Why we love soap again

Soap doesn't have to make your skin feel tight , dry or itchy. Soaps are being revitalised by new beauty brands that really care about the ingredients. Finding ones that suit your skin and also have ingredients that you agree with is not a dream anymore.

Soap is made from the minimum of three ingredients oil (animal or vegetable), water and lye which results  in a reaction called saponification. For solid soaps the lye is sodium hydroxide. For the convenience of hand liquid soap the lye is potassium hydroxide. With hand soaps they usually add preservatives because more water is used. While solid soaps are self preserving, no preservatives are really required. Definitely a good call.

 Typically you would find soaps containing SLS, SLES, synthetic fragrances , dyes and palm oil and many still do. With concerns that these types ingredients are pushing us and the environment into negative equity.

We have been looking elsewhere to invest our beauty interests, soaps that exchange animal fats for vegetable oils. Suitable for vegans and those in pursuit of natural and organic choices.

The formulation of the ingredients impacts what attributes the soap will have. Coconut and olive oil are popular picks for these new soaps. They both make hard  soaps, Olive oil makes very hard soap with small bubbles whereas coconut oil gives you big fluffy bubbles. Knowing you skin type will be fundamental to helping you find the best fit.

The list of oils does not stop there. As we become more familiar with nut, seed oils and vegetable butters of course. Avocado, jojoba, almond, shea butter could be one or all of the options we find in natural formulated soaps. Let's not forget swapping out fragrances and dyes with essential oils and plants extracts. The range of organic essential oils is becoming more accessible providing soap-makers another level of natural resource.

These new alternatives soaps can be great for cleansing your skin. A long lasting beauty product with sustainable ingredients, the soap washes away and biodegrades without a second thought. Good for all.

Check out some brands that have this ethos.

https://soapfolk.com/

https://shop.lucybee.com/

Photo by Canva Photos Team