Artisan Soap Bar Vs. Shower Gel: Which Should You Use?

1. They are made without chemicals and synthetics

Most commercial soaps aren’t true soap at all. They are often manufactured with synthetic ingredients, toxic chemicals and detergents. These may include parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, triclosan, and phosphorus, which irritate and dry out the skin. Scientists even link some of these ingredients to hormone disruption, cancer and various skin conditions.

sources: fda.gov, bcpp.org, ewg.org

2. It’s not harmful to waterways

The natural ingredients in our mild shea butter soaps are biodegradable. Meanwhile, the synthetic ingredients in commercial soaps, such as phosphorus, drain into rivers and lakes and harm fish and other living things.

source: epa.sa.gov.au

3. It moisturizes your skin better and longer with glycerin

A type of fat naturally found in plants, glycerin naturally hydrates and keeps the skin soothed. Many commercial soap companies remove the glycerin from their products to increase their shelf life. If the soap label says body wash, cleansing bar or body bar, it is most likely a detergent and not true soap. Also, mild soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin and other skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.

4. It’s oftentimes palm oil-free or only contains sustainably-harvested palm oil

Many commercial soap companies use palm oil harvested from deforested areas. This poses a serious problem to our planet as plants are then not allowed to regrow to be then harvested again.

5. Its packaging is usually sustainable

You’ll usually see handmade mild soap packaged without plastics, or synthetic packaging whereas most commercial soaps are packaged in single-use plastic bottles or heavily printed, glossy boxes that are not good for the environment.

6. It’s often vegan and not tested on animals

Many handcrafted mild soap bars contain no animal fats, milk, or honey products, so they are vegan-friendly. The small businesses that make them usually don’t test on animals, so they are most likely cruelty-free.

Always double-check if a seller works only with vegan products if this is important to you.

7. It comes from small businesses

Purchasing handmade mild soap bars from local businesses means supporting your community and your local economy. Commercial soap companies often make their products in factories with machines and very few people.

Once you experience the difference of handmade mild soap, you’ll never want to go back to the chemical-laden stuff again. Treat your skin to the goodness it deserves! 😊

Handmade mild soap bars might appear similar at first glance, but their true nature can differ significantly. The term "handmade" merely indicates the process used, not the quality of ingredients or craftsmanship involved.

Ingredients Matter

The core of any mild soap bar lies in its ingredients. Some artisans use premium, oils and natural fragrances, focusing on sustainability and skin health. On the other hand, others may rely on cheaper, synthetic materials that lack these benefits. The difference in components directly influences the feel, effectiveness, and gentle nature of the mild soap bar on your skin. Moreover, mild soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin and other skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.

Craftsmanship and Technique

The expertise of the soapmaker plays a vital role. Experienced artisans adhere to meticulously refined techniques, ensuring their mild soap bars are balanced, luxurious, and environmentally sound. Novices might not yet have mastered these skills, resulting in products that don’t quite measure up in texture or performance.

Environmental and Ethical Factors

Not all handmade mild soap bars are created with the same ethical or environmental considerations. Some brands emphasize cruelty-free practices and utilize biodegradable packaging. Others might not prioritize these elements, impacting both sustainability and consumer trust.

Key Takeaways

• Ingredients: Look for natural elements for optimal skin benefits.
• Craftsmanship: Experience and technique matter for quality.
• Ethics: Consider the environmental impact and ethical practices of the brand.

In the world of handmade mild soaps, exploring various options could reveal unique benefits tailored to your personal preferences and values.

When it comes to skincare, making the switch from liquid soap to traditional mild bar soap bars can have multiple benefits for both your skin and the environment.

1. Natural Ingredients for Healthier Skin:
Mild bar soaps often rely on natural ingredients and centuries-old methods. These contribute to a richer lather and offer nourishment without synthetic chemicals that liquid soaps frequently contain. This not only enhances the health of your skin but ensures you're not exposing yourself to unnecessary additives. Additionally, mild soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin and other skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.

2. Environmental Impact:
Mild bar soaps usually come with minimal, recyclable packaging, reducing plastic waste. Liquid soaps, on the other hand, are packaged in plastic bottles that contribute significantly to pollution. By opting for mild bar soap, you're making a choice that is friendlier to the planet.

3. Crafted with Care:
Handmade mild bar soaps are often produced by small businesses that focus on sustainability and quality. Unlike mass-produced liquid soaps churned out by large corporations, mild bar soaps undergo meticulous processes that result in superior quality.

4. Luxurious Self-Care:
Using a bar of natural, mild soap can turn a mundane daily task into a delightful ritual of self-care. The rich textures and natural fragrances can elevate your routine, offering soothing aromatherapy and hydration.

In summary, mild bar soaps provide a sustainable, enriching alternative to liquid soaps. They engage your senses, improve your skin's condition, and contribute to environmental welfare—all reasons why your skin and the Earth will appreciate the choice you make.

Making mild soap bars is both an art and a science. By combining craftsmanship with chemistry, the process transforms simple ingredients into luxurious, everyday essentials. Here’s an overview of how mild soap bars are crafted with care and precision.

Ingredients Selection

Everything begins with quality ingredients:

• Oils and Butters: Common choices include olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter for their moisturizing properties.
• Lye (Sodium Hydroxide): Essential for the saponification process, turning oils into mild soap bars.
• Natural Additives: Essential oils, herbs, and botanical extracts add fragrance and benefits.

The Saponification Process

1. Measuring and Mixing: Proper ratios of oils and lye are crucial. Once measured, they are mixed to start the saponification process.
2. Blending: With the mixture in a bowl, it’s blended using a stick blender until it reaches “trace,” a stage where the mixture thickens.
3. Adding Fragrance and Botanicals: Natural fragrances and any additional botanicals are stirred in at this stage to ensure they are evenly distributed.

Molding and Curing

• Pouring into Molds: The soap mixture is poured into molds and left to set. The mold gives the soap its shape and size.
• Curing Process: Once unmolded, the mild soap bars need to cure. This usually takes about 4-6 weeks, allowing excess moisture to evaporate, which results in a harder, longer-lasting mild soap bar.

Final Touches

• Cutting and Polishing: Once cured, the mild soap bars are carefully cut and polished for a smooth finish.
• Packaging: Mild soap bars are then packaged, often with eco-friendly materials, ready to reach consumers.

From start to finish, creating mild soap bars is a meticulous process that emphasizes quality and craftsmanship. For those interested in exploring natural soap options, consider visiting a product knowledge base or guide that offers recommendations based on skin type and preferences. Moreover, mild soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin and other skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.

When it comes to natural mild soap, a common concern is whether it contains lye and if this ingredient might be harmful to the skin. Let's break it down.

What is Lye?

Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a crucial component in traditional soap-making. It's used in the saponification process, where it reacts with fats or oils to create real mild soap. This might sound alarming, but there's an important point to understand.

Saponification: The Transformation Process

During the saponification process, lye interacts with oils or fats, transforming them entirely into soap and glycerin. By the end of this chemical reaction, all the lye has been consumed and neutralized. This means that the final soap product is free from any leftover lye.

Is It Safe for Your Skin?

Because there's no residual lye in a well-made bar of natural mild soap, it won’t harm your skin. In fact, many artisanal and natural mild soaps include nourishing oils and butters, such as olive oil or shea butter, which are beneficial for maintaining skin moisture and health.

Key Takeaways

• No Lye in Finished Soap: The lye is completely transformed during soap-making, leaving none in the final product.
• Skin-Friendly Ingredients: Natural, mild soaps often contain moisturizers and additives that are gentle and soothing.
• Choosing Quality Soap: Opt for mild soaps from reputable makers who craft their products carefully to ensure safety and quality.

Using natural, mild soap bars can be a delightful experience without the worry of lye causing harm. Always select mild soap bars from trusted sources to enjoy all the skin-loving benefits they offer. Mild soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin and other skin conditions like rosacea and eczema due to their mild and natural ingredients.

Our mild shea butter soap bars can last a surprisingly long time—often just as long (or longer!) than commercial soaps—if you properly take care of it. The trick is all in how you store it!

Here are some recommendations to make your mild shea butter soap bar last longer:
🧼 Use a Soap Saver: Keep your mild soap bar on a soap saver or a well-drained dish to help it dry out completely between uses. This keeps it from sitting in water, which can make it melt faster. This is vital to extend the life of your handmade mild soap.
🚿 Avoid Puddles: Store your natural mild soap away from direct streams of water in the shower or a very humid environment. If your shower never fully dries during the day, then, it is better to get your mild soap bar out of the shower and store it in your bathroom sink until you are ready to use it the next time. Letting it stay dry when not in use is key!

When stored properly, our handmade, mild shea butter soaps are very long-lasting, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the skin-loving goodness. Bonus? You’ll also notice that you don’t need to use as much because they create a rich, creamy lather that goes a long way! 😊 Mild shea butter soap bars are the best soap for sensitive skin too.

A body butter is a rich, super thick moisturizer designed to deeply hydrate and nourish dry skin. It’s made with luxurious oils and butters like mango butter, jojoba oil, and tallow, which work together to provide long-lasting moisture. Unlike traditional lotions, body butters are usually thicker and creamier, which makes them perfect for extra dry skin or when you just need that extra boost of hydration.

Is Body Butter the Same as Lotion?

Not at all! While both body butter and lotion are designed to hydrate your skin, body butter is normally thicker and way more nourishing than commercial lotions. Lotions are most of the time water-based and lighter, while body butters are packed with natural oils and butters, which makes them more nourishing and hydrating. If you’ve got dry, flaky or cracked skin or just want to treat yourself to something extra luxurious, body butter is the way to go!

Ready to experience the ultimate hydration? Our body butters, formulated with mango butter, jojoba oil and tallow, are perfect for soft and glowing skin, without the greasy feeling. 💖

Our handmade body butters aren’t just different—they’re in a different league of their own. Here’s why:

1️⃣ Luxurious Ingredients
We use real skin-nourishing ingredients like mango butter, known for its rich, soft texture and its ability to deeply hydrate, and jojoba oil, a luxury oil that mimics your skin’s natural oils. Unlike commercial brands that rely on cheap fillers and synthetic additives, every ingredient in our body butters is chosen for its high-quality and skin-loving properties.

2️⃣ Intense Hydration Without the Grease
If you’ve ever felt greasy after using a body butter, that’s not us! Our formula is designed to sink right in, leaving your skin super soft, smooth, and hydrated without that sticky residue afterwards. Just a tiny amount goes a really long way, making it more effective and long-lasting than lotions or other commercial creams.

3️⃣ Better Than Lotion
Lotions often contain a high water content that quickly evaporates, leaving your skin dehydrated again very fast. That's why most people with dry skin need to reapply lotion throughout the day. On the other hand, our body butters deliver intense, long-lasting hydration that combats even the driest skin—perfect for tackling rough patches or keeping your skin radiant all year round. No need to reapply multiple times a day!

When you choose our body butters, you’re choosing a product that pampers your skin, saves you time and money, and feels amazing every time you use it. Try it for yourself—your skin will thank you for it! 🧴💕

A lotion bar is a solid block of lotion, used for moisturizing dry patches of skin. Lotion bars are normally made with natural oils and beeswax that stay solid at room temperature, but melt a little from body heat, making it easy to glide the lotion bar on your skin as needed and store in a reusable  container.

Lotion bars take the best of natural skin care — gentle, simple ingredients like shea butter and essential oils — and pack them into a small bar, rather than a large plastic bottle than is mostly comprised of water. This eliminates both the plastic waste from the bottle and water added to traditional lotion. Lotion bars pack in all the best moisturizing ingredients, concentrated without excess water or plastic waste.

How do you use lotion bars? Can you use lotion bars in the shower?

Lotion bars can be used in many different ways, depending on skin care needs. It is recommended to hold the lotion bar in your hands for about 1 minute before use; the warmth of your hands will melt the solid bar, allowing the nourishing oils to glide onto your skin. If the bar feels hard, keep warming it in your hands or start by rubbing on your arms to get the lotion to melt enough to easily glide into your skin.

Many dermatologists recommend using a moisturizer after showering, to lock in water left on the body and use it to moisturize your skin throughout the day. Like any lotion, lotion bars are also an important go-to skin care product any time skin feels dry, cracked, or irritated. On a pinch, a lotion bar can serve as a lip balm too!.

Why is a lotion bar better than commercial bottled lotions?

While local recycling facilities are typically able to recycle lotion bottles, overall plastic recycling rates are shockingly low. If possible, it is always better to reduce plastic consumption, and rely less on recycling by simply not buying lotion bottled in plastic when possible. Furthermore, most store bought lotions are packed with toxic chemicals that are known to be hormone disruptors and carcinogenic.

What are the personal benefits of a lotion bar made with beeswax?

Beeswax has been used for the last two thousand years for human use in food and personal care, due to its many beneficial properties and its clean, natural profile. When used in personal body care products, beeswax is excellent at moisturizing and soothing skin without clogging pores, by creating a long-lasting barrier to protect skin from environmental pollutants and harsh, dry weather conditions. We make our lotion bars with beeswax, shea butter, and essential oils to ensure that users enjoy the benefits of beeswax, as well as the moisturizing properties of other natural ingredients.

A solid lotion bar is a fun, portable and convenient way to moisturize your skin!

The best part? No mess, no waste—just pure moisture in a handy, travel-friendly bar. If you’ve never tried one, our lotion bars are a great place to start! They’re carefully crafted to pamper your skin with long-lasting hydration. 💛

If you’re looking for a skincare solution that really works, our lotion bars are a true game-changer. Unlike commercial, water-based lotions filled with synthetic ingredients and fillers, our bars are formulated with only natural ingredients like olive oil, beeswax, and tallow—known for their deeply nourishing and skin-loving properties.

Here’s why you’ll adore them:
🌿 Pure and Natural: Made without harsh chemicals, our lotion bars are perfect for sensitive skin and safe for everyday use. They are amazing for on-the-go hydrating and even work as a lip balm on a pinch. Just drop one of our mini lotion bars in your purse and hydrate everywhere you go!
💧 Intense Moisture for Dry Skin: Olive oil and tallow are jam packed with natural fats and antioxidants that combat even the driest patches of skin, leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated.
🐝 Locks in Hydration: Beeswax creates a protective barrier, sealing in moisture and keeping your skin moisturized way longer than traditional, water-based lotions.
🙌 Long-Lasting: Just a little goes a really long way! These bars melt on contact with your skin, absorbing quickly without leaving a greasy residue.

If you’re tired of reapplying commercial lotions that don’t deliver, it’s time to give your skin the love it deserves. Treat yourself to our natural lotion bars and feel the difference of truly natural, nourishing skincare! 🧡

Handmade scrubs are luxurious exfoliators crafted with care, designed to gently buff away dead skin cells while nourishing and hydrating your skin. Unlike commercial scrubs packed with synthetic fillers, our scrubs are made with natural, nourishing oils that your skin will love, like coconut oil, sunflower oil, and extra glycerin for added hydration.

Why Are Our Handmade Scrubs Different?

What sets our handmade scrubs apart is the quality of the natural ingredients and the attention to your skin’s needs. The natural oils in our scrubs deeply nourish and hydrate your skin as you exfoliate, leaving it soft, smooth, and glowing—not dry or irritated like some commercial scrubs can.

Plus, we add extra glycerin, a powerful humectant, to lock in moisture and keep your skin feeling hydrated without the need of any lotion after you use it. With our handmade scrubs, you’re not just exfoliating—you’re treating your skin to a mini spa session every time you use them.

Ready to upgrade your skincare routine? Try one of our handmade scrubs and feel the difference for yourself! ✨

Yes, our luxury bath bombs are absolutely safe for your skin! We use only skin-loving oils and butters like mango butter, jojoba oil, and sunflower oil to nourish and hydrate as you soak. These natural oils help to hydrate and soften your skin, leaving it feeling smooth and soft, not dry or irritated. Plus, we make sure our bath bombs are free from harsh chemicals, so you can unwind knowing your skin is being pampered while you enjoy your bath. Just drop one in the water, sit back, and let the goodness soak in!

Our bath bombs are made with a nourishing blend of luxurious, skin-loving oils like mango butter, jojoba oil, and sunflower oil. These natural oils help to hydrate and moisturize your skin while you enjoy a relaxing soak. We also use natural fragrances and essential oils to create a soothing, aromatic experience. Our bath bombs are free from harsh chemicals, so you can feel good about what you're putting on your skin. Just drop one in your bath, and let the soothing fizz and nourishing oils work their magic!