The Real Difference: How Natural Glycerin and pH in Handmade Soap Support Your Skin's Microbiome

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely searched for ‘microbiome friendly soap.’ Good. That means you’re looking for a proper clean that doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight, stripped, or worse for wear.

At Usk Valley Herbs, we don't mess around with fluff or harsh chemicals—especially when it comes to the complex ecosystem living on your skin. That community of microbes—your skin's microbiome—is your first line of defence against everything the outdoors throws at you.

So, what makes our handmade soap genuinely friendly to your skin's vital, unseen allies? It comes down to a process and ingredients often overlooked by the big guys: natural glycerin and a more respectful pH.

1. Beyond Clean: Respecting Your Skin’s Ecosystem

For the hard-working person—the runner, the farmer, the builder, the gardener—you need a soap that cuts through the grime. But here’s the rub: many conventional soaps strip away more than just dirt.

Your skin naturally protects itself with a slightly acidic layer called the acid mantle. This layer, along with a diverse and happy community of beneficial microbes (your microbiome), works to keep moisture in and irritants out.

When a harsh soap or detergent blasts that mantle away, your skin can feel dry, tight, and temporarily vulnerable. Our approach is simple: clean effectively, but clean gently, to support the microbial allies that keep your skin balanced and resilient.

2. The Magic of Glycerin (And Why It Stays In Our Soap)

When we make soap the traditional way we combine natural oils (like olive, shea, and coconut) with lye. The reaction is called saponification, and it produces two things: soap and a generous amount of natural glycerin.

Glycerin is a brilliant humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air to your skin.

Note: In mass-produced soaps, the valuable glycerin is often removed and sold off to be used in other expensive moisturizing products.

By contrast, our Usk Valley handmade bars keep all that natural goodness right where it belongs. When you wash with our soap, you’re not just cleansing; you’re using a product that naturally helps your skin hold onto its hydration. Well-hydrated skin provides a better environment for a healthy microbiome to flourish.

3. The pH Balance: A Gentle Touch for Hard-Working Skin

Traditional bar soaps are naturally alkaline (high pH). But mass-market soaps often use harsh detergents—not true soap—that can have a significantly high or variable pH, which rapidly disrupts the skin's natural, slightly acidic state.

Our soaps, when properly cured and balanced, offer a much gentler cleansing experience.

• We avoid the usual disruptors: You won't find harsh synthetic foaming agents (like SLS/SLES), which are notorious for stripping the skin barrier and potentially upsetting the microbial balance.

• We choose quality fats: Using a high percentage of gentle, saponified oils and butters means the cleansing action is milder, allowing your skin's natural balance to recover quickly after washing.

It is a simple switch, but a powerful one. By choosing soap free from unnecessary harsh additives, you are giving your skin’s first line of defence the respect and stability it needs.

Simple Support for a Hard-Working Microbiome

Protecting your skin’s unseen ecosystem doesn’t require complicated products. It requires quality ingredients and an honest process.

At Usk Valley Herbs, we commit to the no-fluff, no-compromise formula:

• Real Ingredients: Saponified oils, butters, and pure essential oils.

• No Nasties: No Palm Oil, no artificial fragrances, no synthetic detergents.

• Maximum Glycerin: All that moisture-attracting goodness stays right in the bar.

Your skin is alive. Give it the gentle, effective support it deserves.

Tap here to explore our range of handmade, microbiome-friendly soaps.