What’s not in naturally made bar soap?

I love a beautiful-smelling soap.  I really love the smell of naturally made goat milk bar soap.  Over the years I have researched what was in bar soaps. I started learning more about natural bar soaps and have come to appreciate their natural makeup and all they can do for my skin.  I’ll explain why in this post.

Mass-produced store soaps

I have noticed over the years that the smell of mass-produced store soaps started giving off a more acrid smell imitation aroma.  A combination of both the soap industry using inferior additives and my odour factory becoming more sophisticated.  My ability to pick up on a fake imitation of the original has become keener.  For example, the smell of rose began to smell like a cheap, watered-down musk. And honeysuckle, which should smell like wildflowers, smelled of putrid perfume. 

Most soaps are made in other countries

I did some investigating and found most of our soaps were either made in other parts of the world. Most of the bar soap industry gets its ingredients, like the fragrance they added to the soaps, in other countries. (ie: factories in China)

It’s not just the fault of the manufacturers. Their goal is to capture as much profit as possible. Pure essential oils and herbs are too pricey for mass production.

Natural products changed my olfactory

Let’s get back to why my olfactory has gotten keener.  I believe it’s been my exposure to natural products that changed my thinking and my olfactory.  Over the years, I have changed my buying habits to incorporate healthier and greener options.  I began to notice several health benefits, including the ability to pick up on harsh synthetic chemical smells.  

Your olfactory will change

I have a list of items you want to avoid with your soaps if you are just starting out learning about quality bar soap. Most people shop for soaps based on their aroma. Of course, we all want a beautifully smelling soap. But I want to challenge you to alter your soap buying, not based on aromas, but on what’s not in your soap. When you begin to use natural soaps, your olfactory will also change. You will begin to appreciate the real, authentic aroma of rosemary, lime, spearmint, and lavender.

Manufacturers have tried to condition and train us to like a sub-par aroma. It benefits their bottom line.  Once you begin to use natural soaps, you won’t want a mass-produced, cheaply made soap again.  Better still, your olfactory will enjoy, and you will appreciate the authentic natural aromas of a naturally made goat milk bar soap.

Here’s what’s NOT in our natural goat milk soaps, and they shouldn’t be in the soaps you put on your skin:

• 1,4 Dioxane- 1,4 Dioxane is a contaminant found in most cosmetics and products meant for personal care. It has a high hazard rating of 8 in EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Not only that, but it’s one of the chemicals featured in California’s Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Also known as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, but not to be confused with the gentle Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. According to Natural Essentials, SLS bonds with other common soap ingredients, resulting in a carcinogenic nitrosamine, one of the chemicals also featured in California’s Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens.
• Triclosan- Triclosan is a pesticide with antibacterial and antifungal properties, containing a high hazard rating of 7 in EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Studies show that Triclosan in low doses can impact thyroid hormone concentrations, disrupting the endocrine system.
• Parabens -Parabens are preservatives commonly used in bars of soap. According to the FDA, “the most common parabens used in cosmetic products are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben.” Parabens have a tendency to mimic hormones, which can be found to disrupt the function of hormones naturally found in your body
• Ureas – Ureas like Diazolidinyl Urea is known to release the chemical formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, with a high hazard rating of 10, is a known human carcinogen, human respiratory toxicant, skin irritant, and environmental toxin. With chemicals as toxic as these, please carefully review the soap labels.

Even Dove has questionable synthetics, including:

• Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate; a detergent, wetting agent, and emulsifier which drys the skin and can cause irritation
• Sodium Tallowate; comes from the fatty deposits of animals (sorry vegans)
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine; one of the more “gentler” synthetics but may cause allergic reactions