Frequently Asked Questions
A Little More About What We Make
We believe choosing products for your home should feel simple.
Below you'll find answers to some of the questions we hear most often about our handcrafted soap, ingredients, scents, care, and ordering.
Can't find what you're looking for? We'd be happy to help.
Our Soap
How is Oak & Lantern soap made?
Our bars are handcrafted in small batches using the traditional cold-process soap making method.
Oils and fats are carefully measured and combined with a sodium hydroxide solution to begin a process called saponification. The soap is then poured, cut, and allowed time to cure before it is ready for use.
Working in small batches allows us to stay closely connected to the process from beginning to end.
What makes handmade cold-process soap different?
Cold-process soap is created by combining oils and fats with an alkali to form soap and naturally occurring glycerin.
Rather than simply shaping or melting a premade soap base, we formulate each recipe from the beginning and select the ingredients that give each bar its particular hardness, lather, cleansing properties, texture, scent, and appearance.
Do you use beef tallow?
Yes. Beef tallow is an important ingredient in many of our soap recipes.
It is a traditional soap making fat that helps create a firm, long-lasting bar with a dense, creamy lather.
Because not every Oak & Lantern recipe is exactly the same, we recommend checking the ingredient list on the individual product page before purchasing.
Do you use lye?
Yes.
Real soap cannot be made without an alkali. For solid bar soap, that alkali is typically sodium hydroxide, commonly called lye.
During soap making, the sodium hydroxide reacts with the oils and fats through a process called saponification, creating soap and naturally occurring glycerin.
It is an essential part of the soap making process.
What ingredients do you use?
Our recipes may include ingredients such as beef tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, shea butter, colloidal oatmeal, activated charcoal, clays, honey, pumice, essential oils, fragrance oils, and cosmetic colorants.
Not every bar contains every ingredient.
You'll find the specific ingredient list for each soap on its individual product page.
Why do you use both animal fats and plant oils?
Different fats and oils contribute different qualities to soap.
Tallow can help create hardness and a creamy lather. Coconut oil contributes cleansing and bubbly lather. Olive oil contributes conditioning qualities, while castor oil helps support and stabilize lather.
We formulate them together so each ingredient has a purpose within the finished bar.
Are your soaps all-natural?
We prefer to tell you exactly what we use rather than rely on broad terms such as "all-natural."
Our recipes include traditional fats and plant oils along with ingredients such as botanicals, clays, essential oils, fragrance oils, and cosmetic colorants depending on the particular bar.
Each product page lists the ingredients used so you can make an informed choice.
Are your soaps vegan?
Not all of them.
Many Oak & Lantern recipes contain beef tallow, and some may also contain ingredients such as honey.
If avoiding animal-derived ingredients is important to you, please review the individual ingredient list before purchasing.
Do you use essential oils or fragrance oils?
We use both.
Essential oils work beautifully for certain botanical, citrus, herbal, and woodsy scent profiles.
Fragrance oils give us the ability to create more complex scents such as florals, vanilla blends, bourbon-inspired fragrances, seasonal spices, and other combinations that aren't possible using essential oils alone.
Each product listing identifies the ingredients used in that particular bar.
Why do you use colorants?
Color helps give each Oak & Lantern bar its individual personality.
Depending on the recipe, we may use clays, activated charcoal, botanical ingredients, cosmetic micas, or other soap-appropriate colorants.
We use color to complement the character and scent of the bar rather than simply make the soap bright.
Using Your Soap
How should I store my bar between uses?
The most important thing you can do is allow your soap to dry between uses.
Keep your bar on a well-draining soap dish and avoid leaving it sitting in standing water.
Air circulation helps the bar dry properly and can considerably extend its useful life.
How long will a bar last?
There isn't one exact answer.
How long your soap lasts depends on how often it is used, how many people use it, and how it is stored.
A bar kept dry between uses on a draining soap dish will generally last much longer than one that remains wet.
Can I use your soap on my face or body?
Our products are sold as soap for cleansing, but everyone's skin and preferences are different.
Always review the ingredients of the individual bar before use, particularly if you have known sensitivities or allergies.
If irritation occurs, discontinue use.
Are your soaps good for sensitive skin?
Everyone's skin responds differently to different ingredients and fragrances, so we don't describe one bar as universally appropriate for sensitive skin.
Instead, we provide ingredient information so you can choose based on your own preferences and known sensitivities.
Unscented or simply formulated products may be preferable for some customers, when available.
Can children use handmade soap?
Parents and caregivers should review the individual product's ingredients and decide what is appropriate for their household.
Take particular care with scented products and known allergies or sensitivities, and keep soap out of the eyes and mouth.
Ordering & Products
Will every handmade bar look exactly the same?
No—and that's part of handmade soap.
Because our bars are poured, swirled, cut, and finished in small batches, slight variations in color, pattern, texture, and appearance are normal.
Those differences are part of what makes each bar uniquely handcrafted.
Are seasonal soaps available year-round?
Seasonal collections are produced for limited periods and may not remain available once a season or batch has sold through.
Some customer favorites may return in future seasons, while others may change as our collections evolve.
What if a soap I want is sold out?
Small-batch production means certain bars may occasionally sell out.
Check back for restocks, seasonal releases, and returning favorites, or join our email list to hear about upcoming batches and launches.
Still Have a Question?
We're happy to help.
If there's something you couldn't find here, send us a message through our Contact page and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Made with care. Rooted in purpose. Created for home.