What is Soap?
"Soap is a surfactant, which means that it helps water to wet things more evenly. Soap molecules have tails which attract dirt and pull it away from the surface that it is on. The soap then suspends the dirt in a lather until it can be washed away. Soap is made by combining an alkaline solution with animal fats or vegetable oils which are acidic. When mixed under the right circumstances, they neutralize to form a new compound which we call "soap". Saponification is the technical term for this reaction." (Handmade Soap by Tatyana Hill)
Do you have processes in place to protect products from bacteria and viruses?
In order to ensure that all our products are free from contamination, whether it be bacteria, mold or viruses, we have procedures and systems in place to protect the product from the time of its creation to shipping. This includes but is not limited to biodegradable gloves being worn by employees when creating and working with products, sanitization of areas used for packaging orders, sanitization of areas used for production. When you order our products, rest assured that we are taking all necessary steps to keep producing nourishing and effective products which are safe and beneficial.
Is there lye in your soap?
Nope. Lye will burn your skin off and disfigure you. Lye is the alkaline solution necessary to make soap, but once the chemical reaction between the lye and the fatty acids in the oils and butters takes place, a completely different substance remains: SOAP! Really, what you end up with is "neat soap," water (which evaporates as you "cure" the bar), and a wonderful amount of natural glycerin, that essential ingredient that protects, moisturizes, and softens your skin.
So in short, lye is NOT in the final soap which we sell on our shelves, but it is used to make the soap.
What is the size and weight of your soap?
Shampoo, Body and Facial full sized bars are just over 5oz in weight, with dimensions of 2.75H x 3.4W x 1D.
Salt full sized bars are 8-9oz in weight, with the dimensions of 2.75H x 3.4W x 1.25D.
Round Shampoo and Shaving soaps are 4.7oz in weight and over 3" diameter.
Where are your CBD products?
We used to sell a wonderful line of highly effective CBD products, but unfortunately we needed to discontinue due to processing costs. However, our supplier (Pure Spectrum CBD) has generously offered 15% OFF to all our customers who order directly through them.
Use coupon code: APPLEVALLEYNATURAL for 15% off your order.
With so many CBD producers on the market, how do you know who to trust? We chose to sell Pure Spectrum CBD after a lot of research and found that they had some of the highest quality CBD on the market. All of their products are created in a facility which rigorously evaluates every stage of the process. From soil to oil, the process is standardized and controlled to produce highly rated and effective products. Every batch is tested for potency and purity, and their website provides current third-party lab test results. Their products also use a whole-plant extract which not only includes CBD but many of the other phytocannabinoids, creating the synergistic effect of all the compounds working together.
AVNS is now a Pure Spectrum ambassador which means we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
What are your certifications and standards?
CRUELTY FREE: We are certified by the Leaping Bunny organization and are excited to be in partnership with them.
ORGANIC & SUSTAINABLE: We aim to use as many certified organic ingredients as possible in our products, but have chosen (at this time) to not pursue Organic certification due to expense. Using sustainable ingredients is also very important to us, read more about our stance on Organic and Sustainable ingredients here.
GLUTEN FREE: There are many products in our store which do not contain gluten, but as we do not have a gluten free facility we cannot guarantee there will be no cross contamination. We then define these products as "gluten sensitive". Find out more information here.
VEGAN: The majority of our products are vegan and we have identified these items in this category as such. Find out more information here.
Are your products & packaging Eco-Friendly?
• Soaps are wrapped in paper wrappers or boxes.
• ALL samples (soap, hair rinse, toner, sample packs etc) are mailed out in clear bags made from plant material which are certified compostable.
• 1st class packages are mailed in 100% Recycled Padded Paper Mailers.
• Where we do use plastic we make sure it's 100% recyclable and PCR where possible.
What is the difference between natural soap and soaps like Dial and Dove?
"Soap is made commercially in huge vats by a process called "continuous method", in which ingredients are continuously added to one end and removed from the other. During this process, the emollient glycerin that naturally exists in soap is removed and sold separately for its moisturizing qualities. Commercial soap is nearly always made from tallow (animal fat) and usually contains a variety of synthetic chemicals. Because of the lack of glycerin as well as the inclusion of poor-quality ingredients and additives, commercial soap can often irritate and dry the skin, or can cause an allergic reaction. Sadly, even many hand-made soap companies use synthetic fragrances, preservatives and colors in their products." (Handmade Soap by Tatyana Hill)
One slight update to Tatyana's explanation of commercially produced soap is that now most are synthetically made. However some brands contain the salts of tallow, and others like Ivory contain animal fats including tallow. This may sound natural, but when combined with ingredients such as Tetrasodium EDTA and Sodium isethionate, these soaps do more harm than good. The traditional methods of making soap included animal fats such as tallow and actually had many benefits to the skin, but unfortunately now when tallow is used in mass production it is combined with other additives and synthetics which as mentioned, do more harm than good.
Apple Valley Natural Soap is carefully hand-crafted in small batches using the cold process method of soap making. We use only high quality botanical oils and butters as well as all natural herbs, milks, juices, essential oils and spices to scent and color our soaps. These ingredients not only impart sensational fragrances and beautiful, rustic colors, but also add their own exceptional nourishing qualities. Once you try an all natural soap, you will wonder why you ever used anything else on your skin!
What's the difference between a shampoo bar and a regular body bar?
There are several things we do differently when we make a shampoo bar. They are formulated to make even more lather than our body bars and to rinse clean with little or no residue as long as you are washing with softened water. A body-only bar has a higher fat content that has not been saponified which makes them even more moisturizing for dry skin. There are also many different ways to formulate body-only bars including using only one oil (Castile and coconut bars, for example), or using things like salt to make a rock hard salt bar. You can use our shampoo bars to wash your hair AND the rest of you. I do! But you may not have great results if you use a body-only bar in your hair. So the rule of thumb is: if it isn't meant for your hair - don't use it there. But if you can use it in your hair, you can use it everywhere!
What's the pH of our soaps, and does it really matter?
The pH of our soaps range between 7.5/8 & 9.5 depending on the ingredients used and length of cure.
A pH balanced cleansing product is created with a pH of 7. However, skin is not pH balanced. Skin has an acid mantle, which is a thin, protective layer on the surface of your skin which is a combination of sweat and sebum. This acid mantle typically has a pH of around 5, and its main purpose is to prevent bacteria from penetrating the skin. Anytime you wash your skin, no matter what you wash with, this protective layer is disturbed.
But here's the good news, your skin is resilient. Our bodies are created to heal and that means that your skin will quickly rebalance itself unless there is an underlying condition that prevents it from doing so. This is why the ingredients you wash with are actually more important than the pH of the product you use. Rest assured that when you use a product from AVNS, it will not strip or damage the skin, but nourish the skin with safe & natural ingredients while giving an effective cleanse.
For more information check out this article
How long do your soaps last & will they actually help me save money?
We use fresh ingredients in our soap and add rosemary oil extract in all of our soap batches as this is a natural and powerful preservative.
Soap is one of those things that actually gets better with time. This is why we cure our soaps for a full eight weeks so you'll get a hard, long lasting, mild bar. We even have some soaps which are cured for over 6 months due to their ingredients, we want to make sure you have a soap that lasts a long time. Your natural soap needs to breathe in order to prolong its life and maintain its hardness. If you plan to store your bar for a while, leave it exposed to air rather than in a tight wrapper which will prevent moisture from evaporating. You can leave your bars in their wrappers as they have both ends open to the air. Tip: if you store them on a closet shelf, they will add a lovely scent to your closet!
Make sure you allow your all natural soap to dry out between uses. If they sit in a puddle of water, they will disintegrate. We sell affordable soap placemats that will keep your bars dry and help them last a long time.
So how long does it take to go through a single bar? Some of that depends on the user. With long hair, we estimate at least 40+ washes, short hair 70+ washes. One customer told us it took her 6 months to use up a bar. Not knowing everyone's bathing habits, it's hard to predict how long a bar will last for each person but we do know that they are an economical choice. Our shampoo bars due to their large size and long curing time, are a much more cost effective option in comparison to liquid shampoo, especially when looking at comparable shampoos with natural and organic ingredients. Our shampoo bars will average about 2 x as long as a standard bottle of shampoo. As we've mentioned in other articles, after switching to shampoo bars, many customers find that they can go longer between washes and have no use for conditioner, or use a very small amount once in a while which is another cost savings.
If you do a Google search you'll discover that we price our soap right in the middle of the pricing spectrum. Not only that, compare our ingredients, and you will discover that we use a FAR greater percentage of expensive, high-end oils, butters, organic herbs and spices, clays, milks and essential oils than our competitors. Frankly, we are amazed at the cheap ingredients much of our competition uses (soy and tallow for example) and the high cost of their products. You can be confident that at Apple Valley Natural Soap, you are getting the highest quality soap at the most affordable pricing.
Why have prices gone up for some products?
Over the past couple of years many ingredients we use on a regular basis to make our products have increased in price by no less than 25%, some up as high as 100%. When we saw the start of this unfortunate trend we decided to keep prices the same, with the hopes that this would be a temporary situation. However, there came a point along the way where we had to either increase our pricing on a few select products or stop making them. Even though most of our products have ingredients affected by increases in cost, we have chosen to only raise the prices on the handful of products which are most affected. We hope this situation will change and we can lower prices again, or at the very least not raise the prices of any other products, but no matter what happens, we do appreciate your understanding and your trust in us as we continue to offer products made with the best ingredients in the world.
How can I get in on special offers and free samples?
Sign up to join our community HERE! This will give you access to our newsletter where you will be among the first to receive news about sales, new products and any other special announcements.
Sign up for our Loyalty Program and collect points to receive free product and discounts. Not sure how to redeem points, or access your loyalty account information? We have a link on the Loyalty Program page, or simply click HERE.
FREE SOAP PROMOTION! For a few years we ran an on-going promotion where customers could save when buying multiple bars of soap in both the full size and half size. We are no longer running this as an on-going promotion, but will run it periodically throughout the year. Be sure to sign up for our Newsletter to find out when these promotions will be active, as well as other special events and sales!
Do you offer a military discount?
Yes we do! Please reach out to us with your military or veterans ID info and we'll set you up in our system to receive a 10% discount every time you order from us, no coupon necessary. And thank you from all of us at AVNS for serving!
What if I want to change my order after it has been placed?
We are happy to help you add or remove an item from your order as long as it has not been processed yet. Once it has been processed, it cannot be changed.
Did you forget your password?
1. On the storefront, click the Sign In link (currently found at the bottom of the page under Support).
2. To the right of Log in, click the Forgot your password? link.
3. Enter the email address associated with your customer account, then click Reset Password. If a valid email address was submitted, you will see a "Thank you" message.
4. Within five minutes you should receive an email with the subject line, Password change request for Apple Valley Natural Soap. Click the link in that email.
5. Enter your new password twice, once in the New Password field, and a second time in the Confirm Password field, then click Continue. You should see "Your password has been successfully updated."
Our in person shopping location is:
AVNS Boutique
3825 Cedar Grove Parkway
Suite 1102
Eagan, MN 55122
Near Jensen's Supper Club and the Eagan Outlet Shops
Hey - Are you local?
Then YOU have the option to pick up your order at our store and avoid shipping charges! Simply select the "Free Local Pick Up" option at time of check out. We hold orders at the store for up to one week from time of purchase. We can take payment with a credit card online during check out...OR you may pay by credit card, cash or personal check made out to Apple Valley Natural Soap at the time of pick up.
PLEASE NOTE: We will send you an email when your order has been filled and is ready to pick up. Please wait for that email before coming to the Store in Eagan for pick up. Order turnover is 2-3 days during our transition time (longer during holidays) so plan accordingly when you place your order.
Still have questions? Feel free to contact us.