Friday, January 23, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are Yuan soaps "softer" than other soaps?
Answer:
Because we do not add paraffin wax and stearyl agent to harden the soaps and at the same time there were no high compression process which helps to mold the soaps shape. Yuan soaps take about 30 to 60 days to harden in a natural environment, and each bar is sliced individually. The paraffin wax and stearyl agent will clog our pores and by using natural handmade soap, you would not have the problem.
2. Why are Yuan Soaps' scents are not as strong or lasting as other soaps?
Answer:

Many soaps come with a
rtificial fragrances and perfumes that are mostly petroleum-based. The enter our bodies through our skin contact and by inhaling them. They may contain phthalates. Synthetic fragrance is the most frequent cause of allergies from cleaning products and oftentimes the fragrance can be annoying, cause skin and eye irritation, and headaches. Artificial fragrances are toxic, especially for aquatic life, birds and other animals, who are more sensitive at first to the effects (remember the canary in the coal mine? Miners knew it was unsafe if the canary died from toxic fumes even while the unfeathered friends (humans) were still working amidst the toxin.) Many artificial fragrance are known to cause cancer, birth defects, migraines, allergies and other ailments which can lead to Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, SIDs, and Alzheimer's. When "artificial fragrance" or sometimes just "fragrance" is listed as an ingredient on a product, pause and wonder. That word can include hundreds of chemicals! Most of the research has been on topical effects but perfumes and fragrance were made to be inhaled. There is little long-term research on the effects of all these chemicals period, even less on the effects of inhaling these chemicals, not to mention the complete and utter lack of any research on their interaction with one another nor on the effects these things can have on our children!
Unfortunately, "unscented" or "fragrance free" may be no better for our health. Many companies use chemicals to mask odors. Scent is an important aspect of our lives; it affects our mood and our health. Pure essential oils can be used instead. Though they may appear to cost more at first, you need such a small amount and the effects of a pure essential oil over a artificial fragrance are staggering - on our environment and our future, on our overall wellbeing, health and our mood. Yuan soaps use Pure Essential Oils in the soaps thus causing no harm to our body.
2. Where do we get the "colour" on the soaps?
Answer:
Mother Nature has bestowed us with a rainbow of colours in the plants. By using the plants in our soaps, the colours occured naturally during the process. For example, our Purple Gromwell & Roselle soap gets it purple colour from the purple roots of Purple Gromwell. These natural colour enriched Yuan soaps with their plants properties. We would not make a soap with a specific colour in our mind.
3. Why do some soaps cause burning sensation/irritate the skin when we start using it?
Answer:
Some soaps contained antibacterial agents and cleansing properties from plants and pure essential oil. This is only temporary, as our skin get healthier from using the soaps, the irritation will subsides.
4. Can we use handmade soaps as facial wash?
Answer:
Of course! Our faces welcome natural products as much as the skin on our bodies. Everyday our face is exposed to dirt, polluted air, and makeup. The natural handmade soap would reduce the burden we put on the face. Just be choose wisely among the Yuan soap which is the most suitable for your skin type. For dry skin, you can always try Organic Oat soap and Sishen Chinese Herbs Soaps, For oily skin, Organic Mung bean and Job's tears and Lemon is great.
5. Shouldn't we used PH neutral products?
Answer:
Our skins are actually a little acidic thus using our soaps which are slightly alkaline helps to clean the skin. Acid + Alkaline= Neutral.
6. Why are there white spots on the soaps?
Answer:
These are not molds, these white substance are created when pure essential oils meet cool air or when the soaps are air dried.
7. How to we increase the soaps' lifespan?
Answer:
Simple, just ensure you leave it on dry places especially after using it. The soap is softer than commercial use because the high oil content we use,as these oils will ensure the goodness properties within the soaps remained fresh.
8. What about reused oil? Does Yuan soap use reused oil in their soap making process?
Answer:
Reused oil are mostly process with high heat thus its molecules are bigger than the unused ones. The larger molecules will clogged our skin's pores as well thus irritations or break outs will happen. We use only new edible oil for our soaps.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Reese, I arrived here from a random Google search on Yuan soaps. Referring to question #3 on the burning sensation/skin irritation - on general how long does this last when using the soap? I was recommended to use the Purple Gromwell & Roselle soap and I find the burn/itch pretty unbearable each time I bathe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Rinnah,

    I would recommend you use the soap sparingly, like maybe every other day only, as your skin might be more sensitive than others. But if I remember correctly I read in one of your comments in mywomenstuff.com you have eczema, if you can briefly tell me which part of your body you usually have the outbreak, maybe I can recommend another soap variant to you. Appreciate your question, thanks for dropping me a note.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Reese, thanks for answering my question. Just only got back to checking the site. =)

    Yup, as I commented on PB's site, I have eczema pretty much all over my body. The strangest part is that the burn/itch sensation only happens on the upper body - neck, shoulders, arms, torso. Even though I also have eczema on my legs, it does not seem to have the same effect there.

    I was originally going to try the Wild Patchouli soap since PB's brother-in-law had a good experience with it, but was informed by the SA at Bodybar (which is where I got the soap) that the Purple Gromwell & Roselle soap would be more effective for my eczema.

    I've actually stopped using the soap right now until I feel up to "experimenting" again, so I might try using it off and on.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rinnah, thanks for sharing. Maybe you will have a better experience when you decide to try our other soaps such as wild mugwort.

    ReplyDelete