Soap: Honey Beer

Name: Soap: Honey Beer
Brand: Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve
SKU: shonbeer
Price: 9.95 USD
Availability: InStock

A moisturizing natural soap with a fabulous lather. The organic honey and the hops give this bar a nice clean scent with a hint of sweetness.

Title:

Full Bar 5.6 oz

Trial Sample Bar 1.7 oz

$9.95

Quantity

Product Overview

Good For: All Skin Types, Sensitive Skin

Adding beer to a bath is a practice that began in the Middle Ages. Beer is well known for its conditioning properties and creates a gentle, moisturizing, and bubbly lather.

Enriched with organic honey and unrefined cocoa butter to provide a mild, nourishing natural soap. This soap does not smell like beer!

The honey and the hops give this bar a nice clean smell with a hint of sweetness. The lather is so bubbly that one customer said it was like taking a bubble bath in the shower! Great for shaving too! Makes a unique gift for a man in your life!

The malt and yeast in Beer, rich in B vitamins and trace minerals, help make skin smooth and supple
Hops Flowers soften, soothe and calm inflammation
Honey moisturizes and soothes
Virgin Shea and Cocoa Butters, two great emollients, are excellent for dry, damaged, or maturing skin
Great for sensitive skin

We use beer from Great Lakes Brewing Company as part of their sustainability chain. Read more about Great Lakes in the FAQs on this page.

How To Use

What Should I Use With My Natural Soap to Clean My Body?

organic-natural-soap-lather The purpose of soap is to combine with oil and dirt on the body, which allows water to wash it away. The method you use to cleanse your skin is really a personal preference. We thought we would share just a few examples.

Bar Bathers rub the bar directly on their skin to create a creamy lather. Massaging the velvety lather into your skin before rinsing allows you to experience the best moisturizing properties of the soap. This is definitely the best way to use exfoliating soaps.

Hand Latherers create lather in their clean hands and use the lather to massage and wash the skin. This gentle, mild cleansing method may be good for those with sensitive skin.

Washcloth Washers use a washcloth to lather up. Washcloths are made out of lots of different textile textures, from soft cotton to agave fibers, and can provide very gentle to intense exfoliation. Be sure washcloths are laundered and dried often.

Puff Polishers use a mesh puff that works up a foamy, bubbly lather, even with hard water, to wash and gently exfoliate the skin. Poofs make natural soap last longer but can harbor bacteria, so rinse thoroughly after use and replace every few weeks or clean per manufacturer's instructions.

Loofah Latherers love their loofahs that exfoliate and help increase circulation. Whole loofahs can be breeding grounds for bacteria, so be sure they dry out properly after use and replace them every two months. If you would like something less abrasive, check out our Bath & Body Accessories.

Soap Sackers place their soap into a nylon soap bag. The fibers have a smooth texture for gentle cleansing. Soap sacks can be used for whole bars of soap or scraps that would normally be thrown away.

There is a large variety of bathing accessories available. If using any accessory, never share them with others and replace or clean them often.

Effective, Feel Good Ingredients

The goal is simple: to Harness the Power & Simplicity of Nature® to cleanse, soothe, heal, and protect your skin and hair!

Our unique formulas rely on moisturizing oils and butters, healing botanicals, and pure essential oils. We choose every ingredient with one end-result in mind….the BEST possible natural skin care for YOU!

Featured Ingredients

Beer

Organic Honey

Organic Hops

All Ingredients:

Organic Coconut Oil*

,

Organic Palm Oil (Sustainable)

,

Organic Canola Oil

,

Organic Sunflower Oil

,

Beer

,

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

,

Organic Castor Bean Oil

,

Distilled Water

,

Sodium Hydroxide^

,

Organic Virgin Shea Butter*

,

Organic Cocoa Butter*

,

Organic Honey

,

Organic Hops

,

Organic Cornstarch

,

Organic Rosemary Oil Extract (ROE)

*Ingredient is Fair Trade Certified

^Used in the saponification process to turn oil into soap and glycerin. None remains in the finished product.

Made with certified organic Cocoa Butter, Honey and Hops
Certified Organic By OEFFA
A USDA Accredited Organic Certifying Agent

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Wash Your Hands To Help Stay Healthy

Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that for good hand hygiene all you need is plain soap and water.

Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community.

Five simple and effective steps can help reduce the spread of illness so you, your family, your friends and the general public can stay healthy.

Hand washing is a win for everyone . . . except for the germs!

CDC recommends cleaning hands in a specific way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. The guidance for effective hand washing was developed based on data from a number of studies.

Wash often and follow these five steps every time you wash your hands!

1. Wet your hands with clean, warm running water and apply soap.

When dealing with cold and flu viruses, as you wash your hands the soap molecule burrows its way into the fatty envelope of a virus and literally pulls the virus apart.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.

Soap and friction help lift dirt, grease, and microbes—including disease-causing germs—from the skin so they can be rinsed down the drain.
Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Lathering and scrubbing hands creates friction, which helps lift dirt, grease, and microbes from skin.
The entire hand should be scrubbed. Microbes are present on all of the wrinkly surfaces of the hand, especially under the nails.
How long are 20 seconds? About the amount of time it takes to hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
The ideal length of time for handwashing can depend on other factors for example, if hands are very dirty or if you are caring for someone is ill.
Evidence suggests that washing hands for about 15-30 seconds removes more germs from hands than washing for shorter periods.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

If you are using a public restroom use a paper towel to turn off the faucet after hands have been rinsed.

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

To date, studies have shown that there is no added health benefit for consumers (this does not include professionals in the healthcare setting) using soaps containing antibacterial ingredients compared with using plain soap.

Information is taken from the CDC.gov website

Read our blog "Simple Soap Can Help Decrease the Spread Of Viruses"

View Answer Page

12 Reasons to Use Handmade Natural Soap

1. Handmade Soap is Actually Soap

Most of the soap you purchase today is a commercially manufactured chemical cocktail of ingredients. It is not natural and is not even really “soap.”

2. Natural Soap is Made With Natural Ingredients

The very best reason to use natural soap is the ingredients. A product is only as good as the ingredients used to make it.

3. Natural Soap Is NOT Made With...

synthetic ingredients
artificial fragrances or perfumes
artificial colors
detergents
synthetic preservatives

Our soap bars contain only the ingredients that they need—no extra preservatives that liquid body washes or commercial bar "soaps" require to increase their shelf life to years, and no foam boosters to make them lather.

4. Natural Soaps Are Moisturizing

Sadly many people have the misguided perception that all bar soaps will dry your skin. The problem is that most commercial bar “soaps” are detergents and not real soap.

There are three main reasons why natural soaps are moisturizing.

Natural Soaps are made with Plant Oils and Butters
Natural Soaps are Superfatted
Natural Soaps retain their natural Glycerin

5. Scented Natural Soap Provides Real Aromatherapy

Scented natural soaps are made with pure essential oils, not fragrance oils, and offer aromatherapeutic benefits.

6. Natural Soap Helps Maintain Healthy Skin

The body’s largest organ, our skin, is incredibly porous and absorbent. How we treat our skin can have a major impact on our overall health as well as the look and feel of our skin.

7. Natural Soap Provides Rich Lather Without Synthetic Foam Boosters

People absolutely love bubbly lather. The foam, bubbles, and lather we know and love from commercial liquid and bar soaps are produced by surfactants--synthetic foam boosters, lathering agents, and detergents.

8. Natural Soap is Economical

Some consumers are put off by the cost of handmade soap. You probably look at a bar of natural soap and wonder why it costs more. I mean, soap is soap, right? But there are some things to think about!

9. Natural Soap Has a Smaller Environmental Impact

The synthetic chemicals in liquid and many bar soaps wash down our drains into our septic fields or water treatment facilities. Also, if you use a liquid body wash, how many plastic bottles and pumps do you dispose of in a single year?

10. Natural Soaps are Unique

For me, soapmaking is a synergy of science and art that took years to perfect. It is a labor of love. I take the time to create wholesome soap recipes that do not sacrifice beauty or scent while incorporating amazing natural and organic ingredients.

11. A Natural Soap Company Has Social Consciousness

While I am sure there are some large commercial soap companies with a social conscience, natural soapmakers tend to have the utmost respect for the earth and all its creatures.

Environmental stewardship is not a buzzword for us. It is not a talking point, not a political stance nor is it about optics!

12. You Are Supporting A Small Business

When you buy a handmade bar of natural soap, you are supporting a small business that truly cares about and believes in the products they make. Your purchase really does make a difference.

Before I conclude I would like to add one final reason to the question of "Why You Should Switch To Natural Soap Bars."

The simplest answer is, Why Not?

From its composition to its benefits for the skin and health, to its impact on the environment, natural soap is very different from commercial liquid “soap,” bar “soap,” or syndet bars.

This list is a scaled-down version of a blog I wrote that shares the same name. For more detail please read our blog, “12 Reasons to Use Natural Soap"

View Answer Page

Why We Use Great Lakes Brewing Company's Beer

Natural Organic Honey Beer & Egg Shampoo

One of the many reasons we LOVE Great Lakes Brewing Company is that if you go to their website you will find categories like “Sustainability,” "Water Stewardship," and "Responsible Purchasing." How many breweries can boast all of that?

Being a staple of the Cleveland and Midwest craft brewing scene for 25 years now, Great Lakes is dedicated to a quality handcrafted product with socially and environmentally sound practices. They watch over our local water sources and work with the city on many environmental initiatives. Oh, and they make AWESOME BEER.

They believe in repurposing everything they can. Spent brewer's grain find new lives as a soil amendment, feed for livestock and bread bakeries. Low-fill beers become sauces, ice creams, soups, sausage, and even soap (that's Chagrin Valley).

We are part of their sustainability chain. Since beer-making is both an art and a science, every brewery that packages its beer ends up with some bottles on the line aren’t filled to the maximum level, making them unsellable. These are called Low-fill beers. We use these low-fill beers to make our Honey Beer Soap and Honey Beer & Egg Shampoo which Great Lakes sells at their stores.

At Chagrin Valley Soap we believe in the power of small businesses and know they are the engine that drives our country. Small business owners and employees have expertise in their industry, passion for the products they manufacture and sell, value their customers and take a special pride in their trade.

View Answer Page

How Long Will A Bar of Natural Soap Last?

Short Answer

Natural Organic Soap Sweet Basil How long a natural soap bar will last depends on:

how many people are using it
how often you bathe or shower
how you use the bar

For one person showering every day, a well-drained bar should last for about one month.

Longer Answer

Natural soaps are normally softer than commercial soaps because they retain their natural glycerin (which is removed in commercial soap production) and contain no artificial hardening chemicals, synthetic waxes or free alkali.

We also superfat our soaps (add extra oils or butters) and use "softer" oils so that Chagrin Valley natural soaps are more emollient and leave skin feeling moisturized.

Different oils impart different qualities to soap. Some add lathering qualities, some moisturizing, some hardness, and so on. Compared to other natural bars, we use a larger percentage of extra moisturizing and conditioning oils in our soaps and shampoo bars. These oils produce a bar that may not be as hard as bars with less conditioning oils.

How you use the bar will also affect its lifespan. For example, do you use a washcloth, an exfoliating accessory, or only the bar? Although exfoliating loofahs and sponges are great they will use up the soap much faster than a washcloth or the "only the bar" purists.

Our Natural Soap Will Last A Long Time With Proper Care

Don't let your soap sit in water
Store soap on a well-drained soap dish
Allow soap plenty of fresh air to dry between uses
Never place soap where shower water can continuously hit it
If your bar ever gets waterlogged and becomes gooey, simply set it on a draining soap dish or stand it on its edge for a few days and let it dry out thoroughly

Cute Story: A customer called to say she loved our soaps but could not buy them anymore because they did not last as long as other soaps. A week later she called to place an order and apologize. Her husband, who would NEVER use her natural soaps before, fell in love with her new Juniper soap . . . and he showered twice a day!

To maximize the life of your soap, keep it in a well-drained soap dish so it can dry between uses.

We sell a handcrafted solid white oak soap dish. The deep ridges are perfect for keeping your all natural handcrafted soap dry between uses. White Oak is the wood used in shipbuilding.

A tip passed on by one of our customers whose kids always leave the soap in a water puddle: cut the large bars in halves. Then alternate the halves, allowing a longer drying time between uses.

View Answer Page

Don't I need to use antibacterial soap to protect my family from germs?

The Short Answer

NO! Adding antibacterial chemicals to soap does not keep your family safe from germs.

I understand why folks (especially those with children) are choosing products labeled “Antibacterial,” hoping to keep their family safe in the war against germs.

According to Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

"Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water.

In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”

Simply washing your hands with old-fashioned natural soap and water rids your skin of most fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Soap does not kill germs, it surrounds them and carries them away.

The Long Answer

Please read our blog: Antibacterials: More Harm Than Good!

View Answer Page

Do Your Natural Soap And Shampoo Bars Have An Expiration Date?

The Short Answer

Yes And No!

Although handmade natural soaps usually get better with age, we recommend using our soaps within 12 months of purchase. Our scented soaps should be used within 3 months after removing them from the box.

Although the soaps will not be "spoiled" after that time, you may notice some changes as natural soap ages.

some natural colors may fade over time
the scents from pure natural essential oil scents will fade over time

The changes in color and scent happen even more quickly in our sample size bars.

These small natural soap bars have a much greater surface area to volume ratio which allows essential oils to evaporate from the surface more quickly. However, the scent may still be there when you lather up.

I have found some ancient bars hiding in my closet that years old. The scents were gone, but the lather was incredible!

The Long Answer

For a more detailed discussion please read our blog, "The Shelf Life, Color & Scent of an All Natural Soap."

How You Can Help Prolong Shelf-Life

Natural soaps need to breathe. Exposure to air promotes hardening of your soap and contributes to longer-lasting quality. Soap should be left unwrapped in their boxes or wrapped with breathable materials. Tight wrappers cause humid conditions by preventing evaporation of moisture.
Our soaps are packaged in breathable, recyclable, sustainable packaging! Keep your natural handmade soaps in a dry, cool place away from sunlight, excessive heat and humidity.
Our scented soaps, like Lavender Rosemary, can be placed in a muslin bag, old clean sock, or wrapped in a piece of cloth and put in your linen closet or dresser drawer to give a delightful fragrance to your linens and clothes while waiting to be used.

View Answer Page

Biodegradable Soap? Are Chagrin Valley Natural Soaps and Shampoo Bars Biodegradable?

Yes!

Chagrin Valley Natural Soaps Are Made Using Natural & Organic Ingredients and Are Biodegradable!

What Does Biodegradable Mean?

By definition, biodegradable means capable of being broken down by the action of living things, like natural bacteria, into simple substances that are not harmful to the environment.

If You Are A Camper Or Backpacker, Please Read On...

There are many soap makers out there with good intentions who are claiming that their biodegradable soap or shampoo is safe to use in rivers and streams.

Even biodegradable soap can eventually pollute lakes and streams if it is not used sparingly.

The bacteria that break down natural soap are present mostly in the soil. That means that when you wash, please be sure that your soapy rinse water ends up in the soil away from freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, and streams.

View Answer Page