Why do you use lye (sodium or potassium hydroxide) in your soap? Isn’t it poisonous? Won’t it hurt my skin?
Let’s clear the air here. All REAL soap is made with lye. The lye saponifies with oil and water to make true soap. Conversely, “soap” that is made without lye is detergent, not authentic soap.
To further this discussion, there is no lye in soap. Now, how is that possible since we use lye to make soap? Soap is a beautiful thing that goes through a process called saponification. A quick chemistry lesson here from Merriam-Webster:saponify - to convert (something, such as fat) into soap;specifically: to hydrolyze (a fat) with alkali to form a soap and glycerol). Going back to chemistry class, what this means is that we use fats (oils such as coconut, almond, castor, jojoba, and grapeseed, and butters such as cocoa, shea, etc.) which are the fatty acids, and mix it with the alkali or base, the potassium hydroxide for liquid soap or sodium hydroxide for bar soap. Once these combine, a wonderful chemical reaction occurs, called saponification, and a new substance is created - SOAP! BOOM! Therefore NO lye, we repeat, NONE, remain in our final product. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank the lye for turning into something beautiful. As a bonus, real soap made with lye lasts a lot longer, too!
Why do you call your product “soap” and not “detergent”; are they interchangeable? What's the difference?
In short, no, they are not the same. The basic answer is that soaps are made from natural ingredients and detergents are made from man-made chemicals. We do not make detergent, we make soap.
Do I need to use vinegar in the dishwasher rinse cycle, or in the cycle at all?
You may need to, it largely depends on your tap water. We have tried our very best to formulate this recipe to work with varying water types, and the truth is, our tap water is usually very contaminated, no matter where you live. In some areas, using our powder is enough, and in other areas, vinegar may need to be added (hard water is the enemy). Please chime in and let us know where you live and what works best for you! For further information, check out these articles:
How do I know/feel that my clothes are really clean if they don’t have that strong smell I’m used to?
It may take a bit of transition to get used to your clothes smelling like, well, clothes, and not chemical fragrances which are very harmful to breathe into your body. We promise that soon, very soon, you will love the light scent of your fresh, truly clean clothes. Check out this article for more perspective:
What is a mouth detox and how do I do one?
We are so glad you asked! Here is a great guide:
Isn’t it hard to get used to the toothpaste/toothpowder color and the coloring of the toothbrush bristles?
Don't you love it when a question is answered with a question? :) The more important questions is, do you want to keep doing what you’ve been doing that is putting chemicals in your mouth, or do you want to use a product that not only works great, but is life giving to your teeth and gums? We feel that “seeing grey” is worth getting used to!
Why do my pits smell after using your deodorant?
Using conventional, chemically-laden deodorant masks smells and traps toxins from escaping your body. It will take your body some time to rid itself of these chemicals. Give it a week or two for your pits to purge those toxins. You’ll thank us later. To help in the process, do some armpit detoxes!
What is an armpit detox and how do I do one?
We are so glad you asked! Read more here:
Will I be able to just switch from my “regular” shampoo to a Cura.Te Shampoo Bar and be satisfied with how my hair looks and feels, or is there a transition period I should expect?
Changing from a chemical-based shampoo to our shampoo bar will most likely require some time for your body to adjust. Your hair and scalp will need to “detox” (if this sounds familiar, check out our deodorant FAQ), which could take several days to weeks. Our advice? Wear a fedora, a scarf, a hard hat, a beanie, a beret...put your hair in a ponytail, tell people you are part of a “very important experiment”. What are we trying to say? Take the time to truly detox your hair, for too many reasons to list. You will thank us for it. And yes, you are welcome.
Are your products vegan?
The only animal products used in Cura.Te products come from our bee friends If you are vegan, you have to make the decision if you will use any bee products... “beegan”, anyone? Rest assured that other than beeswax or honey, we do not use any animal products (no lard, for example) in any of our products, nor are our products tested on animals…yeah, as if we would!