Oil Bases
These are the primary ingredients that react with lye to form the actual soap base for each recipe.
Avocado Oil
Appears as: sodium avocadate.
Avocado oil creates a moisturizing soap that is ideal for dry skin. It tends to create a soft bar with reduced lather, so we combine it with other oils to compensate.
Castor Oil
Appears as: sodium castorate.
Castor oil contributes a strong but gentle lather, making a good complement to oils that reduce lather.
Coconut Oil
Appears as: sodium cocoate.
Coconut oil creates a hard and long-lasting soap with strong cleansing properties. It can be quite drying, so it is typically only used in small amounts in combination with moisturizing oils.
Olive Oil
Appears as: sodium olivate.
Olive oil slows the saponification reaction, making it ideal for soaps that contain essential oils which could disrupt the process. It also creates a very gentle soap, good for sensitive skin. However, too much olive oil can result in a soft bar and slimy lather so we keep it below 50% of the final product.
Palm Oil (RSPO certified)
Appears as: sodium palmate.
Palm oil creates a gentle and long-lasting bar soap with a pleasant texture. This acts as the primary oil in most of our formulas, balancing out softer oils and improving the shelf life of each bar.
Palm Kernel Oil (RSPO certified)
Appears as: sodium palm kernelate.
Palm kernel oil comes from the same plant as palm oil, but is extracted from inside the seeds rather than from the surrounding flesh. It provides a lovely lather without softening the soap or drying the skin too much. Only small amounts are needed.
Shea Butter
Appears as: Butyrospemum parkii (shea) butter.
A lot of the fats found in shea butter are actually unsaponifiable, resulting in a rich moisturizing bar soap. It creates a very soft soap with minimal lather, so must be combined with harder oils as well as higher lathering oils.
Skincare Additives
These are ingredients that we add to enhance the skincare benefits of our soaps.
Calendula Extract
Appears as: Calendula officinalis flower extract
Calendula is used to promote hydration, improve skin radiance, and restore elasticity. It is a very gentle ingredient suitable for sensitive or dry skin types.
Chamomile Extract
Appears as: Chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract
Chamomile is a protective ingredient, used to calm sensitive skin, reduce redness, and enhance the skin barrier. In our recipes, it is used to balance out natural chemical exfoliants.
Chickweed Extract
Appears as: Stellaria media (chickweed) extract
Chickweed has been used topically for centuries to promote healing and relieve dry or inflamed skin. It is a great addition to formulas built for dry or sensitive skin types.
Clays
Appears as: kaolin, bentonite, Moroccan lava clay, or maris limus
All of the clay powders we use help to purify pores, absorb excess oils, and improve the lather and stability of our soaps. Kaolin is preferred for dry skin formulations, while bentonite or lava clay are better for oily skin, and maris limus (dead sea clay) is great for blemished or fatigued skin.
Coffee (ground)
Appears as: Coffea arabica (coffee) seed powder
Freshly ground arabica coffee beans can be used as a gentle physical exfoliant. The coffee also enriches our soaps with antioxidants and caffeine to rejuvenate the skin.
Cucumber Peel Extract
Appears as: Cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract
Cucumber peel extract is a skincare powerhouse. It is soothing, hydrating, firming, and nutrient-rich, making it ideal for a wide variety of skin types and particularly helpful in facial cleansers.
Cypress Essential Oil
Appears as: Cupressus sempervirens leaf oil
Cypress oil is a more potent astringent and antimicrobial ingredient than peppermint oil, making it ideal for oily or acne-prone skin types, particularly on the body. It may be too intense for sensitive faces.
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Appears as: Cymbopogon citratus leaf oil
Lemongrass is a concentrated source of the antimicrobial citral, anti-inflammatory limonene, antioxidant eugenol, and gently exfoliating alcohols. When added to soap, it helps smooth and brighten the skin.
Orange Essential Oil
Appears as: Citrus sinensis (orange) peel oil
Orange oil is a natural source of d-limonene, a strong degreasing agent. Because of its powerful grease-fighting properties, we use this ingredient only for heavy duty cleaning applications.
Papaya Extract
Appears as: Carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract
Papaya extract contains the enzyme papain, which acts as a natural exfoliant ideal for use on dry skin. This extract is also rich in radiance-boosting vitamins and antioxidants.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Appears as: Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil
Peppermint oil is used primarily as a source of menthol, implemented for its astringent and antimicrobial action. This helps cleanse and tighten the pores, as well as providing a cooling sensation. It is gentle enough for use on the face.
Pumice
Appears as: pumice
Pumice is simply a type of volcanic rock. In our formulas we use finely-ground pumice as an aggressive physical exfoliant. Its high porosity also allows it to absorb oils, odours, and impurities.
White Willow Bark Extract
Appears as: Salix alba bark extract
White willow bark is rich in salicin, a precursor to salicylic acid. This makes it great for acne-prone skin by reducing redness, balancing sebum production, and combating bacterial growth.
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Other Ingredients
These other ingredients have important roles in the curing process and long-term stability of our soaps but offer bonus skincare benefits as well.
Vitamin E
Appears as: tocopherols.
We use a mixture of various forms of vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) to stabilize the unsaponified oils in our soaps for long-term storage. Vitamin E is often used in skincare products to strengthen the skin barrier, sooth irritations, and promote healing.
Glycerin
Appears as: glycerin.
We do not add any glycerin to our soaps, but it occurs naturally as a result of soap formation. Glycerin is what remains after all of the lye has reacted with the base oils to form soap, so you can rest assured that it is entirely plant derived. It is a natural humectant.