Again, keep it healthy and keep it local. Take some time to enjoy and appreciate the great things Hawaii has to offer… like the North Shore Soap Factory—a company that blends quality natural ingredients into fine skin care products with a touch of the islands. They take skin care seriously and so should you. After all, it is the wrap for the wonderful package of YOU. You exercise to keep your body in shape, you seek knowledge to enrich your mind, so should you tend to the health of your skin.

The North Shore Soap Factory can lead the way. They’ve got a cool place that looks like a giant metal teepee that you can’t miss when you’re driving out on Farrington Highway toward the old Waialua Beach Road. For those who are familiar, it is located at the historic Waialua Sugar Mill.

Not only can you browse interesting old cannery memorabilia, but you get to tickle your senses with the scrumptious scents of fruits, flowers, spices/herbs and other wonderful smells to stimulate the olfactories. The nicely decorated showroom also allows you to view the soap-making process of mixing, cutting and curing the countless colorful bars. They even have a full-time chemist on staff and are dedicated to quality and keeping it natural.

What makes the North Shore Soap Factory products even more special? I wondered too so I decided to take a look at ingredients and here’s what I found. I never thought of reading skin care product ingredients like I do food labels but it is pretty telling. Take a look for yourself…

Here is a sampling of ingredients from the North Shore Soap Factory products, listed alphabetically: Avocado, Cinnamon, Citronella, Clary Sage, Clove Bud, Coconut Oil, Corn Mint, Eucalyptus, Geranium Rose, Ginger, Grape Seed, Jojoba, Kukui Nut Oil, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Macadamia Nut Oil, Nutmeg, Olive Oil, Organic Oatmeal, Palm Oil, Pink Grapefruit, Rosemary, Rosewood, Soybean Oil, Sweet Almond, Sweet Orange, Tangerine peels, Tea Tree, Ylang-Ylang.

The following was taken from two popular bulk market soaps.

Soap #1 ingredients: Soap (Sodium Cocoate*, Sodium Palm Kernelate*, Sodium Palmate*, Sodium Tallowwate*), Water, Talc, Coconut Acid*, Palm Acid*, Tallow  Acid*, Palm Kernel Acid*, PEG-6 Methyl Ether, Fragrance, Farnesol, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Triclocarban, Pentasodium Pentetate and/or  Tetrasodium Etidronate, Ultramarines *contains one or more of these ingredients.

Soap 2 active ingredeint: Triclocarban. Other ingredients: Soap (Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate and or Sodium Palm Kernelate types), Water, Stearic Acid (skin conditioner), Coconut and or Palm Kernel Acid, Glycerin (skin conditioner), Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, PEG-12 Polysorbate 20, Titanium Dioxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT D&C Green No. 8, FD&C Green No. 3.

The difference is clear. Choose soaps that contain quality oils and other natural and organic ingredients that moisturize, soften, clean and condition the skin rather than chemicals that look like something off of a bathroom cleaning solution label. My skin is too important to me so I will be re-thinking how I spend my hard-earned money to protect it from the elements and exposure that my active life brings. How about you?

Check out their site showing their array of products: http://hawaiianbathbody.com/

Thanks a lot Jerry for the tour of your wonderful business. That chocolate soap bar smelled good enough to eat!

*** Thank you to all of you who have completed the general health survey. For those who haven’t, I invite you to participate. Please visit my website www.lifefitnet.com. It is a short 12-question online survey that should take only 2-3 minutes to complete. Mahalo for your support! Lori