About Us
My story: When I was a little girl, I would spend the night on occasion with my grandmother. I would always look forward to bath time because she had this amazing rose scented soap. I loved smelling it while I took my bath and I loved the clean, soft feeling it gave me after the bath. The manufacturer discontinued the soap before I graduated high school, and I have searched for years to find a soap that I liked as well.
A few years ago, I wandered through the Falls Church Farmers’ Market and, on a whim, decided to pick up a soap. I can’t remember which scent originally attracted me, but I became immediately hooked. Friends and customers ask me which is my favorite scent. I can honestly say that I don’t have one. So many choices and they’re all good.
I invite you to tell me a sudsy story at info@oaklanesoap.com. Share with me your love of soap or your favorite scent.
Sudsy Facts
Why Is Soap Special?
Soap is for cleaning, but the ingredients in soap make it special. The moisturizing agents leave your skin soft. I have one friend who exclaims that this soap has “changed her skin.” However, soap becomes personal with the scent. Everyone has a favorite. Mine is Black Tea & Sage. It’s tangy and herby. It makes me feel good in the morning — I don’t know why.
Scientifically explained, the olfactory system, which is affected by scents, stores emotional memories. Through conditioned learning, a smell becomes associated with an experience. In some cases, we may not be able to attach the specific memory. We just realize a positive or negative affect associated with a smell. I watch as customers stop by my table. Almost every one has a different favorite, but each has the same reaction. They find their favorite, take a sniff, and I watch their eyes close and their entire body relax. That is what makes soap special.
What is Soap?
Oak Lane Soap is a mixture of moisturizing agents and cleansing agents. For most soaps, I use palm kernel, coconut, olive, avocado and castor oils mixed with shea butter and lye. I also carefully select essential oils and fragrances to give Oak Lane Soaps pleasing aromas combined with healthful moisturizing agents for your skin. This is a “hot process” soap in which I gently heat the oil and lye mixture until it reaches a chemical reaction called saponification (sah-pon-if-ik-ay-shun). All OLSW products are handmade by me. I enjoy making and selling a product that makes people feel good.
Storing your handcrafted soap.
Handmade soap does not like standing water. For best results, store your soap in a dish that does not collect water. Before using your Oak Lane Soap in the shower, cut it into halves or thirds, using only one piece at a time. The soap will foam and moisturize just the same in the smaller size, and the longer that the soap stays away from water, the better.
