Benefits of Natural Soap

What is natural soap?

Before we talk about the benefits of natural soap let’s define what natural soap actually is “Soap”, is anything that is created by combining fats or oils with a strong alkali that results in a cleaning product. In contrast, most of the products you encounter in the supermarket, though presented as soaps are mostly syndets,(synthetic -detergents) and are far from actual soap. They are largely made using cheap low quality ingredients that may or may not be natural, and they are made using artificial colours and fragrances and can be drying and irritating to the skin. They are also often mass-produced by companies that test on animals, use mineral oil and don’t care about human rights or the planet.

What are the benefits of natural soap?

One of the major benefits of natural soap is that they are packed full of natural oils and butter that look after your skin. They also contain sensory benefits from the blend of essential oils to soothe the skin and senses.

Highly moisturising

Our bars are made using copious amounts of natural oils and butter that are highly moisturising. Not only are they great emollients they are rich in fatty acids and provide additional skincare benefits.

Better ingredients

As mentioned above natural soaps contain better ingredients, our shea butter soap bars are made using organic shea butter, organic coconut oil, organic castor oil and virgin olive oil. Scented with a blend of essential oil and infused with herbs, clays and botanicals, our bars are a botanical treat for the skin and senses.

Cruelty-Free and animal-friendly

Not sure about anyone else, but our bars are 100% cruelty-free and our range is 90% vegan. We do plan on expanding our to contain milk, eggs, yoghurt, or honey for their skin benefits but we do not hurt any animals in the process and all ingredients are organic.

Wider choice

What’s better than one shea bar, 8 shea butter bars, what’s better than 8 bars? 16! We carry a range of shea butter bars that offer you so much choice. Unscented, exfoliating, smooth, botanical and clay, the options in natural soap are endless and our range is expanding. Stick around for more soapy choices.

Unique, handmade product

Love giving unique handcrafted products? Love receiving handcrafted gifts? We do too! Our bars are hand-milled, poured, cut and stamped in London by my me. You get a unique bar that carries the uniformed goodness that is moisturising, soothing and deliciously luxurious.

Better for the Environment

No petroleum, no artificial colours or fragrances, no parabens, no PEG, no silicone. Good for you, good for the planet.

Naturally moisturising

Rich in fatty acids and emollients due to the high butter and oil content, our natural soaps are super moisturising, caressing your skin with creamy luxurious bubbles.  Our choice of organic butter and oils are vitamin rich, soothing to the skin, contain anti-inflammatory properties and are great for overall skin health and vitality.

Preservative Free 

Preservatives are necessary but there are worries about them causing long-term health concerns, disrupting hormones in the body and harming fertility and reproductive organs, affecting birth outcomes, and increasing the risk of cancer.  The natural chemical composition of soaps makes them naturally preservative-free. There is a reduced risk of long-term health issues, increased skin health and delightful sensory benefits.

Natural Antibacterial Properties

We blend a specific selection of essential oils that carry natural anti-bacterial properties. They fight bacteria on the skin, to help banish acne, reduce infections and soothe skin irritation. Essential oils like tea tree which is in our Elbows, Knees and Toes and carry’s antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-septic benefits making it ideal for use on sweaty areas like the feet. Lemon has anti-bacterial properties too and is the main character in our Lemon Poppy bar. Lavender which is in our Field of Dreams not only carries anti-bacterial properties, it also has analgesic properties which means it helps reduce pain, making it ideal as part of a bedtime routine to soothe the skin and senses.   

Natural Aromatherapy

Never any artificial colours or fragrances, our bars are only ever scented with our in-house essential oil blend. We explore a range of floral, herbal, and woody blends that tickle the senses and benefit the skin in varying ways. Basically, natural soap is the healthy switch you need to make for, happier skin, softer and better-looking skin. 

Check out our latest bars here

Who is natural soap for?

Natural soap is for people who want to look after their skin and the environment in an easy way. They are also great for people who travel as they don’t spill or break in your bag, great for people who suffer from skin conditions and need gentle but effective cleansing. Great is for people who don’t want to compromise their long-term health with carcinogenic ingredients in their skincare. Natural soap is also great for people with skin issues like psoriasis, eczema, acne and premature ageing as the oils and fats within the bar add lots of nutrients to the skin to help reinforce and regenerate it. Natural soap can be used from head to toe, as a shampoo, face wash, body wash and hand wash, No matter where you choose to use it, do your research and test before committing to it all over your body.

What soap is right for me?

Before I started making my own bars of soap, I wanted my bars to be nourishing to my skin, to soften and soothe irritation.  I also wanted my soap to smell good and last long, the last thing i wanted was to find a bar I loved only for it to last two minutes.

The bars I created are a hefty 5oz making them bigger and harder than most bars meaning they last longer due to size and quality, saving you money along the way. Scented using in-house aromatherapy blends, they are designed to soothe the skin and senses too. No artificial anything is included so you get a hard, big beautiful smelling bar that softens and conditions your skin.

My personal favourite bar at the moment is Spring Fling, scented with relaxing lavender, uplifting bergamot and brightening lemon, it’s so refreshing and bright, it always put me in a good mood. 

Our best-selling sensitive skin bar is Plain Jane, she is a creamy bar packed with shea butter and all the other goodies mentioned, unscented and without texture, she is a great introduction to natural soap and great on the days you want luxurious simplicity. 

On the other hand, if you fancy a robust exfoliation experience our customers absolutely LOVE Elbows, Knees and Toes, our best-selling exfoliating bar with activated charcoal, tea tree and eucalyptus and a generous handful of volcanic pumice. Our girl very effectively removes dead dull skin in all the rough skin areas like your elbows, knees and toes leaving you with smoother, softer skin.  She is beloved. 

What skin type is natural soap for?

All skin types can benefit from natural soap. If you have dry skin or suffer from a dry skin condition like eczema or psoriasis look for super nourishing skin-loving fats like olive oil, shea butter and avocado oil, if it has oats or honey that’s great for antibacterial properties and gentle exfoliation.   For combination skin, look for macadamia nut oil, coconut oil and again shea butter (the Swiss Knife of beauty). For oily skin, clays and salt bars are a great way to remove excess oil and cleanse the skin without irritation.  

What are the dangers of natural soap?

Like with all cosmetics, it is very important to do a patch test before committing the product to your whole body. Behind the knees, on the wrist and the inside of the elbow are great places to check if a product is suitable for your skin.

Bad soap is soft and oily, dangerous soap is lye heavy, crumbly with white spots and can burn your skin due to the unsaponified strong alkali content. Bad soap can smell “off” if the oils have gone rancid (gone off)  and the bar may have orange spots on them too, though not necessarily. If your bar has white ash on it that is perfectly normal and safe to use, this is merely sweat from the curing process. It’s super important to check your purchases to make sure they meet skincare lawful standards, if not, send those babies back from whence they came.

Tips for natural soap

• Always use a soap dish to drain the water away, as this makes the soap last longer.
• I only ever recommend using an African Sapo Sponge to build lather and get the most out of your bar.
• Never let the bar of soap sit in your bath for long periods, it’s an unnecessary waste.
• Always check the INCI for the actual ingredients to make sure they are what they are marketed to be.
• Shop small, local and handmade.
• Seek medical advice if you have an adverse reaction to anything you put on your skin.
• Be good to yourself.

This is all from me this week, look out for our newsletter broadcast on Thursday, in the meantime, have an amazing Sunday and remember to always be good to yourself. 

Mazel 

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