Many "Beauty Bars" Aren't Legally Soap
Why some big brands carefully avoid the word "soap," and how to tell from the label.
Transcript
Many beauty bars aren't legally soap. They're syndet bars, made from synthetic detergents. True cold process soap is oils and lye, cured for weeks. No lye remains. Saponified oils, like sodium olivate, signal true soap. Our Body Bar is true soap, made from five saponified plant oils. Real soap.
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Cold Process Soap vs Commercial "Beauty Bars"
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Key points from the full guide
- Cold process soap is made by mixing oils with lye at low heat and letting the bars cure for several weeks; properly made, no lye remains in the finished soap.
- Glycerin forms naturally during soapmaking and stays in cold process bars.
- Many commercial beauty bars are syndet bars made from synthetic detergents rather than true soap, which is why they avoid the word soap.
- True soap is alkaline, while syndet bars can be closer to skin's pH; each has trade-offs for different skin types.
- Read the label: saponified oils like sodium olivate signal true soap, while ingredients like sodium cocoyl isethionate signal a syndet.
Read the full guide: Cold Process Soap vs Commercial "Beauty Bars"