Har Har, me Hearties!
About Us
Mikey and Dina Taylor are Brevard natives with pirate souls. We believe in natural ingredients, small batch production, honesty and GOOD mead. We met while doing live event production work and have been together for over 25 years through some of the weirdest turns imaginable. This is our twisted retirement plan.
About the Soap
Our soap uses only the finest therapeutic-grade essential oils and responsibly and ethically sourced materials from all over the world. We are proud to share that our soaps are completely free of all GMO ingredients, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, unnatural preservatives, and petroleum products. Many of our soaps are 100% vegan as well except for a few varieties that incorporate goats milk, honey, or beeswax.
Our Thoughts On Palm Oil
Over the past few years, the rise in bio-diesel and the need for edible non-hydrogenated oils has created a huge demand for palm oil. Palm oil is harvested significantly in tropical rain forest regions and the potential for deforestation is the root of the problem. When we became aware of this issue several years ago, we switched to an organic Rainforest Alliance Certified palm oil which is a renewable and sustainable resource and we source it only from vendors and producers who qualify under the Rainforest Alliance program. These producers and importers are committed to responsibly growing and harvesting palm oil without contributing to the pollution or deforestation of their communities and local regions.
Visit rainforest-alliance.org for more information.
Base Oil Details and Philosophy
The base oil is the foundation of the soap bar and our soap bases incorporate many amazing ingredients with specific benefits. See these details on some of the oils you may see in our soap bases.
Olive Oil:
Olive oil is a traditional mild emollient used in soap that provides a rich moisturizing feel to the soap. Olive oil is most commonly imported from Spain and other European countries.
Shea Butter:
Shea butter adds another moisturizing element to the soap bar and creates a soft, creamy texture.
Responsibly Sourced Organic Palm Oil (Rainforest Alliance Certified):
Palm oil is critical in balancing the softness that the sunflower oil and olive oil provide. It is necessary to produce a stable and hard soap bar that lasts through repeated use without sacrificing overall quality, user experience, or incorporating undesirable ingredients into the soap bar. We are proud to share that we exclusively use organic palm oil that is grown and harvested using only responsible and sustainable methods. Read more below on our thoughts on the palm oil debate.
Sunflower Oil:
Sunflower oil is very similar to olive with a lighter and cleaner feel to it. It can have a tendency to get more tacky than olive but the skin feels oh so nice when sunflower is used. We believe that we have found the perfect balance between luxurious and robust bar soap and the ratio of sunflower oil is a key factor.
Coconut Oil:
Coconut oil creates a fantastic lather. It adds some additional hardness to the soap bar and supports a rich and luxurious lather.
Hemp Oil:
Hemp oil may be incorporated for a unique skin feel and additional moisturizing potential. We only use unrefined hemp oil to eliminate the potential for contamination during the refining process.
Essential Oils, Certified Natural Fragrance Blends, and Fragrance Oils
An essential oil is a naturally derived plant fluid (usually by distillation of the plant) extracted from seeds, bark, leaf, or petals of the plant. Essential oil is usually a pure, single plant oil. The FDA has noted that blends of essential oils must be clearly indicate each essential oil contained within or otherwise be listed as a "fragrance". Many of our suppliers utilize essential oils and other natural raw materials to make our certified natural blends and they do not wish to disclose every ingredient. Therefore, our way of labeling them is to list them them as a Certified Natural Fragrance. This informs the consumer that it is indeed of natural origin while not requiring the manufacturer to list each individual essential oil contained within. If an individual does not care either way, we have a great deal of soaps that have lab created aroma chemicals also in them to "enhance" the aroma. These fragrances will simply be called "fragrance" and the "certified natural" will be dropped as a qualifier. In an effort to serve a wide range of customers and to offer a diverse product catalogue, we feature soaps that incorporate essential oils, certified natural fragrances, and fragrance oils.
What is a Fragrance Oil?
This is an ambiguous title used to note any amount of aromatic chemicals used (natural and/or unnatural origin) to create an aroma for a product. When a list of ingredients is not disclosed individually, a manufacturer must list as "fragrance" or "fragrance oil". As noted above, when we use aromatic elements of natural origin, we note these on the ingredients in order to inform the consumer the difference. If "certified natural" is not noted, the fragrance may contain some synthetic chemicals. We use only cosmetic skin safe fragrances in any case, though different skin types react differently. For example, some skin will be OK with natural cinnamon oil in soap while some will sense irritation and even "burning" feeling. It has been suggested by some that synthetic fragrances are to blame for skin irritation. This may or may not be true for the majority but each individual has to determine what works for them and in either case essential oils and fragrances are all extremely strong chemicals that should not be overused.
Activated Charcoal
Several of our soap varieties feature activated charcoal. All of the activated charcoal that we use in our products is produced from sustainably grown hardwood trees which are one of the United States most plentiful and sustainable resources. Unlike other charcoal sources, which can include recycled pallets and other unsustainable materials, all of our charcoal is made under the oversight of a reputable, nationwide forest preservation program. No old growth trees are ever used to produce our charcoal.