retrieversoap web store FAQ section

MAYBE. If you mean the usually transparent soap, made by melting, adding to, and shaping transparent base obtainable from most craft stores, then NO. If you mean soap that still contains its natural glycerin, then YES. If you find this confusing, try a sample and see what you think.

YES, but... All true soap is made with lye. Soap by definition is the chemical combination of fats with lye. Your grandmother probably made lye soap "by guess and by golly"; if she used more lye than there was fat, the soap was very harsh, as you were actually getting a little lye on you every time you washed. We carefully formulate and measure ingredients for each batch so that there's MORE than enough fat to react with all the lye. Not only is there no lye left in our bars, the excess fat helps condition your skin. The bottom line: if it doesn't have lye, it's not real soap.

Because by the time it's soap (after curing at least 6 weeks after it's made), there isn't any lye in it. There are fatty acid salts, and glycerin, but no lye. No lie!

NO We use goat milk in almost everything. We sometimes experiment with a recipe that does not contain goat milk BUT everything we make contains beeswax (except the dog shampoo) HOWEVER: our soaps contain no detergents, petroleum products or preservatives and are never tested on animals.

We add a very small amount of Sodium Lactate to many recipes to help the soap harden in the decorative molds. Sodium Lactate is a natural salt made naturally from lactic acid, which your body makes in muscle tissue. For more, please see sodium-lactate.com

All of our soap is made in our home kitchen in small batches. There may be variations in appearance, but you'll love the way our soap acts on your skin. If you don't, contact us & we'll work something out.

YES! If you would like to pick up in/around Mobile, please: 1) Make your selections and check out normally - DO NOT use Google checkout! 2) On the Country part of your address, pick "Morocco" (I'm a Casablanca fan) 3) In the "Notes", tell us you'd like to arrange pickup; if you're someone we know, say Hi! 4) Finish checkout & pay for your order. Your shipping charge should be $0.00 if you do it this way. If you have a problem, send a note to retsoap@gmail.com

Fake soap is all those mostly synthetic, so called "soaps" that are full of harsh detergents and cancer causing chemicals . . . the ones that fill the shelves of many stores today. This includes those pretty "glycerin" soaps (real handmade soap contains much more natural glycerin than those do), most of the commercial shower gels and liquid soaps on the market, many of the supposedly "natural" soaps found at your local health food store, the highly touted "hypoallergenic" soaps recommended by dermatologists (there's no such thing), and virtually all of those triple milled ooh-la-la French soaps. Check out the ingredients (if they bother to give you any) and you'll see just how many cheap oils and synthetic petro-chemicals their so called "soaps" really contain. Don't buy into it! You can't add a pinch of herbs and a natural sounding name and make fake synthetic soap real. Read labels carefully, ask questions, inform yourself. While it's true, some of you may have been using commercial soap for years now without noticing any terribly ill effects, after you try Retriever Soapworks products, you'll know just how much better and safer your bathing experience can be!

Most of what we make is for humans. We do make a shampoo bar specially formulated for dog skin & coats, but even that can be (and has been!) used by people on themselves. We are "Retriever Soapworks" not because our products are made for dogs but because we have 5 retrievers and named the business in their honor.