There's more to life than beer... there's coffee!

Yes, yes, yes... Handbrewed Soaps is more than beer soap...  it's anything you can brew soap!!!  Why not take a brewing activity that I do everyday, and make soap with it?  So why coffee...

1) This soap can remove onion and garlic smell off hands when cooking (probably any smell!)

2) The coffee grounds (used to exfoliate) really helps get dirt off hands after working in the garden.

So here's to Coffee Soap!

Why Beer Soap?

Well for one, we LOVE beer!   

My Husband brews many different styles of beer, from wheats to ales to stouts… and each beer gives the soap a unique character.  From color, to their own natural scent (I add no additional scents).  What I’ve noticed is that they all have a great lather and moisturizing effect!

The jury is still out on some of these ideas (I think these are fun factoids), but beer is reported to:

Skin Care: Brewer’s Yeast, an ingredient found in beer, is thought to help keep the skin smooth and diminish discoloration. (Ancient Romans and Egyptians are reported to use it in their beauty regimes)

Relaxation: Hops, an ingredient found in beer, itself is known for its relaxing properties. Hops contains poly-phenols thought to account for its anti-bacterial, preservative effects; and it also contains skin-softening amino acids. (Beer Spas are popping up all over Europe)

Hair Care:  Beer is extremely rich in amino acids, which help improve hair follicles and coat and repair each strand of hair. (Beer is a home remedy for dull and frizzy hair for ages)

Now you may be thinking to yourself, am I going to smell like beer when I get out of the shower? Don’t worry, you won’t.  The “beer smell” and the alcohol both disappear during the soap-making process.  However, the esters produced by the yeast used in the beer-making process, like banana (Bavarian Hefeweizen), clove/bubble gum (Belgian Saison), chocolate (Chocolate Stouts), for example DO contribute to the scent of the soap.  Your skin will thank you for a bath in beer! And by the way, there is no alcohol in the final product.