Why is using handmade soap so much better than a commercially made soap? Soap is a product of mixing any blend of oils with water and sodium hydroxide (lye). When these ingredients are combined, the chemical reaction of soponification occurs, which then results in soap, glycerin and a little bit of water. Glycerin is an emollient, which by definition means that it "softens and soothes the skin". It is also a humectant, which in the case of soap, draws moisture from the air and brings it to the skin. It also helps create a lovely lather!
Glycerin is removed from commercially made soaps to be used in other products (like lotion), which leaves the soap as a simple detergent. Removing glycerin also allows for a longer shelf-life, which is a selling point for commercial soap-makers. In homemade soap making, one can adjust the recipe to allow for a "superfat" content by adding extra fats and butters to the oil mixture, leaving more oil than the lye can react with. The resulting soap is left with unused oils which act as emollients, with extra moisturizing qualities. All of Ravine Soap Company's soap has a superfat content of 5%.
In addition to the moisturizing qualities of homemade soap, Ravine Soap Company is 100% palm-free. I hand-render locally-sourced lard as a palm substitute (and will gladly make vegan soap upon request!), blend it with coconut, olive and castor oil in addition to cocoa and shea butter. This blend makes a lovely, hard, lathering bar.
I think it's fair to say that once you have used a homemade bar of soap, it is difficult to return to any store-bought, commercially made product!