What is Natural Soap and How is it Made? How Organic Soaps Still Get Squeaky Clean
Learn how natural soap uses plant-based oils and simple, natural ingredients to create effective organic soaps without plastic and chemicals.
Soap can be one of those almost mystical bathroom products—how is it really made, and what’s in it? If you’re looking to transition into a more sustainable, natural lifestyle with your hygiene products, you probably have started paying more attention to soap labels.
All those active ingredients can start to be confusing, so today we’re breaking down natural bar soaps and how exactly organic and vegan ingredients can be made into a great smelling soap that is both nourishing and effective.
If you’re looking for a plastic-free, zero-waste soap option for your shower, look no further! This sustainable swap is easy and you don’t have to compromise on quality either.
What is Natural Soap?
Natural soap can be made with simple ingredients like plant-based oils and butters, along with essential oils, botanicals, clays, and other additions depending on the formula.
There isn't one universal recipe for natural soap. Different manufacturers use different combinations of oils, butters, botanicals, and scents depending on what they want the finished bar to look, smell, and feel like.
At its core, however, most bar soap starts with fats or oils that undergo a process called saponification.
How Saponification Turns Oil Into Soap
We’ll break it down easily, so you don’t feel like we’re giving a science lesson here.
Saponification at its core is a chemical reaction. Oils or fats are combined with an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide, which reacts with those oils to create soap.
That means the oils aren't simply mixed together and pressed into a bar. They're chemically transformed during the soap-making process into the finished product you use everyday in the shower or bath.
So when you see “saponified oils” on a natural soap ingredient list, you're essentially seeing the oils that were used to create the soap itself.
Plant-Based Oils and Natural Butters
The best thing you can do to be more intentional in your hygiene products is to read the ingredient list. Looking at a natural soap bar and you'll probably recognize quite a few ingredients.
Plant oils like coconut, sunflower, castor, and olive oil are commonly used as the base of natural soaps. You might also find moisturizing ingredients like shea butter along with botanicals, clays, or plant powders.
ZWS Soap Bars, for example, use saponified sunflower, coconut, and castor oils as the base of many of their formulas. Depending on the bar you choose, you'll also find ingredients like shea butter, coconut milk powder, turmeric, calendula petals, charcoal, and essential oils.
Natural Scents, Clays, and Botanicals
Once you have the oil-based foundation of your soap bar, additional ingredients can give each formula and variant its own useful or simply aesthetic characteristics.
Essential oils can provide a pleasant, natural fragrance, while ingredients such as clays, charcoal, herbs, plant powders, and butters can change the texture, color, and feel of a natural soap bar.
Does Natural Soap Really Get You Clean?
While there are many different ways to remove dirt and grime, you might be wondering if natural butters and fragrance really do the dirty work.
This is where the chemical reaction of saponification does its job.
How Soap Lifts Away Dirt and Oil
Soap molecules have a unique structure that allows them to interact with both water and oils.
As you work soap and water across your skin, the soap helps surround oils and grime so they can be carried away when you rinse. That's why a relatively simple bar of soap can still tackle the everyday sweat, oils, and dirt you're trying to wash away.
Natural doesn't have to mean ineffective!
Yes, Natural Soap Can Still Get a Good Lather
The ZWS Soap Bar is specifically formulated to create a rich lather while using plant-based, biodegradable ingredients.
If you're used to a sudsy bottled body wash, switching to a bar doesn't mean giving up that satisfying shower ritual.
The oils used in a soap formula influence how the finished bar performs, including the type of lather it produces. Using your bar with water and working it between your hands, directly on your body, or with a loofah can create plenty of rich lather for your everyday cleaning routine.
Why Swap Bottled Body Wash for a Natural Soap Bar?
Ingredients aren't the only reason you might consider making the switch.
Take a look around your shower. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash—it's pretty easy to accumulate a collection of plastic bottles without even realizing it.
Replacing just one of those bottles with a bar can be an easy place to start.
Skip the Plastic Bottle
A traditional organic body wash or natural liquid soap can still come packaged in plastic. Choosing a bar soaps gives you another way to reduce packaging while still getting the plant-based ingredients you're looking for.
ZWS Soap Bars are plastic-free, giving you a straightforward replacement for bottled soap or body wash. If you need to travel, more on that in a later section! Bar soap can easily go anywhere with you.
And unlike buying a brand-new reusable product you didn't previously need, this is replacing something you're already going to use, meaning you’re making both a fiscally and environmentally responsible choice.
A Concentrated Bar Made to Last
Our Natural Soap Bars are specifically formulated to provide long-lasting effects both in moisturization and natural fragrance.
Be sure to store your bar soaps out of the way of running water, to reduce them washing away your product over time. Something like a simple soap dish (plastic-free, of course!) is a great addition to your shower.
Easier to Store and Travel With
You might have noticed that soap bars are extremely discreet, small, and easy to store! They take up very little room in your travel bag or shower rack.
They're easy to store in a small shower, guest bathroom, gym bag, or travel kit, and you don't have to worry about a bottle leaking all over the inside of your suitcase.
Pair your bar with a plastic-free container or travel bag and you're ready to take it with you on your next adventure.
Meet the ZWS Natural Soap Bar
If you're ready to make the switch, the ZWS Soap Bar combines natural ingredients with a simple plastic-free format.
Each 4-ounce bar is made with plant-based, biodegradable ingredients and designed to be moisturizing, nourishing, and long-lasting. The collection includes several different formulas, so you can choose a bar based on the ingredients and experience you're looking for.
Be sure to read the ingredient list for each variant if you have any allergies or sensitivities.
Plant-Based Ingredients for Face and Body
Many of the ZWS bars start with organic ingredients. Be sure to check the labels, as we mark every organic ingredient with an asterisk! Our soap bars contain saponified organic sunflower, coconut, and castor oils and add ingredients like shea butter, essential oils, clays, or powders depending on the type.
Most can be used on both your face and body, although they are not tear-free. You should avoid any soap around your eye area, and if you’re looking at the Black Salt Soap bar, we do not recommend it for facial use!
As with any body care product, individual formulas have their own usage recommendations, so always check the directions for the specific bar you choose.
Find the Right Fragrance For You
This is where natural soaps can get a little more fun. Remember, you don’t have to sacrifice amazing fragrance when going natural and eco-friendly. Rather than choosing between a handful of traditional body wash fragrances, you can mix and match bars, or simply swap out your preferred natural bar soap with the seasons!
Lavender peppermint is a relaxing option for those cold winter months, while coconut milk simply screams summer!
Plastic-Free From the Bar to the Packaging
Of course, we’re committed to zero waste here at Zero Waste Store. Our essential Natural Soap Bars are plastic-free, plant-based, and biodegradable. The best part of using a soap bar is that when you run out, there’s no tossing an empty plastic bottle into the landfill.
More Ways to Take the Plastic Out of Your Shower
Body wash bottles aren’t the only swap you should make for a more sustainable shower. The journey to a zero-waste bathroom can start small and evolve over time to your shampoo, shaving, dental hygiene and more.
Swap Your Shampoo Bottle for a Shampoo Bar
Did you know 552 Million bottles of shampoo and conditioner are thrown away every year? Hair care is an easy place to go solid, without sacrificing squeaky clean, shiny locks.
ZWS Shampoo Bars eliminate the traditional shampoo bottle and come in recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable cardboard packaging. Each 3-ounce bar is designed to replace 2-3 plastic bottles and provide at least 75 washes.
We have a bar for ALL hair types including curly, color treated, gray, and those with sensitive skin, and scents ranging from driftwood to maui melon. Or, there’s a simply unscented option for when you just want clean without any added fragrance.
Need conditioner too? We’ve got you covered.
The Best Natural Lotions
Once you’ve got yourself all fresh and clean after the shower, be sure to lock in that moisture with a natural, non-toxic body lotion.
Zero-waste and natural lotions can come in a variety of packaging options, from lotion bars to more traditional lotion that comes in reusable glass jars. Whatever you prefer, there’s definitely an option out there for you.
Use What You Have Before Making the Switch
Remember, building a low to zero-waste bathroom isn't about throwing out every plastic product you own just so you can replace it with something more sustainable. Wasting products isn’t actually sustainable at all!
Finish that bottle of body wash. Use the shampoo already sitting in your shower. Then, when it's time to restock, consider whether a natural soap or shampoo bar makes sense for you and your body care routine.
Natural Soap Bars Are a Simple, Sustainable Swap
Whether you're interested in what's inside your personal care products, trying to reduce plastic in your bathroom, or simply ready to try something new, swapping your body wash for a natural soap bar is one small change that's simple and sustainable.