1. If you noticed, especially during the rainy season, exposed bars "sweat" or get moist on its own.  That's because they naturally absorb water or moisture from the air.  What makes this occur is the naturally-formed glycerin, a humectant, which is retained in every bar.

Humectants keep our skin moisturized.  So, whenever you use BY NATURE Handmade Soaps, you are assured of getting glycerin on your skin, leaving it moisturized all the time.  Other natural humectants are honey and castor oil which some of my bars have, too.

So the next time you see the handmade soaps "sweating", especially during humid weather, you're assured that the humectants in the bars are doing their job.

2. The longer the handmade soaps are air dried, the longer they last in the shower.  But they also tend to shrink and become lighter because the water continues to evaporate from the bar.

3. Given that they are handled by hand from start to finish, imperfections with their shape and variation on their appearance per batch are normal.  Some bars may have unequal cuts, small holes, dark spots (from clumped up or not-thoroughly-mixed ingredients like herbs and spices), little dents or rounded edges, but they are still the same high-quality handmade soaps.  These little imperfections also make every single bar unique.

4. Beside all my handmade soaps' names are their respective percentages indicating how natural they are.   Those that are not 100% NATURAL contain fragrance oils. Fragrance oils give the bars their nice, distinct scents, but they happen to also be synthetic.  I use them to scent my Regular Bars and one (1) of my Special Bars, Strawberry Milkshake.  I'm afraid there is no strawberry essential oil available.

Most food scents (like chocolate, coffee, milk, etc.) or fruit scents (like mango, coconut, kiwi, etc.) are not attainable through natural means, therefore, they are produced synthetically to make their fragrances available for cosmetic use.

Anyway, here is a list of essential oils to serve as your guide so you would have an idea if a product you buy really uses essential oils or fragrance oils.

5. BY NATURE Handmade Soaps are normally bigger and heavier compared to other soaps in the market.   Some bars even weigh as much as 150g plus! But the minimum weight is 120g (after curing for a month).  Before the bars are packaged, they are weighed to make sure that they go above the 120g minimum.  Those that weigh below the minimum are not included anymore.

6. As I always tell those who inquire about the shelf life of my handmade soaps, "They will always be good handmade soaps (much better than commercial and herbal soaps in the market)."  Now, what may change in time is their scent.  Those that are scented with pure essential oils are the ones that may lose their scents faster because essential oils are volatile.   But if the bars are kept in their clear wraps (and stored properly), their scents may last a bit longer, around 3-6 months.

For those scented with fragrance oils, their scents will last a pretty long time, around 6-12 months (that's why a lot of personal care products contain fragrance oils instead of essential oils).  But I hope my handmade soaps won't be stored that long and, instead, be used immediately upon purchase or receiving them as a gift. .