month so the reaction can complete fully and the water evaporates, making the bar harder and safer.

This glycerin is usually stripped out to be used as a cosmetic ingredient, but in Beo Tam's handcrafted soap we keep it all so you can benefit from it. Glycerin hydrates the outermost layer of the skin (the stratum corneum), improves the skin's barrier function and mechanical properties, protects against skin irritants, speeds up wound healing, and improves the skin's resilience and youthful look.

Glycerin also takes part in the transport and activity of aquaporins on the skin's surface. Aquaporins are proteins that channel the flow of key moisturising substances (including water and glycerol) to the top layers of the skin. They play an important role in maintaining the skin's moisture balance, keeping it feeling smooth and comfortable even in drier climates.

The water used in soapmaking is also very important. I only use purified water, or juice from betel leaf, mugwort, kombucha tea, ginger ale and so on. All raw ingredients are carefully prepared by our team, such as brewing Kombucha, making Ginger Ale and pressing herbs.

What makes people choose one soap over another is still the scent, isn't it? After 4 years of making soap, I find this just as important. In Beo Tam soap, the scent comes from quality essential oils, the same ones I usually use in therapy, so besides smelling good they also have therapeutic benefits for both body and mind.

Each soap uses a different essential oil blend to serve its own purpose, so you will find that no two bars smell alike.