News

Handmade Soap Gift Guide for the Holidays
Handmade soap gifts for everyone on your list, from the hockey fan to the mother-in-law. Stocking stuffers under $10, how to build a set, and how to send a bar as a gift with a personal note. Read more...
How to Color Homemade Soap Naturally
Clays, roots, spices and plant powders, and the colors they give in cold process soap. Three ways to add natural color, how much to use, and why your beet soap turned brown. Read more...
Dial vs. Ivory, Which Soap Is Antibacterial?
Two of the oldest bars on the shelf, at opposite ends of one question. Which is antibacterial, what's in each, what 99 44/100% pure means, and whether Ivory still floats. Read more...
Is Dove Real Soap? And Is It Antibacterial?
Dove says it isn't soap, and the ingredient list agrees. What's in a Dove Beauty Bar, why it feels different from true soap, whether it's antibacterial, and how it compares with a handmade bar. Read more...
What Is Superfat in Soap Making?
The number in every lye calculator that nobody explains. What superfat is, why it matters for safety and feel, how much to use, and how it relates to lye discount. Read more...
Can You Make Soap Without Lye?
Not true soap from scratch, but there's a very good workaround. Why soap needs lye, why there's none left in a finished bar, and how melt and pour lets you make soap at home without handling it. Read more...
What Is the Lavender Soap Theory?
The BookTok idea that you should use your nice things now instead of saving them. Where the lavender soap theory comes from, why it caught on, and how to practice it with an actual bar of soap. Read more...
Can You Use Hand Soap as Body Wash?
Yes, and body wash works as hand soap too. What actually differs between them, whether bar soap or body wash is better, and the easy way to stop worrying about it. Read more...
Is Castile Soap Good for Hair? How to Use It as Shampoo
Castile soap can be a good shampoo, as long as you know the trick. Why soap can leave hair tangly, the vinegar rinse that fixes it, what hard water does, and how to wash with a bar. Read more...
Is Bath & Body Works Soap Antibacterial?
No, and Bath & Body Works says so itself. What's in their hand soap, whether it kills germs, when the soap sales happen, and how it compares with a handmade bar. Read more...
Is Zest a Good Soap? An Honest Look
Zestfully clean, still cheap and still everywhere. What's in a Zest bar today, whether it's antibacterial, who makes it now, and how it compares with a small-batch bar. Read more...
Duke Cannon vs. Dr. Squatch, and Is Duke Cannon Soap Good?
The giant brick against the scent-forward favorite. Size, price per ounce, ingredients, scrub and ownership, side by side, from a soapmaker with no horse in this race. Read more...
How to Make Soap at Home, a Beginner's Guide
A plain-spoken beginner's guide to making cold process soap from scratch, from lye safety and choosing oils to blending, pouring and the long, worthwhile wait of curing. Read more...
Is Irish Spring Soap Good? An Honest Look
Irish Spring is real soap, it's cheap and it's everywhere. What's in the green bar, whether it's antibacterial, and how it stacks up against a small-batch bar. Read more...
The Best Bar Soap for Men, Honestly
There's no such thing as men's soap, but there are real differences between bars. Six bars men reach for, ours included, judged on scent, scrub, what they're made of and where to buy them. Read more...
Unscented Soap, and What the Label Really Means
Unscented and fragrance-free aren't the same promise. What the words mean on a soap label, why a fragrance-free bar still smells a little, and how to find one with nothing added. Read more...
What Soap Should You Use on a New Tattoo?
What tattoo artists mean by plain soap, what green soap actually is, and what to look for on a label while your new tattoo heals. Your artist's instructions come first. Read more...
Is Bar Soap Sanitary?
Yes, bar soap is sanitary. What decades of research say about germs on a used bar, why people started to doubt it, and how to keep your bar in good shape. Read more...
A packaged bar of Dr. Squatch Wood Barrel Bourbon soap
Dr. Squatch Alternatives
Look, we get it, you've seen the good Dr. a million times between YouTube videos. You've even used a dozen of Squatch's bars because let's face it, the soap's solid,... Read more...
A bar of honey and oatmeal soap
Honey Soap Benefits
Nature's sweetener, honey has been treasured for millennia. A remarkable skincare ingredient, honey, when incorporated into soap, brings a bounty of benefits that synthetic ingredients struggle to replicate. Buy our... Read more...
A bottle of Dawn Dish Soap resting on a countertop
Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe for Dogs?
Before we start, we are not Veterinarians and this is not medical advice. That said, Dawn dish soap is generally considered safe for dogs when used properly. It's important to... Read more...
Farmers holding bottles of goat milk next to a goat
How to Make Goat Milk Soap
Goat Milk Soap is a gentle, creamy soap, thanks to the fat in goat milk. Do it right and you will have a balanced bar that gives a real good... Read more...
A bar of lathered up soap working to clean a pair of hands
How Does Soap Work?
What's more so is, how often do you really think about the science behind soap? You see, soap is a fascinating blend of science and everyday life that often goes... Read more...
A person measuring lye for cold process soap making
What Is Lye Soap Made Of
Lye is a strong alkaline chemical compound, specifically referring to sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). These substances are highly caustic and have been used historically in manufacturing soap,... Read more...
A person scrubbing away the soap scum from a basin
How to Remove Soap Scum
Want a sparkling bathroom? Yeah, us too. If you've ever scrubbed your shower or sink, you know that removing soap scum takes time and a bit of elbow grease. Ok,... Read more...
A pH testing kit
What is the pH of Soap?
Soap typically has a pH between 9-10, making it moderately alkaline. The alkalinity comes from the basic chemical reaction used to make soap, called saponification. When fats or oils react... Read more...
Fresh cilantro surrounds a bar of soap
Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap?
If you've ever taken a bite of a fresh salsa or a vibrant curry only to be hit with a soapy flavor, you're not alone. For those it doesn't effect,... Read more...
A pair of lathered hands near a sink being ready to be washed and dried off.
How Should You Dry Your Hands After Washing?
Ahh yes, the mystical art of drying your hands. Ok, so you’ve done the more important part by washing your hands (properly, we hope!), and now you’re wondering, what’s the... Read more...
A bar of Oatmeal Soap next to a wooden spoon full of oats
What Are The Benefits of Oatmeal Soap?
Like Turmeric Soap, Oatmeal Soap has a lot going for it. Natural Exfoliation and Cleansing Oatmeal soap contains fine particles that provide gentle physical exfoliation, for a gentle scrub. The... Read more...
A bar of turmeric soap next to raw turmeric root
What is Turmeric Soap?
Wait, you can make soap with that stuff you cook with? Turmeric is a wild spice. No, we don't mean wild as in found in nature. We mean wild as... Read more...
A block of beef tallow waiting to be turned into soap
Tallow Soap Benefits
Tallow soap is a traditional type of soap made using rendered animal fat (tallow) as the primary fat source, usually from beef or mutton. First, who uses the word "mutton"... Read more...
A bunch of Sea Moss
The Benefits of Using Sea Moss in Soap & Soapmaking
Sea Moss is chock full of nutrients and minerals, and when it is incorporated into soap, its composition really blooms. Ok, bad algae joke. But you get where we are... Read more...
A golden eating a bar of soap
What to Do If Your Dog Eats a Bar of Soap
To start, we are not trained veterinarians with experience treating cases of soap ingestion in dogs. We just want to help pet owners understand both the risks and appropriate responses... Read more...
Two packaged bars of Dr. Squatch Men's Natural Bar Soaps. Pine Tar Scent on the left and Wood Barrel Bourbon on the right.
The TOP 6 Best Dr. Squatch Soaps
Super fans of good ol' Dr. Squatch and their lineup of excellent soap and cleansing products. It should be noted that "best" of anything can be subjective. When it comes... Read more...
A bar of beer soap
What is Beer Soap?
You're probably wondering, what is beer soap? A concept so novel, so fantastic, so awesomely ideal for shower beers. That is beer soap. It is like any other soap, it... Read more...
Three bottles of Dawn Dish Soap
Does Dawn Dish Soap Kill Fleas?
Yes, Dawn dish soap can kill fleas on contact. Its surfactants suffocate and immobilize fleas when applied to a pet's fur. However, it is essential to rinse thoroughly to avoid... Read more...
A donkey delivering milk
What Are The Benefits of Donkey Milk Soap?
From a nutritional perspective, donkey milk contains high levels of essential fatty acids and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D, and E. They're part of why the soap feels so... Read more...
A stack of six soap bar Irish Spring boxes good for keeping pests out
Does Irish Spring Soap Keep Mice & Pests Away?
A DIY repellent trick to help improve the mice, rodent, and insect population of your home. Unique scent, refreshing qualities, and ... pest remover? Many people say Irish Spring Bar... Read more...
Four lit candles burning that look like Bath and Body Works candles
Are Bath & Body Works Candles Toxic? What's in Them and What the Research Says
Burning candles to serve as air fresheners has been a thing for as long as you've been alive (and beyond). Sure, candles have been providing light for humans for thousands... Read more...
An old, dried-out bar of soap
Does Soap Expire?
Soap doesn't technically expire, but its effectiveness diminishes over time. Commercial bar soap lasts around 2 to 3 years and handmade bar soap is best used within about a year,... Read more...
A chalkboard-style explanation of the chemical formula for the saponification process.
What is Saponification in Soapmaking?
Saponification is soap making, literally. Combine fatty acids (animal fat or vegetable oil) with a base (lye), then add water, heat, and time. If you forgot from your sixth grade... Read more...
A bar of shaving soap sitting on a soap dish with a shaving brush
How to Use Shaving Soap
It would take a while before history invented aerosolized cans of shaving cream. Before that, there were shaving soaps that created a dense, lubricating lather for taming one's mane. Read more...
A tattoo artist applying healing ointment to the tattoo they just made on a person's arm
How to Take Care of Your New Tattoo
A good aftercare routine keeps your new tattoo clean and protects its color and detail for years to come. Always follow your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions first. Read more...
Bars of castile soap
What Is Castile Soap?
Castile soap started in Spain as a hard soap made from olive oil. Today the word covers almost any plant-oil soap, so here's what it means on a label, why... Read more...
Green and yellow bars of organic soap
How Long Does a Bar of Soap Last?
A regular 4 ounce bar lasts one person about three to four weeks. How long bar soap really lasts by size, what makes it disappear, and how to use and... Read more...
Melting solid-at-room-temperature oils to make cold process soap
What Is Cold Process Soap Making?
Cold process soap making is a chemical reaction where oils or fats are combined with a strong alkaline solution, such as lye, to create soap. Read more...
A TSA Airport Security checkpoint screening out items you can't take on planes
Can You Bring Bar Soap on a Plane?
One common question that pops up with travelers is whether you can bring a bar of soap on a plane. With so many regulations and restrictions, it's easy to feel... Read more...