Sensitive Skin?

What does this actually mean?

For some it means growing up with the daily pain and anguish of red inflamed eczema and living with the condition every day, like me. And for others it means their skin feels a little tight in cold wet weather or itchy after a shower with their usual brand of shower gel or soap.

The market is full of products which are liberally branded 'suitable for sensitive skin' but how suitable does that really make them for your skin or any other sensitive skin? Most of the time we don't find out until we try it, and try another and another....which is what I did before I started making my own.

As the first products I made were only intended for my own use, it meant that everything I created had to be tested extensively on my own skin to make sure that they were good for me and my very severe eczema. This approach remains the absolute corner stone of the business today. Our range of products has grown to over 120, and keeps growing, but every single new product is still tested on my own skin (and we don't test on animals) before they are released for general production and sale to the public. If it doesn't make the grade - it doesn't make it out of our lab; it is that simple.

our promise to you
We will only ever make and sell products, which I can use on my own skin

No nasties or harmful chemicals
You can rest assured that Sedbergh Soap does not contain any of the nasty chemicals that irritate sensitive skin. NO artificial colourings - NO perfume - NO fragrance - NO Propylene Glycol - NO Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - NO Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) - NO Parabens - NO Phthalates - NO MIT - NO Triclosan - NO Methylchloroisothiazolinone - NO Methylisothiazolinone (MIT).....to name but a few of the common 'nasties' you may have seen on other ingredients lists or heard about. - Next time you go shopping, take a moment to look at the ingredients of your usual bath products,....you may be in for a bit of a shock!

No sodium chloride (salt to you and me) to thicken liquid soap - A whole new way of thinking
These days most people have heard about additives such as Parabens and the stuff most liquid handwash, showergel and shampoo are made of, namely Sodium Laureth Sulfate, becasuse both are often mentioned as culprits.
However, did you know that the vast majority of liquid bath and hair care products contain a significant amount of salt? - as much as 20% ! Most people have no idea. Sodium Chloride is commonly used to thicken liquid soap and hair care products, which is not good if you have sensitive skin because salt offers no goodness or benefits to the skin, in fact it dries the skin. Did you know that if an organic product is thickened with organic salt, it can keep its organic status? So what good is it that you bathe in a 'natural' or 'organic' product if it is still thickened the traditional way with salt, which will dry your skin?  - That's why we don't add cheap fillers like Salt to thicken our liquid soap adn shampoo. A while ago, the law changed regarding preservatives in natural skincare products so we had to add a very small amount of salt (Sodium Chloride) to our soaps as a barrier for potential bacteria. But this is a very tiny amount so the skin doesn't dry out. - So, while Salt (Sodium Chloride) is not a harful chemical as such - it is normal white table salt, which we eat it every day through our food -  bathing in a product containing a high volume of salt can dry out your skin and cause itchiness and cracked skin. We think that is wrong so we simply do not thicken our products by adding Socium Chloride - we much prefer to make them out of lots of lovely ingredients; it is a more expensive process but we believe it is worth it.

no blended essential oils - unless it says so in the product name
After trying different products including many 'natural' and 'organic' ones, I found that some essential oils were fine for my skin but others weren't. And the ones, which were fine could provoke an allergic reaction if they had been blended with another oil, that had also otherwise shown to be okay.
This lead me to stick to producing pure single scent products in te first instance and later to only produce product with blends that are tested on eczema. To make sure everybody knows whwat to expect, we literally put the oils in the name of the soap - for example 'Lemongrass' and  'Cedarwood & Rose'. It also means that people with specific allergies can shop with confidence and avoid any essential oils they are allergic to.

no herbal extracts
The same can be said about Herbal Extracts. Often advertised as 'enriching' or 'beneficial' in specific ways or for specific skin. I found that for truly sensitive skin, these natural ingredients are just that, natural ingredients but it doesn't necessarily make them good for your skin - it just makes them natural.

I hope you enjoy your Sedbergh Soap.

Natural Beauty Awards Gold 2016

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