Best Types of Soap

🌿 Natural Soap (Traditional)

• Made from saponified plant oils (e.g. olive, coconut)
• Contains glycerin (moisturising)
• Biodegradable and environmentally friendly

✔ Best for: general use, eco choice
⚠ Can be slightly drying for sensitive skin

🧴 Syndet Bars (e.g. Dove)

• Made from synthetic cleansers
• Lower pH (closer to skin)

✔ Best for: sensitive or dry skin
⚠ Less natural, more processed

Water vs Soap

• Water = removes loose dirt only
• Soap = removes oils, grease, bacteria

👉 Soap is necessary for proper cleaning

💧 Why Soap Can Dry Skin

• Removes natural oils
• High pH (alkaline)
• Hard water can worsen dryness

✔ Fix:

• Use mild soap
• Avoid hot water
• Moisturise after

🌿 Best Ingredients (Good Signs)

✔ Sodium Olivate / Cocoate (real soap base)
✔ Glycerin (very important)
✔ Shea butter, olive oil, almond oil
✔ Aloe vera, kaolin clay
✔ Essential oils (optional)

👉 These = high-quality, skin-friendly soap

⚠️ Ingredients to Limit or Avoid

❌ SLS / SLES (harsh detergents)
❌ Cocoamide DEA
❌ Synthetic polymers (e.g. Polyquaternium)
❌ Optical brighteners
❌ Lots of colourants (CI numbers)
⚠ Fragrance allergens (can irritate sensitive skin)

🌴 Palm Oil in Soap – Avoid at all costs

Common palm-derived ingredients:

• Sodium Palmate
• Sodium Palm Kernelate
• Stearic Acid (often)
• Sodium Laurate (sometimes)

✔ Not inherently bad
⚠ Environmental concerns unless sustainably sourced

🧴 Key Ingredient Insight

👉 Glycerin = sign of high-quality soap

• Moisturises skin
• Often removed in cheap soaps

🌿 Shea Butter vs Palm Oil

• Shea butter → moisturising, skin-friendly ✅
• Palm oil → structure & lather, less nourishing

👉 Best soaps often combine both – Avoid palm oil for environmental reasons

🌍 Environmental Impact

Best (eco-friendly)

• Plant oils
• Natural soap bases
• Minimal ingredients

Less eco-friendly

• Synthetic polymers
• EDTA
• Optical brighteners
• Some dyes

🧼 Bar vs Bottled Shampoo

Bar soap is usually better:
✔ Less packaging
✔ Lower carbon footprint
✔ Fewer additives

🛒 Recommended Brands (UK)

Most natural

• Friendly Soap – Eco Friendly Soap | Natural Soap | Friendly Soap
• Dr. Bronner’s

Good balance

• Alter/Native by Suma
• Faith in Nature

✅ Conclusion

👉 Best overall choice for most people:

• Simple bar soap made from plant oils + glycerin

👉 If you have sensitive skin:

• Use a syndet bar

👉 Quick rule:

Looks like a chemistry list = Dont Buy It !

Looks like a recipe = Probably much better for you.