Bar it.

Many bar soaps available in mainstream stores are not soaps at all but are synthetic detergent cleansers.1
 

Why do you care?

• Natural soap is traditionally made from mixing a few ingredients, such as animal or vegetable fat with an alkali such as lye to create a reaction called saponification.2
• Mainstream commercially-produced soaps use mineral oils, fats or petroleum products that are processed in some other way than saponification. These synthetic surfactants or detergents use many chemicals including fragrances and dyes.
  
  • These ingredients clog pores and may actually pull natural oils and moisture from the surface of skin causing dryness and irritation.
  • Many of these ingredients are common allergens and suspected carcinogens. Look for DEA, TEA, isopropyl alcohol, SLS, and BHT details in our Ingredients to Avoid list.3
• Tallow is also an ingredient that can be found in both natural and synthetic made soaps. For those that don't know this - tallow is made from sheep or beef fat. We have to say it - yuk.
• Epidermis (your skin) is the largest organ of your body - What do you really want to be lathering up with?
  

The Know How

• To avoid using synthetically manufactured soap, look for ingredients derived from nature - including ingredients with gentle cleansing power like aloe and other plant extracts, vegetable butters, oatmeal and herbs.
  
• Buy local. Try some of the small handcrafted soap makers in your area. You may find the milder formulas do wonders for your skin.
• Look for essential oils, herbs and spices that provide scent naturally.
• Pure Glycerin, a by-product of traditional soap making processes, is the mildest and especially good for dry sensitive and children's skin.
• The Skin Deep Database rates over 50 soaps as "LOW" concern - lucky for us!
• Check your labels - we found a "vegan" soap that did not use tallow or lard but did contain petroleum chemicals. Greenwashing?

Know and Tell

• Tamey was an Ivory soap user for many years; over the last year she has become a Nature Clean user most days and treats herself to some wonderful handcrafted soaps, like Honey Pie - here are a few of her favorites.
• Patti has been a faithful unscented Dove user for years and although it rates low and medium on the Skin Deep database - it is still made up of many synthetic chemicals. She currently uses the Soap Works bar which is made closer to home.
• What are your favorite natural soaps? Let us know in Pure Blogger.

P.S. Questions about anti-bacterial soaps? We'll give you more know-how on this topic next month.