Cold process soap is made without cooking the ingredients over high heat. Instead, the oils and lye react naturally over time to create soap.

Once poured into the mould, each batch must cure for several weeks. This allows excess water to evaporate, resulting in a harder, longer-lasting bar that performs beautifully.

This is one of the questions we hear most often.

Every true bar of soap is made using a type of lye. Historically, people used wood ashes because they naturally contained potassium hydroxide. Today, we use food-grade sodium hydroxide because it allows us to measure ingredients with precision, creating a consistent, high-quality bar every time.

During the soap-making process, the sodium hydroxide completely reacts with the oils in a chemical reaction called saponification. When the soap is properly made and fully cured, no sodium hydroxide remains in the finished bar—only gentle, nourishing soap.

No single oil creates the perfect bar of soap.

Each oil contributes something different:

• Grass-fed beef tallow creates a hard, long-lasting bar with exceptional moisturizing qualities.

• Coconut oil provides abundant, bubbly lather and excellent cleansing power.

• Olive oil adds conditioning properties while helping create a balanced, gentle cleanse.

By carefully blending these oils, we create a soap that’s moisturizing, cleansing, creamy, and long-lasting—all in one bar.

A pure tallow bar produces a dense, creamy lather but doesn’t create the bubbly experience many people enjoy. By blending it with coconut and olive oils, we get the best of both worlds: rich conditioning from the tallow alongside a satisfying, cleansing lather.

We do make a 100% tallow soap for customers looking for a pure tallow bar.

A harder bar simply lasts longer.

Our recipe is carefully formulated to create a durable bar that won’t dissolve quickly in the shower. We also use a lower superfat level than many traditional recipes, helping produce a firmer, longer-lasting soap while still maintaining a gentle, nourishing cleanse.

Yes. Every bar is handcrafted in small batches using traditional cold process methods. We carefully mix, pour, cut, and cure each batch ourselves to ensure every bar meets our quality standards.

Because every bar is handmade, no two are exactly alike. Small variations in colour, texture, and appearance are part of what makes handcrafted soap special and are a sign that your soap wasn’t mass-produced.

Every bar of Oil & Fire soap is proudly made in beautiful Okanagan, BC.