FAQ

It's not uncommon for folks to ask "Why should I pay eight dollars for a bar of soap?!"  The fact is, our long-lasting handmade soaps are a GREAT value when compared to other products on the market. We believe that our soaps can replace and out-perform commercial body washes, and are made with better quality, more easily-traceable ingedients than our mass-market competitors. 

Here's a quick breakdown of what we're talking about (see the itemized details below for more info):

1.  Lovelight Homestead soaps are made on our homestead in Western Pennsylvania in small batches of 50-60 bars at a time to ensure quality over quantity, ALWAYS.

2.  We are passionate about including locally-farmed ingredients in our soaps whenever possible. 

3.  A HUGE plus of using bar soaps in favor of commercial body washes is that it's a super easy way to eliminate plastics from your daily routine! Our soaps are available "Naked" (ie no packaging) or minimally packaged in paper boxes, which is best for gifting our soaps.

4.  Palm oil is hard to avoid in most commercial soaps and shampoos, and even when it's dubbed "sustainable", it's a hard thing to trace. As such, we never, ever use it. 

5.  "Glycerin" in and of itself isn't a bad word. The problem is that it's really hard to trace back to the source.  For this reason, as with palm oil, we choose not to use it in our recipes. 

6.  While most commercial body washes are comprised of synthetic detergents or surfactants derived from either plant-based sources or petroleum, our soaps are quite simply "soap".

7.   When formulating our soaps, we aren't all that concerned with making them look good. It's far more important to us that they FEEL good, and so we skip the colorants you might find in other commercial and handmade products.

8.  In 2025, we're lucky once again to have an awesome source for fresh, beautiful goat's milk from a local herd to enrich our soap recipes. The results are awesome!

9.  All of our recipes feature a high percentage of grass-fed beef tallow, and in 2025, we're once again featuring local, pasture-raised lard in our soaps. 

10.  While there isn't a huge demand for unscented soaps, we do keep them in stock for folks who like to avoid fragrance in all its forms.  

11.  Not only are we a small business ourselves, but we also are huge supporters of other small business, farmers, artists, and makers.

12.  We love formulating custom soap recipes to accomodate your needs, preferences, and sensitivities. Please reach out via the contact page to discuss.  

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Q:  HOW LONG DO YOUR SOAPS LAST?

There's not a simple answer to this, but to help your soaps last as long as possible, be sure to store them in a dry place before use, and always keep them as dry as possible between uses by using a very well-draining soap dish or shower rack. "Older" bars tend to last much longer than newer ones, so it's also a good idea to stock up on your faves and store them well (keeping in mind that the fragance may fade a bit over time).  The up front expense will pay dividends!



Q:  HOW CAN I IMPROVE THE LATHER OF MY SOAP?

If you find that your soaps aren't lathering well for you, here are a couple things to consider...

Nothing kills lather faster than cold and/or hard water.  Cold water is easy enough to fix, but hard water (aka water with a high mineral content) can wreak havoc on your skin & hair. Not only does it interrupt lather, but it also makes rinsing cleanly more difficult, leaving dirt and residue behind.

Short of installing a water softener, you can try using a cheap shower pouf or "scrubbie" of your choice. This will help build lather, aid exfoliation, and help to eliminate residues while rinsing. 



Q:  I HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN. ARE YOUR SOAPS SAFE FOR ME TO USE?

As soaps go, we pride ourselves in making a very gentle product to suit most skin types. Our bars are ALWAYS free of common irritants like detergents and surfactants. That said, if you have VERY sensitive skin, it's smart to test the waters with an unscented bar first before moving up to bars featuring essential oils or fragrances. If you have an allergy to any ingredients in our recipes, we can formulate a custom allergen-free formula just for you with a minimum order of 10 bars. 



Q:  ARE YOUR SOAPS SUITABLE FOR “WORKING HANDS”?