Every store has an aisle of soap – the one with multi-colored bottles from floor to ceiling. At first glance, it seems plain, just shampoos, hand soaps, and body washes. But what you can’t see are the little-known concerns of sustainability, quality of product, and what’s really best for our skin.
As we’ve already covered the holy grail of hair care, it seems only fitting we account for an essential of body care: bar soap. More specifically, the benefits of switching from using bottled body wash to natural bar soaps, and why you want to (if you haven’t already).
The first bar benefit (i.e., why bar soap is better than bottled body wash) is the quality of ingredients – they simply can’t be beat.
What’s in natural bar soaps?
Starting with traditional body washes, they can contain synthetic detergents that aggravate sensitive skin and eczema. They also may contain foaming agents, chemical fragrances, and dyes. Most body washes, no matter how much they advertise being “natural,” tend to have unnecessary filler ingredients. And to top it all off, body washes are mostly made of water.
Natural bar soaps, rather, contain very few ingredients – around four to seven. The primary ingredients are plant oils (think coconut, olive, or castor) and butters (like shea or mango). Beyond this base formulation, there may be essential oils, clays, or botanicals. The end result is concentrated and waterless soap made from all-natural ingredients.
Our skin is porous and absorbing, so clean and gentle ingredients matter, which brings us to our next bar benefit. Bar soap is typically better than body wash for sensitive skin because they cleanse gently.
Natural bar soaps are more gentle
Our skin requires a fair amount of care to cleanse, moisturize, and heal skin conditions. Sadly, many of us grew up using harsh, sulfate-ridden, and drying soaps. These same commercial soaps lead to inflamed, itchy, cracked, and severely dehydrated skin!
A paramount part of caring for our skin is using gentle products made with minimal and non-aggravating ingredients. Enter (well-formulated) natural bar soaps.
As we mentioned above, natural bar soaps primarily contain plant oils. A well-formulated blend makes a creamy lathering soap as well as an ultra-gentle cleanser that is less irritating. The vitamin E, natural glycerin, and shea butter also contribute to a skin-nourishing and softening cleanse.
Remember to follow EVERY wash with an application of an oil-based salve or moisturizer to replenish your skin’s oils and add extra moisturization. Your skin will thank you!
Beyond being ideal for sensitive skin and having quality ingredients, bar soap is better because it’s the green, greener, and greenest choice of all.
Natural bar soaps are sustainable
It’s no secret that plastic pollution is at a record high. And as you can imagine, body washes produce a LOT of plastic waste. There are the bottles, extra plastic packaging, and some body washes that even contain microplastics, like glitter or microbeads.
It is easy to forget, but plastic bottles take hundreds of years to decompose. In fact, almost every plastic bottle (body wash or not) you have ever used is still in a landfill today. And the bottles that end up in the ocean take around 450 years to decompose!
When it comes to sustainable soaps, natural bar soaps are the clear winner. Not only because they are plastic-free, but because they safely biodegrade without harming wildlife or the environment.
Moving from bottle to bar is a small but positively impactful way you can contribute towards a more sustainable future! And the benefits of using natural bar soaps don’t end there.
Natural bar soap benefits
Natural bar soaps have a long list of positives – too many to cover in full. But we can’t forget about a few benefits, such as:
- Bar soaps are long-lasting & economical
- Bar soaps are travel-friendly (no spills included!)
- Natural bar soaps are mostly handmade & unique
- Pure essential oils provide aromatherapy with each wash
- Our natural bar soaps arrive at your door – hassle-free
- Choosing small-batch soaps supports small businesses
Lastly, let’s cover how you can get the best bang for your buck. In other words, how to take good care of your bar soaps.
How to care for natural bar soaps
Tips and tricks always help when adopting a new routine or product, so we wanted to share a short how-to guide on caring for your bars.
Bar care tips for best results:
- Always use a soap dish for proper water drainage
- Keep bars dry in between uses (pat dry with a towel after each use & store bars outside of the shower)
- Avoid direct sunlight
- Use bars within twelve months of purchasing
- And remember, a little goes a long way
Whether you’re a bar soap connoisseur or have yet to try one, our natural bar soaps will bring you comfort today and build a more sustainable future tomorrow!
Shop Our Natural Bar Soaps Here!
- Written by Sariah Vilate
