Tassajara Soaps are handmade in Pleasanton, California, using the Cold Process method. We make luxurious bars of soaps from our own specially formulated recipes using only the finest vegetable oils. Our recipes include Olive Oil for its humectant properties, Coconut Oil for its sudsing properties and Palm Oil to add hardness to our bars. And we enrich each bar with extra emollients. These emollients can include Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Johoba Oil and Castor Oil. Color is obtained by using cosmetic grade pigments, micas and, or botanicals.

We use a variety of soapmaking ingredients, and the names and characteristics of these are listed to let you know just what goes into your soap. (Not every ingredient is in each bar of soap)

Ingredients:

Cocoa butter: a wonderfully soothing solid oil that smells like white chocolate and results in a hard bar of soap. Widely used as a base in cosmetics for its great qualities.

Coconut oil: one of the main soapmaking oils. This is solid at room temperature and is moisturizing, but best used in conjunction with other oils. Makes a creamy lather, and soap made from coconut oil will lather even in salt water.

Olive oil: probably the best oil you can make soap with. This oil varies in color depending on the olive crop and can be golden to dark green. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein. The soaps made from olive oil have small bubbles but are mild and creamy. Soaps made entirely from olive oil are called Castile soaps.

Mango Butter: An emollient said to be protective against the sun. It is also said to prevent wrinkles and dry skin by regenerating cells and improving elasticity.

Shea Butter: provides stable lather, conditioning and moisturizing

Palm oil: a pale yellow semi-solid oil that is a great base for soapmaking. Adds firmness to soap and creates a bar that is creamy and produces small bubbles that clean well.

Essential oils: scents that are distilled directly from botanicals (flowers, leaves, petals, berries, etc).

Fragrance oils: Man-made fragrances that are used when the scent you are looking for is not available in an essential oil. We only use fragrance oils that are made for soapmaking.

Pigments: Brown Oxide, Black Oxide, Red Oxide, Green Oxide, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Viole and Ultramarine Pink are used as colorants in some of our soaps. These are natural dyes that are made from ground rock and are cosmetic-grade.

Why should you use handmade soap?

Handmade soap is wonderful for your skin, because it contains the natural glycerin which occurs in the soap making process. Most commercial soaps have their glycerin extracted and sold to other industries. This is why your skin feels dry and itchy after you use them. The glycerin in handmade soap leaves your skin silky soft!

Tassajara Soaps are handmade "from scratch" using the old fashioned cold-process method. They are not made from the melt & pour soap base that is sold in craft stores. These handmade soaps contain only pure, natural ingredients. We do not use animal fats, and use only herbs, spices, and natural pigments to color the soaps.

Our handmade soaps are scented using high quality essential oils and fragrance oils. Because every bath bar is loaded with natural glycerin, it is very important that you care for it properly. Place in a clean, dry soap dish after each use.