Natural Soap: Bath to Basics
Is there a way to cut back on the number of plastic bottles we keep in our showers? We can only soap. Bar soap has been around for hundreds of years, yet its sales started sinking in the 2010’s. Bar soap was getting some bad press for causing dry skin, while body wash thrived on its sporty/sexy/fresh-rain-smelling marketability. This trend leaves us, however, with one more plastic bottle to dispose of each month. Not only that, several body washes have some dirty chemical additives that end up all over your skin and down your pipes. With our list of natural, biodegradable soaps, the only pipes you’ll be thinking about are the ones helping you belt out your favorite song.
The good news is, sooner or later, everything old is new again. It’s 2020 and bar soap is making a huge comeback. It has minimal packaging, if any. The brands we feature employ naturally moisturizing ingredients (clay, shea butter, essential oils) to keep your skin from getting dry. And you don’t have to smell like rain. Okay, off the soapbox we go. Check out our favorite picks for eco-friendly, natural bar soap.
Ethique:
Setting the Bar
In our very first Shampoo post, we declared that Ethique’s shampoo bar was our personal favorite. Months later, we’re falling in love all over again. This New Zealand based B Corp is 100% plastic-free in its packaging, saving what would have been over 6 million plastic bottles so far. All of their ingredients are vegan and are never tested on animals. That being said, they have certainly been tested many times on these two humans in the last few weeks. We went for the Lavender and Mint bodywash bar, which has a fantastic scent and feels smooth against the skin. And, their convenient shower storage container is a great idea, and makes every bar last longer. We also got the Ethique Body Sampler which contains little heart-shaped soaps, a lotion, a body polish, and a deodorant, making it impossible not to try them all. Now that’s some good shower pressure.
BeautyCounter
Beautycounter is known for its incredibly clean, high-quality products. This one has a higher price tag than most, but you won’t be pouring your money down the drain. The Charcoal Cleansing Bar is detoxifying and ideal for oily or blemish-prone skin. It’s meant for both face and body and is praised as being long-lasting in its 1000+ five star reviews. We also tested out its friend, the Counterman Charcoal Body Bar, which we loved as well. There is no fear of dry skin here, with coconut and cedar oils keeping the skin feeling consistently refreshed. Beautycounter is a certified B Corp and has donated over $2.4 million in cash and products to non-profits that align with their mission. It’s also worth mentioning that they have “The Never List,” consisting of over 1,800 ingredients that will never find their way into a Beautycounter formula.
Ursa Major
“Made with passion, purpose, and pride in Vermont.” As the two of us were born and raised in the green mountain state, we “lovermont” and we love this VT-based company as well. In a state where you spend half your days brushing snow off of your car, it can take some extra energy to power through the mornings. The scent of this energizing Morning Mojo bar makes you feel like you’re strolling through a fresh herb garden, and it feels just as satisfying. The bar has some exfoliating qualities but soothes and hydrates as well. We’ve already worked through a couple of bars, and we plan to keep it in the mix in the coming months. It’s called Morning Mojo, but for those of us on the night’s wash, you’ll be fine. Snow problem.
Herbivore
If you haven’t experienced Herbivore before, we think they’re definitely worth a try. We grabbed the rub-a-dub double pack, so we could try both the Pink Clay and Bamboo Charcoal bars. The Pink Clay (our favorite) felt refreshing and moisturizing, and the Bamboo Charcoal was silky smooth and smelled like a day at the spa. As you may guess from the name, their products are vegan and cruelty-free, with essential vitamins, minerals, and botanicals to keep your skin healthy. Their formulas are pure and highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way with these slightly smaller 4oz bars.
Native
You probably know Native best from their breakthrough aluminum-free deodorant. Their charcoal scented deo was our favorite of all the charcoal scents we tested, and that still applies to their bar soap. You can try out a variety of their scents by building a 3-pack of different bars through their website. The site also boasts over 10,000 5-star reviews of Native products, and they are popular for good reason. Their products are solid, moderately priced, and made with safe ingredients.
Pure Provence
If you want to enjoy the finer things in life, you may have to take a trip to France. Or, better yet, have France take a trip to you. Pure Provence makes wonderful organic soap, free of preservatives, colorants, or chemicals. The organic shea butter keeps your skin moisturized, while the essential oils and natural fragrances come from botanicals grown in the region. We put the Moroccan Mint and Grapefruit bars to the test, and couldn’t get enough of them. If you want to find out for yourself, please be our guest.
Method
Much like Native, Method has become so popular that it’s hard to miss. We took their bar soap for a spin, and tried the Sea + Surf bar, as well as the Deep Detox Method Body bar. We were really happy with both. These bars are a solid 6oz of naturally derived ingredients and plant-based cleansers. It’s tough to describe how pleasant the Sea + Surf scent is, but don’t worry, Method tried: “crisp, clean nautical notes whisk you away to seaside adventures + wind-capped waves.” Clearly this is made in California. The Deep Detox bar contains cucumber, seaweed, and green tea extract. To this we say, if it can go in a poke bowl, it can go on our skin.
Dr. Bronner’s
Save the least surprising for last. Dr. Bronner’s shows up in many of our posts, but we certainly can’t leave him out on this one. These colorful soap bars, 8 scents in total, have been a staple in the biodegradable, vegan soap world for a long time now. Dr. Bronner’s is a certified B Corp with certified fair trade ingredients. They are part of several initiatives to help take care of the environment, and they work every year to optimize sustainability, whether it be through solar panels or recycled shipping materials. You don’t want to keep the doctor away this time.