Natural Soaps with StarGazer Soaps

It's a simple truth that as parents we want to do the best we can for our families and provide for them in anyway we can. It seems to be a huge trend that more and more people are switching to all natural and less processed products. We educate ourselves on how exposure to different chemicals over our lifetime can affect us, and as a first time mom I spent countless hours reading up about specifically bath products for my new baby.

But what did I miss out on? Taking care of myself too! After all, I'm not even 30 yet, it's not like I'm "too far gone" to make a difference, right?

So recently I've started taking the initiative on not only making sure that my entire family eats better but also that we are much more mindful of the products we use and their properties. Which is why I want to share with you about natural, handmade soaps from StarGazer Soaps!

I used to think that handmade soaps were just 'foofy' and actually didn't work as well as the mass marketed products you buy off the shelf at the grocery store. Of course, as I educated myself and spoke more with Nicole (owner and soapmaker of StarGazer Soaps), I learned that it is literally far from the truth.

Handmade, natural soaps are:

• Chemical Free - It takes 10 seconds for our skin to absorb the chemicals in commercial soap - Formaldehyde being one of them!
  
• They are naturally moisturizing
• Commercial soap companies remove the glycerin that is made during the soap making process and replace it with chemicals
• Commercial soap companies add detergent to soap - to clean your shower while you use it!
• StarGazer Soaps are absolutely chemical free - using only oils, minerals, clays, etc.  No dyes, no detergent, no formaldehyde!
• Soap - true soap - requires oils/fats & an alkali in order to make soap. Most commercial bars are labeled as "beauty bar" or "body bar".  This is because they are made with detergents, and are not true soap.  This includes body wash.  Again, not soap!
• If soap is not labeled as "soap", it does not fall under the strict soap FDA guidelines.  By claiming it is a cosmetic product, they can hide ingredients and make all sorts of claims.  The laws are different for each label, and much stricter for soaps.
• Nicole only uses natural ingredients in her bars, however what sets apart her purely natural line from her silk line is that the purely natural soaps use essential oils whereas the silk line uses a combination of fragrance oil.
• Learn more about the differences between handmade and commercial soaps on Nicole's blog.

Nicole's personal testimony is that switching to natural, handmade soaps 

has cured her family of eczema, acne & dry skin. 

Maybe it won't do do the same for everyone, but it has been life changing for them.
Watch Nicole's videos on how she pours and cuts her soap!

Over the last couple months I've had the opportunity to try out Nicole's Mars Silk, Orion Silk, and Purely Natural Grapefruit soaps. Seriously, what a treat! All of her soaps smell so good and are visually unique. 

StarGazer Purely Natural Grapefruit

True to its name, the Mars soap has a very masculine scent and I've found Adam reaching for it often. The Orion is her most beautiful bar and I've had that out in our guest bathroom for our guests. It has fruity and floral scents and is a perfect hand moisturizing soap. Our favorite to keep in the shower has been the Grapefruit bar. It's an awesome all around soap bar and I've also loved using it instead of shaving cream!

StarGazer Mars

Guess what else? StarGazer Soaps welcomes custom orders! So keep her in mind when you are planning your next bridal or baby shower, an upcoming grad party (how fun would it be to have your graduating colors in a soap bar?), or any other special occasion you can think of.

Connect with StarGazer Soaps via 

Facebook, Youtube and her blog (where you can get previews of upcoming soaps and tips!) and
shop online at Etsy.

And my favorite part of all.. sharing these awesome soaps with you! One lucky winner will get to pick 4 soaps that they'd like to try - 2 from the silk line and 2 from the purely natural line. Goodie!!

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who entered! 

Please check out other Pierogie Mama giveaways.

Disclosure: Thank you, StarGazer Soaps for providing me with product to facilitate this review. I absolutely loved them and am a 100% handmade soap convert! All opinions expressed are my own. None of these statements are intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Please exercise your own common sense and consult a physician if you have any concerns.