There's nothing better to me than getting a personal email from one of our satisfied and loyal customers. Hearing people's success with their skin confidence never gets old to me, and I always enjoy bringing people's confidence alive through naturally made skincare, soaps, face creams, herbal products, balms, and more. Thank you for making Me and a Tree Artisan Skincare your natural choice!
I formulate many products for the skin but believe it or not; the most difficult of all is the formulation of our soaps. Soap has to have that precise balance of cleansing without over-cleansing while also delivering a soft moisturizing feel without being too oily and slick. A high-quality bar of good soap has a nice natural creamy lather without using lathering agents such as SLS. Unfortunately, some so-called natural skin brand companies that claim to be natural actually add Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in place of good chemistry to many soaps and products to make a bar lather. It's not natural and has been linked to cancer. I (and many others) happen to be allergic to it. SLS is terrible for the skin and is a cheap filler and way to make a "detergent" without knowing chemistry. It's not a healthy way to make a product for your skin, let alone your face.
A well-formulated bar of soap can lather beautifully without adding chemical detergents. Still, you need to know a bit of chemistry and what specific oils do in certain quantities to make that happen. You can't just add great ingredients together and get a great bar of soap- it doesn't work that way. You have to understand how much of each element to add and how the chemistry changes based on the amounts of that specific individual ingredient. Soap making is not like cooking; it's more like baking but without an oven. Cooking is forgiving, but quality artisan baking is an art and a science, as is artisan soap making. If you add too much of a good thing or not enough of an ingredient- even if it's natural, it can completely change the chemistry of a bar of soap - for better or worse.
I started making soaps about a decade ago for my scalp eczema. I tell that story here. Needless to say, I needed something more gentle and more natural than what I saw in health food stores. It seemed like brands were selling out right and left and what once worked for me stopped working, and there I was, in need of a more naturally formulated shampoo with excellent chemistry. The problem with liquid shampoo & soaps is that they all use a type of detergent under conspicuous names to "lather." People with rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, or sensitive, prone skin can not use SLS or its derivatives without getting red rashes and bumps wherever the SLS shampoo soap happens to land.
Here are some "hidden" names you may see other than SLS that are the same thing and cause irritation and worse. SLS, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, Aquarex methyl, Carsonol SLS, Duponal, Lauryl sulfate sodium salt, Neutrazyme, Sodium Coco-Sulfate. These are just a few, and don't be fooled; they all contain SLS. They are just fanciful ways to hide the same things- SLS. So How could I find something that worked without adding all the junk?
It didn't happen overnight. I had to make a lot of soap and try it on my skin over and over and over again until I was satisfied that the soap didn't leave me overly dry or feeling too oily. I wanted that perfect balanced skin where I didn't feel tight or like I had a sheet of oil on my face. Soap making is both an art and a science. I read chemistry books galore and practiced a lot before selling my naturally formulated soaps and skincare to the public. It was a labor of love, and I am grateful for every minute of it.
Our soaps and products combine clays, essential oils, base oils, flowers, and more- in such a way as to help the skin reach homeostasis- that is that perfect natural balance. I made sure that every artisan soap bar I made was carefully formulated to perfection to be used on the hair, face and body, and if my efforts fell short, then it was back to the drawing board for me. I spent a lot of time reworking my formulas, and I was relentless and a perfectionist when it came to formulating ME AND A TREE skincare products. I knew what I needed for my own skin, and I knew I wasn't alone.
Perhaps you, too, are looking to stay away from any harmful or harsh unnatural chemicals known to be comedogenic or carcinogenic, such as SLS, BHT, Parabens, Petroleum, or the like. If you are anything like me and searching for a bar soap or better face creams and body care product to help you or a loved one with acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, or other problematic skin issues, or just plain o'l have sensitive skin, then I invite you to take a look around or drop me an email. I use all-natural ingredients from botanicals, flowers, essential oils, and phthalate-free scents and oils when crafting my ME AND A TREE skincare line. You'll love the high-quality face soaps, body bars, shampoo bars, and lotions I make because I too count on them to keep me free from my own eczema and sensitive prone skin and I believe you can too!
Our soaps are naturally safe for the whole family (over the age of 2 years old). If you struggle with skin issues like I do, rest assured that the ingredients inside each bar of soap, lotion, face cream, skin safe bug repellent or body spray, and lip balm will be soothing, gentle, and healing. There's something for everyone- including Dad, hubby, mom, daughters, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, teachers, bosses and the like. I enjoy catering to those who understand and appreciate high quality ingredients and know the long term benefits of using natural plant based ingredients. The whole family can enjoy our line. We also have shampoo bars for dogs!
So, you are cordially invited to head on over to our website and pick up a lovely wildflower or essential oil plant-based soap or body care product that delivers beautiful clear smooth skin every time. We think you will be delightfully surprised at the craftsmanship purely natural yet powerful ingredients and silky feeling of ME AND A TREE's soaps and lotions on your skin. Don't forget to get on our email newsletter by signing up on our websites homepage, so you don't miss any of our latest news and promos!