Skin care, and the dirty little secret

The other day, I was thinking back to the very birth of Chalet Soap Co, and how it all began. It Began with constant trips to doctors and allergists for my daughter‘s skin problems. She had constant rashes on her arms and legs, sometimes so severe that she would scratch until she drew blood. First , I thought that it was food allergies, so we did the elimination diet, cutting back to rice and honey and fresh vegetables. It didn’t work .

I started making pastes from Oatmeal and milk, which my Nana taught me to do when I was young. I found this would temporarily take the burn away, but, as she matured, the problem persisted and started turning into severe yeast infections. So, I started giving her oatmeal and milk baths every night so she could sleep . After numerous trips to the doctor and dermatologist, it was suggested that it was the soap I was using, and to only use "pure" soap. I was so glad to have found the problem, I immediately bought the purest soap I could find. Unfortunately, there was no change. As a matter of fact, the yeast infection got worse. I was heartbroken for her.

Then one evening, while visiting friends, I was discussing "pure" soap with my girlfriends, when a newcomer to the group mentioned that she made "pure" soap, and invited me to come to her house and learn how to do it. I jumped at the opportunity, and was there the next day. As I watched her measure and mix, I was thinking how this was right up my alley, having been in the beauty business.

As we were getting ready to pour the soap, she handed me a pair of goggles and a face mask. She put them on as well, along with rubber gloves that fit up to her arm pits, and proceeded to open all the doors and windows. I asked her why we had to wear all of this protection, and she told me that the LYE was going in, and the room filled with smoky, gassy fumes. I was horrified. How was this "Pure" soap? If it was, I wanted nothing to do with it.

So, my search began, beginning with the study of exactly what Lye is. Needles to say, it became an obsession, and my research led me to a wealth of information on Sodium Lauryl Sulfates. I knew I had found our problem. I then started milling down the soap to dissipate the LYE from it, which is what Cleopatra had her servants do. It was time consuming and labor intensive, and I found that the cured bars were not very appealing. That brought me to the discovery of a glycerine soap base that was SLS free. I started researching herbs and hydrosols , and many other all natural ingredients to incorporate in order to make bars for specific skins and skin problems.

That was 5 years ago. My daughter is 15 now, and has never had another yeast infection , rash, or even a pimple, and neither has my 20 year old son, who, prior to that, had terrible back acne and would never take his shirt off at the beach. I started doing research on how to make other SLS free products, such as Shampoos , Conditioners, Body Lotions, as well as many other products. I now sell a complete line of skin care and hair care products, all made with the best natural oils and vegetable derived surfactants. If you are experiencing skin disorders, or if you just want to hydrate your skin the natural way, focus your attention on the products taht you use to clean your skin everyday.

Christin Coulter has been in the beauty industry for 25 years. For more beauty secrets, go to www.skin-care-chemical-free.com