Did you know that hand sanitizer will not protect you from the ever-awful stomach bug, Norovirus or many other things floating about?
There are some studies that prove it!
One study examined a series of norovirus outbreaks in New England nursing homes during the winter of 2006–07. It revealed that facilities where staff frequently used hand sanitizers faced a significantly higher risk of outbreaks compared to others in the study. The reason? The other nursing homes took a different approach—they used soap.
So...how does soap actually work?
A recent Atlantic issue January 14th, “A secret way to fight of stomach bugs,” goes into more detail.
"Research finds that soap is good at cleaning things. At least 4,000 years of history suggest the same. Soap works because its structure mixes well with water on one end and with oils on the other. The latter, hydrophobic side can hook into, and then destroy, the membranes that surround some microbes (though norovirus isn’t one of them). Molecules of soap also cluster up in little balls that can surround and trap some germy grime before it’s flushed away beneath the tap. And soap, being sudsy, makes washing hands more fun."
Our new original artwork makes the "hows" of soap a little more fun:
Why choose Fraga Farm soap over a liquid hand soap?
Liquid soap is packaged in plastic and contains water which means you pay more for a diluted product. Think of our bar of soap as a concentrate.
Many liquid soaps are actually detergents rather than soaps. Detergents are a synthetic cleaning product typically made from petroleum based compounds which have a growing list of negative impacts including exposure to harmful compounds like benzene, formaldehyde, phosphates, parabens, and sulfates. Many also contain synthetic fragrances (phthalates) which are known to cause major disruptions to the human body. Not to mention increased greenhouse emissions, and environmental pollution. Yikes!
And we know what you're thinking- is sharing a bar of soap hygienic? It is! During covid, lots of studies showed that sharing bars of soap is safe because soap itself doesn't harbor or transfer germs effectively.
Aren't bars of soaps harsher than liquid soaps?
That's where our "superfatted" soap comes in. This means that our soap is formulated with more oils or fat than needed to react with the lye leaving free oil in the final product. Superfatting has so many benefits for the skin. It's extra-moisturizing, non drying, and it helps maintain the skins protective barrier, preventing water loss and providing protection against environmental irritants.
And then...goats milk! Goats milk combined with the extra fat leaves skin feeling soft and supple. Goats milk is rich in fatty acid and triglycerides. It has a low pH close to the skins natural pH. It contains lactic acid, a natural exfoliant which gently exfoliates dead skins cells and is packed with skin nourishing nutrients like vitamin A, D, and selenium and zinc. Goats milk soap is especially beneficial for dry, sensitive, and aging skins.
All in all- a good bar of soap goes a long way. We take care to use ingredients that not only get you clean, but nourish your skin as well. We have eight different soaps to choose from and a crow favorite shampoo bar that leaves hair clean and moisturize!
Check out our soap collection here!