Walk down the soap aisle and you will see words like “natural,” “pure,” “clean,” and “earth-friendly” everywhere.
Those words may reflect a brand’s approach, but they do not tell you everything about what is in the bar. The best place to start is the ingredient list.
“Natural” Is Not a Complete Answer
“Natural” is widely used in personal-care marketing, but it is not a precise ingredient list.
A bar can be called natural while using very different formulas, scents, colors, or additives. That does not automatically make the product bad—it simply means the front label is only part of the story.
If you care about how a soap is made, turn the package over and read what is actually in it.
How Traditional Bar Soap Is Made
Traditional soap is made by combining fats or oils with water and sodium hydroxide, commonly called lye. This process is called saponification.
The fats and oils can come from animal-based ingredients, such as tallow, or plant-based ingredients, such as coconut or olive oil. Once the soapmaking process is complete, the sodium hydroxide has reacted with the oils to create soap.
A traditional bar may also include ingredients chosen for scent, color, texture, or the particular feel of the finished bar.
What to Look For on a Label
There is no single ingredient list that makes one soap right for everyone. But a clear label makes it easier to choose a bar that fits your preferences.
Look for:
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A complete, understandable ingredient list
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Clear information about how the bar is scented, if scented
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A brand that tells you what it uses and why
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Ingredients that align with your own preferences, whether that means tallow, plant oils, essential oils, unscented formulas, or something else
A shorter ingredient list is not automatically better, but it can make a product easier to understand.
Fragrance, Essential Oils, and Preferences
Some people prefer unscented soap. Others enjoy bars scented with essential oils or fragrance oils.
Neither choice is universal. If you know you are sensitive to certain ingredients or fragrances, check the full ingredient list and choose accordingly. For individual skin concerns, a qualified healthcare professional is the right person to ask.
What We Use
At Ol’ McDonald Soap Co., we make traditional bar soap with beef tallow, selected plant-based oils, water, and lye. We use essential oils where scent is used.
We do not use synthetic fragrance, parabens, microplastics, palm oil, or sulfates in our bars.
We believe customers should be able to understand what they are buying. That is why we keep our ingredient approach straightforward and list what goes into every bar.
Start with Saltwater Citrus - Our bestselling bar