Soaps

Natural, handmade bar soap from a small Massachusetts shop

Every bar on this page started as a pot of oils on a stovetop outside Boston. We make our soap by hand, in small batches, using the cold process method soapmakers have relied on for generations. Then we cut it, cure it and wrap it ourselves. No factory, no filler, and no mystery about what's inside.

If you've been searching for natural soap, you've probably noticed that everybody uses the word and nobody explains it. So here's an honest look at what "natural" means for a bar of soap, what goes into ours, and how to pick one you'll love.

What does "natural soap" actually mean?

Less than the label suggests. There's no legal definition of "natural" for soap or cosmetics in the United States, so any company can print it on a box. In fact, the FDA says a product made mostly of fats and an alkali, and sold only for cleaning, counts as true soap and isn't even regulated as a cosmetic.

That's why we'd rather show you the ingredient list than lean on a buzzword. When most people say natural soap, they mean something like this.

• Real soap made from plant oils, rather than a synthetic detergent bar.
• A short ingredient list you can read without a chemistry degree.
• No unnecessary additives, and nothing hidden behind vague wording.
• Made by people, in batches small enough that someone actually checks each one.

Our bars check those boxes. We'll also tell you where we use fragrance and color, so you can decide for yourself.

What's in our soap

Our traditional bars share one base recipe, and the scent and color are what change from bar to bar.

• Organic oils. Coconut, olive, palm and sunflower, turned into soap through saponification. Coconut gives big, bubbly lather, olive gives a gentle, creamy feel, and palm and sunflower help make a firm bar that lasts.
• Phthalate-free fragrance. That's how we get scents like black raspberry and champagne, or bourbon and burnt lumber, that you won't find in a bottle of essential oil.
• Colorant. For the layers and swirls that make each bar look like itself.
• Sodium lactate. A salt that helps the bar harden, so it lasts longer in the shower.
• Tussah silk. A small amount of silk for a richer, silkier lather.

Our castile soaps are different. They're made with 100% organic olive oil, with no sodium lactate and no silk. Some are scented with essential oils, like eucalyptus and tea tree or peppermint and rosemary. The plain Castile Soap has nothing added for scent at all. If you want the simplest bar we make, that's the one.

How we make it, the cold process way

All soap is made the same basic way. Oils meet lye, and a chemical reaction turns them into soap and glycerin. With the cold process method, we mix the oils and lye at relatively low temperatures, add scent and color, pour the batter into molds and let the reaction finish on its own.

After we cut the loaves into bars, they cure for several weeks. During that time the water evaporates, the bars harden and the reaction wraps up completely. By the time a bar reaches you, there's no lye left in it. What you get is soap, plus the glycerin the reaction makes, which stays in the bar.

Curious about the details? Our beginner's guide on how to make soap walks through the whole process, and what is cold process soap covers the method itself. Yes, every real soap starts with lye. Here's why you can't make soap without it.

Handmade soap vs. store-bought soap

Pick up a bar at the drugstore and there's a good chance it isn't soap at all. Many popular bars are synthetic detergent bars, sometimes called syndets, made with lab-made cleansers instead of saponified oils. Dove is the best-known example, and it says so itself. We wrote about that in is Dove real soap.

Neither kind is wrong. They just feel different. True soap like ours has a creamy, cushiony lather and rinses off clean. Mass-produced soap is cheaper and the same everywhere. Handmade soap is made in small runs, so the scents are more interesting and the details get more attention. If you're weighing brands, our soap comparisons put the big names side by side, honestly.

How to choose a bar

Most people shop by scent, and that's a great place to start.

• Sweet and fruity. Layered fruit, vanilla and dessert scents for people with a sweet tooth.
• Fresh and woodsy. Pine, apple, bergamot and bourbon. Our men's bars lean this way, though they're for anyone.
• Cozy and warm. Our honey soaps, with oatmeal and turmeric in the mix.
• Simple and gentle. Our gentlest bars and the fragrance-free Castile Soap, also the bar most people choose for new tattoos.

Some people shop by color, which we fully support. Browse our pink soaps and black soaps, or shop our women's lineup. Not sure where to start? Our soap quiz will point you to a bar in under a minute.

Scented or fragrance-free?

Scent is half the fun of handmade soap, and most of our bars are built around it. But if you'd rather skip fragrance, or you're buying for someone who reads every label, start with our plain castile bar. One tip when you're comparing labels anywhere. "Unscented" and "fragrance-free" don't always mean the same thing, and we explain the difference in unscented soap, explained.

If a skin condition is the reason you're shopping, check with your doctor or dermatologist before switching soaps. We make good soap, but we're soapmakers, not doctors.

Why bar soap?

A bar of soap is about as simple as personal care gets. It comes wrapped in paper instead of a plastic bottle, it's mostly soap instead of mostly water, and one bar goes a surprisingly long way. Bars are also easy to travel with, since solid soap doesn't count toward the liquids limit in your carry-on. Here's more on bringing bar soap on a plane.

And if you've only ever used body wash, a good bar may surprise you. Lather it between your hands or on a washcloth, and it does everything a bottle does.

Does handmade soap go bad?

Not quickly. Well-made soap keeps for a long time, and many soapmakers think a bar gets better with a little extra age, since it keeps hardening. Over a year or two, the scent can fade, and bars made with lots of soft oils can develop orange spots. Keep spare bars somewhere cool and dry, out of the sun, and they'll be ready when you are. Read more in does soap expire.

Making a bar last

Handmade soap doesn't have to melt away. The secret is keeping it dry between showers. Set it on a soap dish that drains, out of the direct spray, and let it dry completely. A well-cared-for bar usually lasts a few weeks of daily use, and often longer. Here's more on how long a bar of soap lasts, and why sharing one is fine, since bar soap is sanitary.

Gifts, stocking stuffers and free shipping

Every bar is $11 or less, which makes handmade soap an easy gift. One bar is a stocking stuffer, three make a set, and US shipping is free on orders of $75 or more. Our gift guide matches bars to the people on your list.

Because we make everything in small batches, some bars sell out between pours. If the one you want is gone, check back soon. It's probably curing on a rack right now.