Mercy Street

Real soap is created by simply mixing water and lye together with fat and or oils until they become saponified. Saponification is the chemical reaction that results by mixing the water and lye with oils and fats, which when blended together creates the little miracle that is soap.

 

Although we know that soap cleanses and disinfects, we don’t often stop to think about how it does. When we lather up, the soap goes to work. Soap molecules are long, with a balloon end which is hydrophilic, or attracted to water on one side and hydrophobic, or water resistant on the other side. The hydrophobic side draws in the dirt and germs which are oil based, and surrounds them, creating what is known as micelles. These micelles lift the dirt and germs up and off the surface being washed and are then rinsed away with water. One of the miraculous aspects of soap is its ability to surround and literally break up and kill not only dirt but also germs, bacteria and viruses, including coronaviruses, which are then washed away with a good rinse.

 

Hand-crafted soap is quickly becoming a lost art. Mass-produced commercial cleansing products have taken its place in the last century and what we have been sold to believe is ‘soap’ is actually synthetically-produced fragranced detergent. Detergents can clean and work in a similar fashion to soap, but they are produced with synthetic chemicals that can often be harmful to our bodies and to the environment in both their development and use. Now more than ever it is important to be mindful of combating dirt and germs with materials that are sustainably sourced.

 

In addition to creating pure, artisan products, Mercy Street Soap and Market offers training and trade skills to men and women who are coming out of incarceration. Our goal is to provide a discipleship pathway as well as to restore and revive the tradition and practicality of handcrafted soaps. These products will not only be available on our website for your everyday use to combat the spread of germs, but they will also be available to order as beautifully packaged gifts for friends and loved ones.