Here at Little Soap HQ we firmly believe that natural, organic soap should be accessible to everyone. We’re passionate about making the finest soaps using only natural ingredients because we know that what you put on your skin is so important. Whatever you put onto your body goes into your body… so why wouldn’t you want that to be pure, organic and natural? Yet knowing all this, there is still a common misconception that you shouldn’t use soap on your face – so this week we’re here to tell you differently. Here’s why you can (and should) use natural soap on your face.
Natural soap contains no nasties
The soap we produce is totally free from detergents, SLS, alcohol, parabens, sorbates, silicones, sulphates and preservatives; making it kinder to skin than ‘normal’ soap or cleansing bars. And because it’s kinder to skin, it’s absolutely perfect to use on the delicate facial area too.
Mass-produced soaps can contain chemicals that are known to dry out the skin and leave it irritated and sore – which is why many people over the years have avoided using it on the face. It’s also why manufacturers have made a huge business out of marketing and selling over priced facial cleansers!
Ingredients to look out for in mass produced soap…
parabens – a type of chemical preservative. Parabens are harmful ingredients found in most commercial soaps and beauty products.
phthalates – an additive used to produce plastic!
petrochemicals – derived from petroleum (WHY would you want that on your face?!)
synthetic perfume – artificial scents, used to make your soap smell nice. These are linked to many allergic reactions and can have an effect on hormones. They are also known to aggravate existing skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
artificial colouring – synthetic dyes used to make your soap different colours.
Little Soap Company uses natural and/or organic ingredients and sometimes it’s necessary to use a non-toxic synthetic ingredient when no equivalent can be found in nature. While the idea of using 100% all natural products may seem appealing, it is not practical and does not necessarily mean they are safe. In fact, failure to include effective preservatives in a product can lead to health problems, such as skin infection. It is necessary to use some type of synthetic non-toxic preservative(s) to ensure the products you use are safe.
Natural soap is made from natural ingredients
As already mentioned, natural soap is free from nasty chemicals and additives and is instead packed with natural ingredients designed to provide your skin with the nourishment it needs. As a general rule, our soap contains healthy oils, essential oils and organic, biodegradable ingredients that are ethically sourced from sustainable crops. We’re transparent in our ingredients and list them beside every product we sell because we believe it’s important that you know what’s in your soap too.
For example, our Rose Geranium soap bar is made with 86.3% certified organic oils and contains:
- Organic Palm Oil (please read our statement on our use of Palm Oil here)
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Water
- Glycerine
- Rose Geranium Essential Oil
- Salt
- Citric Acid
and naturally occurring within the essential oils:
- Citral
- Geraniol
- Citronellol
- Limonene
- Linalool
We’ve already written extensively about using products such as coconut oil on the skin (and especially the face) due to it’s powerful hydration properties, so we know that that this little soap bar will moisturise and care for your skin in a way that commercially produced soaps and cleansing bars cannot. We select our ingredients carefully with the skin’s needs in mind, so you can be confident that what you’re using on your face is safe and beneficial. Take a look at the label on your facial cleanser. Do you have the same confidence that those ingredients are as kind to your skin?
Natural soap is produced ethically
Here at Little Soap HQ we are always careful about the way that we produce our soaps, because we care about our footprint on the world. We’re so transparent about the way we make our soap, we have a soap school to teach others how to make it too! This is simply because we truly believe everyone should be able to access natural, organic soap.
All of our soaps are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (bar the Artisan Handmade Cotswold Honey & Oats bar soap). All products contain the cleanest organic ingredients deck, using only the finest oils with the organic percentage in line with the Soil Association organic guidelines. A glossary of all our ingredients can be found here.
Little Soap Company has pledged to use only certified sustainable palm oil in our products, which means that the palm oil has been produced without harming the rainforests that orangutans and so many other species depend on for their survival.
Here at Little Soap HQ we only use suppliers with the same ethical outlook as us; it’s important we can all trace the origin of each ingredient to its source, so in turn we are able to help marginalised communities to help themselves. We’re deeply passionate about our imprint on the environment and ensure all our packaging’s recycled, recyclable, biodegradable and made in this country. We’re equally passionate about rural enterprise and source as much as we can locally in our bid to help other small rural businesses and cut down on transport miles.
So next time you are in the shower and have forgotten your facewash, don’t worry, you can use your bar soap happily and with a clean conscience!
