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For people who have sensitive skin or just want to pamper themselves, all natural soaps are the way to go. That’s because they are made from moisturizing, organic ingredients that do not dry your skin the way commercially produced soaps can.
Many mass-produced soaps contain foaming agents, dyes, chemical fragrances, and preservatives, according to EcoWatch, that are harmful to your skin and to the environment.
Natural soaps are made from oil, lye – an essential ingredient for making soap – , natural fragrances from essential oils, and natural dyes. Switching to natural soaps from reliable companies or making your own at home are the best choices for taking care of your skin and the planet too.
Tom's of Maine Natural Beauty Bar Soap
Tom's of Maine is a B Corp company that has a line of natural soaps that come in bars and liquids and are all paraben free, safe, effective, and made of naturally derived ingredients like lavender, eucalyptus, and shea. The company has over 50 years of experience making natural versions of products that everyone uses like toothpaste and deodorant that are all natural and sustainably packaged.
Activated Charcoal Cleansing Bar by Soapwalla
Try this jet-black vegan soap from Soapwalla if you have sensitive or blemish prone skin. that is made from all-natural activated bamboo charcoal, petitgrain, geranium, and tea tree. all of the company’s eight varieties of soap are vegan, SLS and paraben-free, and contain no harsh chemicals. Some of the great scents include almond & oat, cedarwood & clay, lavender & French clay.
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap
Dr. Bronner’s, the top selling natural soap in the US, is made of all natural ingredients with no synthetic preservatives, detergents, or foaming agents. The product line includes castile bar soap, liquid soap, and the 18-In-1 liquid soap that can be used for your hands, body, pets, and even for doing dishes plus a whole lot more. The company is certified organic, fair trade, no-GMO, and not tested on animals making it people and planet friendly.
Organic Body Soap from Eco Roots
Pamper yourself with unisex vegan body soaps from Eco Roots that contain organic natural scents, oils, and herbs. There are no synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfates, or animal products. The bars are made in small batches and cold pressed by hand. There are seven varieties to choose from including peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, and lavender.
Beekman 1802’s Goat Milk Soap
Goat’s milk is great for cheese and yogurt but did you know that it can also be used in soap?Beekman 1802 makes soap that is moisturizing, naturally exfoliating, and has the same PH as human skin thanks to the goats milk it contains. There are 10 triple-milled all natural soaps including: pure goat milk, fig leaf, vanilla absolute, and honey & oat.
DIY Natural Soap
Making your own soap is also a good choice. That way you can pick all the fragrances and ingredients. But all homemade soaps contain lye, according to DIY Natural, which is caustic and dangerous. That’s why you should always use lye or 100 percent sodium hydroxide in crystal form. You will also need stainless steel or glass bowls, styrene plastic or silicone mixing spoons, soap molds or silicone baking pans, and a thermometer.
While the skies are the limit when it comes to scents, colors and shapes, you need a basic soap recipe to get started. Here are easy-to-follow instructions from The Spruce using the cold process method of soapmaking.
Other methods include the hot method which includes cooking the soap on the stove or oven, melt and pour which is an easy process that uses blocks of soap that you heat up with your own ingredients and pour into molds, and rebatching that utilizes poorly made soap or soap scraps. Choose the one that works best for you and use your homemade soap the next time you take a pampering bath or shower.
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