What goes into our Hand-Made Soaps (And what doesn't)

What Goes into Our Hand-Made Soaps (and What Doesn’t)

When I am in my studio, mixing ingredients for the next batch of wild lavender soap (or maybe it’s coconut rose that day), pouring the mass into forms, or cutting the block into individual bars, it is all so clear to me why handmade soap is such a brilliant choice.

The soap bar is undeniably beautiful, what with a textured surface decorated with rose petals, pomegranate flowers, or dried lavender buds, to name a few. The smell is so lush it will require all your willpower not to take a bite of the bar. It feels good in your hands. On every sensory level — visual, olfactory, tactile — it will make you happy.

All of that is on the surface (literally and figuratively). But today I’d like to take you behind the scenes and show you what’s on the inside: the ingredients that go into my soap and why I choose them. That way, you will have a knowledge base that will help you understand why our soaps are good for you.

But before I tell you all about our ingredients, let me start by listing the substances you will never find in our soaps.

We do NOT use:

Palm oil

While palm oil is widely used for making commercial soap and is considered harmless for your skin, there are environmental concerns that must be taken into account. The production of palm oil leads to deforestation and monoculture cultivation. One could use sustainably sourced palm oil, but even then there’s lots of criticism around the lack of transparency when it comes to certification. So instead we choose to use coconut oil, shea butter, and other alternatives — more on those below.

Fragrance

If you look at the ingredient list of almost any soap bar at a supermarket, you will likely find “fragrance” or “parfum” there. Why is that bad, you might ask. The word “fragrance” is often used to describe any number of chemical substances that help create a scent. Which means behind one innocent word dozens of ingredients may be hiding.

You will never know whether the soap bar contains potential allergens or even harmful components. We only use essential oils to create a beautiful aroma for our soaps. All of them are included in the ingredient list for full transparency.

Artificial Dyes

We always aim to use natural ingredients over artificial ones. And if there are such amazing natural colorants like spirulina powder, cocoa powder, and clay to name a few, why even bother with artificial dyes? Plant-based ingredients are better for your skin and for the environment.

Preservatives

There’s simply no need to use preservatives in soaps made by hand. There are multiple reasons for this. First, very little moisture is left in our soap bars once they are prepared. Moisture is essential for bacteria. Less moisture means less likelihood of bacterial growth.

Second, the ingredients we use, such as coconut and olive oil, as well as some essential oils, are known to prevent bacterial growth.

Last, but not least, we make small batches of soap, so it flies off our shelves pretty quickly. There’s no long storage time.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to all the amazing natural ingredients that we do use.

Natural Ingredients We Use in Our Soaps

Plant-derived Oils and Butters as a Base

To make soap you need oil, that’s a non-negotiable. In our process, we usually use a combination of plant-based oils to achieve the right consistency and give your skin a range of benefits.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a wonderful moisturizer. It helps create a protective barrier on your skin, which, in turn, prevents moisture loss. Your hands will stay soft and smooth for longer.

As mentioned above, coconut oil has antibacterial properties (thanks to lauric acid). Not only does it mean the soap bar will last longer with no preservatives, but your skin is protected from harmful bacteria, too.

Shea Butter

Organic shea butter is another ingredient I love to use because of its hydrating power. Besides being a great moisturizer, it also contains fatty acids and vitamins. Vitamin A, for example, supports cell regeneration, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals.

As if all of the above wasn’t enough, shea butter also has anti-inflammatory properties. If your skin is easily irritated, shea butter will help to soothe it.

Lastly (can you believe how many amazing properties one natural ingredient can possess?), shea butter provides some UV protection. That is not to say you should stop applying your sunscreen! But it doesn’t hurt to have additional protection against UV light, right?

Olive Oil

Olive oil is known to be gentle on sensitive skin. It doesn’t strip away the natural oils from your skin or clog your pores. Like shea butter, it is rich in Vitamins A and E. While an excellent cleanser, olive oil does not provide a good lather. Here’s where we step in with our carefully-created recipes for blending different oils. That way, you get all the benefits of olive oil, while enjoying a rich creamy lather.

Avocado Oil

It is safe to say all of the naturally-derived oils we use are great at moisturizing. Avocado oil, in particular, can provide deep hydration as it penetrates the skin easily. Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, it also helps reduce redness and irritation and heal minor wounds.

Castor Oil

We use organic castor oil in small quantities in our recipes to balance out the properties of other oils. For example, in combination with coconut oil, castor oil helps create a thick, creamy, long-lasting lather which makes washing hands a pleasure. Do I even need to mention all the moisturizing, cleansing, and antibacterial properties? You already know it!

Cocoa Butter

Finally, cocoa butter is another one of my favorites. The chocolatey scent alone is reason enough to add it to a bar of soap — simply divine! Like coconut oil, cocoa butter creates a protective barrier on your skin, shielding it from external pollutants and harsh wind. It’s great to use in the colder months.

Essential Oils for Beautiful Aroma (and More)

All our oils come from New Directions Aromatics, one of the leading suppliers of 100% pure, certified fair trade essential oils with over two decades of experience. It is a certified organic, kosher, and vegan facility, equipped with the latest technology to test the purity and potency of essential oils.

We often blend several essential oils to create a more complex, original scent. But apart from making soap smell good, essential oils have many added benefits.

Lemon and Orange Essential Oils

Both lemon and orange oils have a bright citrusy scent, zesty and energizing. Thanks to citric acid, lemon oil can help brighten and even out the skin tone. Meanwhile, orange oil gives the skin a radiant glow. Both have anti-microbial qualities and are packed with Vitamin C. If that sounds like your cup of tea, try our lemon and honey or sweet orange and rosemary soap.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is especially popular for its relaxing and calming qualities. So much so that it is recommended for people who have trouble sleeping. Our calming lavender soap is my personal favorite. Using it for a relaxing bath can help you prepare for bed after a stressful day. We also offer wild lavender soap which features a blend of lavender oil with fir needle, patchouli, and juniper berry oils.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Along with lavender, ylang ylang essential oil is my top choice. It has an incredibly rich floral scent, with notes of spiciness. Not only does it smell amazing, but is beneficial for your skin, too. Ylang ylang can help regulate your sebum levels (sebum is an oily secretion produced by the glands in your skin). Whether you have dry or oily skin, ylang ylang oil can balance it out. If you’d like to try it out, our wildflower garden soap contains ylang ylang essential oil, blended with orange and clary sage oils.

Peppermint and Spearmint Essential Oils

Peppermint and spearmint oils provide a cooling, refreshing effect. Thanks to menthol, peppermint oil, in particular, is energizing and great when you need a boost of energy, like in the morning or after physical activity. Menthol is also known to provide relief for sore muscles. Our rosemary mint juniper soap, for example, would be great for that post-workout shower.

Spearmint oil in comparison is more subtle, but still has a mild mint aroma. If you are looking for that refreshing effect, but need something gentler than peppermint, our aloe and spearmint soap bar will be perfect.

Bergamot Essential Oil

Bergamot oil is often used to reduce stress and anxiety in aroma therapy. Now, of course, the concentration of essential oil in a bar of soap is not the same as when you use an oil lamp. But even a bar of soap with bergamot oil, like our Sunshine or coconut rose soap, can help you have a relaxing bath at the end of the day.

Cedarwood and Fir Needle Essential Oils

Both cedarwood and fir needle oils provide a woody, earthy aroma. You’ll find these oils often used in fragrances for men. Cedarwood scent is rich and warm, while fir needle is crisp and fresh, making you feel like you are in the middle of a pine forest. We use a combination of these two oils (with the addition of patchouli and juniper berry oils) for our Mountain Man soap bar.

Natural Clay as an Exfoliant and Coloring Agent

We use a variety of natural clays in our soaps: French green clay, and Brazilian red, yellow, and purple clays.

Clay provides gentle exfoliation, removing dead cells while still being mild on your skin. Like ylang ylang essential oil, clay has a way of balancing out sebum levels. If your skin is oily, it will draw out and absorb any excess. It is also rich in minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, and silica, which are beneficial for the health of your skin.

Last but not least, clay is the secret behind the soft pastel colors of our soap bars. French green clay (together with spirulina powder, another nature-derived colorant) gives our aloe and spearmint soap its gorgeous light olive color. A blend of yellow and red Brazilian clays results in the bright peach color of orange and bergamot soap bar. For me, creating these beautiful colors is part science and part pure magic.

 

And there you have it! A bit of behind-the-scenes knowledge of what goes into our handcrafted soaps. Now you can choose the right bar for yourself. Whether you want to calm down after a relaxing day or feel energized after a workout, whether you have oily or sensitive skin, whether you love fruity or woody scents, we have you covered!