About our products
At Dorović, we are committed to making sure our bodies are nourished and exposed only to revitalising beneficial ingredients. Our natural soap bars incorporate pure essential oils through a cold processed soap method to ensure all therapeutic benefits are kept intact.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, tasked with protecting your delicate insides from external elements. It is also a good absorber, making it a significant gateway into the bloodstream.
All lotions, soaps, and deodorants we expose ourselves to on a daily basis may contain unwanted toxic fragrance oils and synthetic chemicals.
Cold process soap is a method of producing soap that requires no extra heat to create the soap - it is therefore ‘cold'. That doesn't mean that things don't get hot - the combination of lye with natural butters and oils create its own heat. A chemical reaction between the ingredients takes place, leaving you, quite magically, with a block of soap. Making soap is definitely both art and science. We use the cold process method at Dorović to preserve the benefits of plant-derived oils and butters.
All soap is the result of a chemical reaction called the saponification process, which occurs between a lye solution and a fat or oil (such as Sweet Almond Oil or Coconut Oil). After the lye water and oils are combined, soap makers pour soap into moulds. It takes 24 - 48 hours for soap batter to saponify and enter the gel phase. During this time soap gets hot, up to 180°F. Once removed from the soap mould, it drys for an additional 24 hours before being cut into individual bars of soap.
Cold processed soap, in particular, allows the lye mixture to be neutralised without any outside sources of heat, called “curing”. This is quite a time-consuming process that allows for gradual saponification. It can take 3-6 weeks for the soap to cure. The lack of heat keeps the essential oils intact and in perfect condition to lather you in therapeutic goodness.
When you cold process soap, the fatty acid of the oils are broken down by the caustic soda (lye). They then form a chain which on one end loves water and on another end loves oil. You can see these chains in action while you’re lathering up. The oil-loving end grabs onto the dirt and grime, and the water-loving end hangs onto the water that rinses it all away.
On top of the oils necessary for soap making, we also plump up our soap with extra vegetable-based fats to ensure there is plenty left to remove any remaining lye. The excess fat or “super fat” remains intact, providing the moisturising qualities we all love.
The FDA defines soap as a product composed of fats and an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide (lye). This is why many commercial brands avoid the word “soap” on their labels. Instead, they use terms like “cleansing bar” or “moisturising bar.”
Cleansers made without lye and fat are actually detergents. The cleaning action is done by synthetic chemical ingredients known as surfactants. Synthetic detergents like dish soap, liquid soap and shampoos are very good at removing dirt and oils. Oftentimes stripping skin of its natural oils and leaving it feeling dry and itchy.
Cold processed soap differs from industrially made cleansers. They contain an excess of saturated fatty acids and glycerin which act as moisturising agents.
Over-the-counter soap is often made using a continuous flow method, where the soap base is reused over and over again, with filler ingredients added. Fragrance oil is also added, which companies are not obligated by the FDA to disclose, meaning these products could contain harmful chemicals.
Dorović handmade soap never uses fragrance oils or mystery ingredients. You can smell great and have peace of mind knowing you haven’t exposed your body to any harmful chemicals. Our natural soap recipes incorporate essential oils packed with amazing benefits on top of beautiful aromas. Lavender has skin-nourishing qualities as well as therapeutic benefits. Lemongrass is crisp and refreshing, whilst also containing anti-microbial properties. There is ultimately so much more to gain by making the switch to natural soap.
