I am starting my first company selling natural soap. Who knew the soap industry was so interesting and complicated!

Since the 1920’s, soap has been industrialised and the glycerine is extracted (which is highly moisturising) and is sold in creams and hair products. Industrial soap bars are then sold as a by-product to creating and extracting glycerine. Industrial soap can be very drying without any glycerine, even if the company adds a little olive oil or argan oil, for example, and markets this drying soap as moisturising. These same companies then portray soap generally as drying, to sell their more expensive products which contain the glycerine that they extracted from the soap. A lot of these more expensive products are even synthetic detergents (sydets), which are often petroleum-based, contain microplastics, and can also be harsh on the skin.

Natural soap is how soap used to be made, is completely natural and unprocessed, and is very moisturising. Plant or animal oils (we use only plant oils) are combined with lye (created by the electrolysis of salt water), which reacts together and creates soap and glycerine. It is not further processed. You get a cleaning and moisturising bar, which does not need plastic packaging, is microplastic free, which can be vegan, and is completely biodegradable.

Since I discovered this, I use natural soap now for handwashing, in the shower, washing my face, and for my hair. I don’t need any plastic packaging, no microplastics are entering the water system, and I am not coming into contact with questionable chemicals, all while getting superior results. For my hair, I have broken out of the silicone cycle which was covering my hair strands. The soap is cleaning and moisturising, so it is like using shampoo and conditioner at once. I live in a harsh water area, so it helps to use an acid rinse, which a teaspoon of vinegar in 300ml (10oz) cold water, when I have finished washing my hair. The acid rinse helps to get rid of any mineral build-up that is in the water, it tames frizzy hair, and helps balance my scalp.

It can be a bit of a change from using shampoo and conditioner to using natural soap and an optional acid rinse, but the results, including the environmental benefits, are really impressive.

Come check out my website and reach out to me with any questions that you might have!