Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

What is soap?

Soap is a natural compound that decreases the surface tension in polar substances. Simply put, molecules of soap wiggle in between the polar bonds that hold water in droplets and streams, allowing air (and the scents carried therein) to create space where surface tension usually is: bubbles! Concentrated soap, carried by a little bit of water and the air you stir into it by lathering.

This is what gives soap its residue-free clean: the hydrophobic "tail" of every soap molecule binds to the natural oils on skin (with varying levels of stank), while the hydrophilic "head" of the soap molecule binds to water. A full rinse dilutes the compound, carrying your "dirty" dissolved oils and soap on the surrounding water and down the drain, leaving skin clean and refreshed.

 

I’ve got my Liquid Soap Concentrate, my essential oil blend, and distilled water; how do I make these into liquid soap?

Depending on how much soap you'd like to make, get a bottle or jar to hold it

For concentrated liquid soap:

The Organic Dynamic liquid is pretty awesome unscented, but fragrance is nice, too.

  • Use 15 grams (.5oz) of pure, undiluted essential oil for every US PINT (16oz) of soap. If you're snagging Essential Oil Blends from the Organic Dynamic, the three sizes available will make 1 US pint (15g), 1 half-gallon US (60g) and 1 gallon US (120g) without needing extra. Add your desired fragrance, combine and enjoy!

For foaming liquid soap dispensers:

Dilute soap concentrate to 33% using the instructions above. After adding any fragrance to your liquid soap:

  • Fill your soap dispenser halfway with concentrated liquid soap
  • Fill other half with distilled water, replace lid, and pump!

 

Does soap kill viruses and bacteria?

Natural soap possesses no chemical agents or antibacterial additives, meaning that it does not kill viruses and bacteria - it simply washes them away. Soap dissolves and binds to secreted skin oils and washes them down the drain, carrying odor-causing bacteria along with it. Mirroring the same guidelines published regarding hand washing, vigorous scrubbing with soap for 20 seconds results in 99% of bacteria and viruses being washed away by the rinse. This is because all bacteria (and some viruses, including SARS-CoV-2) have a lipid membrane, which leave them vulnerable to the hydrophobic tail of a soap molecule.

Furthermore, human skin is effectively a filter-barrier for the body, capable of absorbing anything on it, good or bad. Slathering chemical detergents, antibacterial additives or other man-made compounds onto the skin would certainly kill microorganisms on contact, but very well may have detrimental effects on the rest of the body in the long run. To that end, the Organic Dynamic soaps will not kill microorganisms on contact, and never will; instead, we are dedicated to providing a natural and gentle cleanse that is safe for everyday use.

 

What’s this I hear about essential oils? Will it prevent or cure (insert medical condition)?

Essential Oils are highly concentrated plant extracts, which are made by pressing or distilling copious amounts of specific herbs, flowers, resins or seeds. The resulting oils and oleo-resins contain high levels of terpenes and other natural chemicals, retaining the essence, fragrance or medicinal spirit of the source plant. These concentrated oils can be used for aromatherapy applications (such as candles, meditation and massage, and perfume), but are also used for topical applications like lotions, scrubs and soaps.

When used in skincare products, some plant chemicals may be absorbed through the skin. Additionally, it is suggested that aroma-therapeutic use of essential oil can stimulate the limbic system, which is heavily involved with long-term memory and emotional regulation. Additionally, initial studies have begun to shed light on essential oil benefits, publishing promising results about mitigating stress and anxiety, pursuing anti-inflammatory effects, or providing alternatives to antibiotic and anti-microbial chemicals.

Despite these promising studies, the glorious pantheon of genuine medicinal plants used in essential oils, the history of their efficacy and status, and the numerous anecdotal benefits we assign to them, no essential oil will prevent or cure any disease or medical condition. The Organic Dynamic uses plant-based essential oils in all flagship soap products, at least to provide an unparalleled aromatic experience that honors the plants that make it possible.

 

How do you make soap? 

In Chemistry 101, we learn that "likes dissolve likes": e.g. if one seeks to dissolve a polar molecule, one must use a polar compound. For anyone who slept through that class, it's like saying that the only way to beat 'em is to join 'em. In soapmaking, we match up the oil profile, then break apart oil molecules to make them into double-agents.

Every oil on this planet, refined or not, has a certain chemical makeup, which makes each unique grease a slightly different kind of Difficult to Clean Up; I find myself thinking about bacon grease, or old motor oil, to name more stubborn varieties. In selecting oils for effective soap (or synthetic chemicals, in detergent), its own chemical makeup can be matched with the oil to be dissolved, in order to effectively dissolve grease and completely wash away. For natural soap, we select oils from plants like the Jojoba shrub, which is renowned for its chemical similarities to the sebum oils produced in the human face.

Once our natural oil blend is measured out, we use high-pH alkali (dissolved in water, at double the pH of a human body!) to tear apart the chemical bonds of the fatty triglycerides of our oils and make a new compound. This process frees glycerin molecules from their bonded state in oil ("tri-glycerides"), which provide water-retention benefits and add to the moisturizing capabilities of natural soap.

Lastly, through the magic of CATALYST MATHEMATICS (also called super-fatting), 100% of the alkali solution is used up in modern soapmaking. Absolutely none of the high-pH solution is left over in this process, leaving behind gentle, neutral soap, ready for your beautiful face. All the Organic Dynamic soaps are pH tested, and retain all the natural glycerin found in the ingredient plant oils.

 

My foaming dispenser is clogged and keeps shooting soap onto my shirt! Help! 

Hey now, you're just testing the new and improved Organic Dynamic Laundry line! I'm kidding: liquid castile soap like the Organic Dynamic needs to be diluted, in order to make it out of a foaming dispenser. Add some distilled water to your dispenser, and poke a cotton swab into the business-end of your foaming dispenser to remove congealed soap debris.

If the issue persists, take the foaming lid off and pump plain water through the system to unclog the tubes. Also, we offer Pre-Mixed Foaming Soap for your convenience.