What is Cold Process Soap?
Why Cold Process Soap Beats Store-Bought Body Wash (and Why Making Matthieu Bars Feel So Good)
If you’re a body wash person, I get it. It’s easy, it’s everywhere, and it gets the job done.
But if you’ve ever stepped out of the shower and thought—why does my skin feel tight? why does the scent disappear in five minutes? why am I going through bottles so fast?—then cold process soap might be your new favorite little upgrade.
At Making Matthieu, our cold process bars are handmade in small batches with high-quality oils and scents that actually stick around. Here’s what makes them different (and why so many people switch and never look back).
Cold process soap vs. body wash: the real difference
Body wash is designed for mass production
Most store-bought body washes are liquid cleansers made with surfactants, thickeners, stabilizers, and preservatives so they stay consistent on a shelf for a long time. They’re built for convenience.
Cold process soap is a true soap made from oils
Cold process soap is made by combining oils with a lye solution, which creates soap through saponification. Once it’s cured, you get a solid bar that’s designed to cleanse, rinse clean, and last.
That traditional process is why cold process soap can feel so different on your skin.
3 reasons people switch to cold process soap (and stay)
1) The fragrance lasts (like… actually lasts)
Body wash can smell amazing in the bottle, but in the shower it often fades fast.
Our cold process bars are scented with high-quality fragrance oils and poured in small batches, so the scent experience is richer and tends to linger longer on your skin and in your bathroom. It’s the kind of shower that feels like a reset.
2) Skin-loving oils = a better skin feel
Cold process soap isn’t just soap. It’s a blend of oils chosen on purpose.
At Making Matthieu, we use oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil to create a bar that feels creamy, satisfying, and gentle (without that squeaky stripped feeling a lot of people associate with soap).
Everyone’s skin is different, but customers who switch to cold process bars often notice:
-
A softer, more comfortable after-shower feel
-
Less of that tight/dry sensation
-
A lather that feels creamy instead of watery
3) It’s more biodegradable (and less plastic)
This is a big one.
Cold process soap is made from oils that have been turned into soap through saponification, and soap is generally biodegradable in typical use.
Plus, swapping bottles for bars can mean less plastic in your routine over time. Small change, big feel-good energy.
Why Making Matthieu cold process bars are different
A bar is a bar—until it’s not.
Here’s what you’re getting with Making Matthieu:
-
Small-batch handmade bars (each one is unique)
-
High-quality oils for a rich, creamy lather
-
Stronger, longer-lasting fragrance (because your shower should be fun)
-
Cured bars that are made to last
-
A little extra joy in your everyday routine—because self-care doesn’t have to be complicated
The easiest way to love a bar (pro tip)
Want your soap to last longer and stay nice?
-
Use a soap dish that drains
-
Keep it out of direct water spray when you can
That’s it. That’s the secret.
Final thoughts
Body wash is convenient. Cold process soap is an experience.
If you want a shower that smells amazing, feels creamy, and leaves your skin feeling happy—Making Matthieu cold process soap is the upgrade you’ve been looking for.
Handmade with Love – Unique Every Time!
Thank you for supporting handmade!