The best natural soap brands

June 21, 2021 • By Bethan Andrews

With so many soaps out there full of synthetics and harsh chemicals, that are bad for both our skin and the world around us, we discover the brands prioritising both natural and sustainable ingredients.

Going natural with your soap choices is not only far more positive for your own skin and wellbeing, but generally tends to be a more sustainable route forward. It often reduces plastic waste if you opt for bar format, the companies involved tend to have brilliant sustainability credentials (think recycling schemes, reusable packaging, ethical sourcing), and the ingredients within come from sustainable sources. Chemical compounds and harsh synthetics dominate in non-natural soap, which leads to pollution from microbeads, unscrupulous sourcing and contributes to climate change through mass production.

Instead, small-batch natural soap negates this and provides a safe and sustainable solution to a world of synthetics. And people seem to be catching on. In fact, according to a recent study by Global Market Monitor, ‘the natural soaps market will generate record revenue by 2027’.

Old school bar soaps, in particular, have made a massive comeback – trust us, it’s the year of the humble traditional soap! What with Covid-19 and constant hand washing, as well as a real global shift in sustainability attitudes, it’s perhaps not surprising that people are researching ways to reduce waste, care for their skin and hands while staying protected from bacteria, and know that they are doing so in the most natural way as possible.

Plus, there are a lot of perks, outside of sustainability, that makes natural soap a brilliant way forward. One thing is that it is packed full of antioxidants, that will help to rejuvenate your skin, and they contain natural humectants, which draws water to the outer layer of your skin. When it comes to going au natural with your soap, there are certain ingredients you could look out for. If you’ve got dry and chapped skin, for example, and you always struggle to maintain moisture, keep your eyes peeled for super moisturising ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties such as shea butter, honey, aloe vera, and avocado. Make sure you steer clear of fragranced products and opt for non-fragrant plant oils such as argan oil or borage seed oil.

Want to know where you can find some? We’ve explored some of the brands doing natural soap the best way.

Land & Water

It always helps when a brand is as Instagrammable as they are natural, eco-friendly and therapeutic. It can be nice to feel as though the luxury is still there, but knowing you’re doing good for the planet when purchasing. Inspired by years of enjoying the ‘active relaxation’ lifestyle at her family’s Watergate Bay Hotel, land&water founder Pix Ashworth set about capturing its essence – to, literally, bottle it. Created in collaboration with leading apothecaries and perfumer Richard Howard, the land&water range reflects this distinctive blend of invigoration and calm using natural essential oils and actives to evoke the therapeutic benefits of time in the elements. The natural and ethical recipes of the soap are created using pure essential oils and are sustainably sourced and small-batch. You’ll find that the soaps are anti-inflammatory in their properties too, and the aloe vera within restores skin, while immune-boosting frankincense essential oils enhance natural defences.

Beekman

When it comes to natural soaps and the ingredients within them, there’s nothing more natural than the Beekman approach. Starting with a herd of 100 goats, Beekman took the centuries-old natural remedy for sensitive skin and sold it to the world – showcasing the science at the heart of it along the way. It’s a great natural ingredient due to its fatty acids that are incredibly moisturising, as well as the fact that it is naturally exfoliating thanks to the lactic acid within the milk. Essentially, it offers everything you might want in soap. Goat milk actually has the same pH as human skin, so it is brilliant at keeping bacteria at bay and allowing the skin to remain balanced. Expect fragrant yet subtle and gentle botanical scents. What’s better is the sustainable company ethos that underlies too, with their mantra being Kind to Skin, Kind to Animals, Kind to Planet and Kind to Community.

Soapwalla

One of the leading brands for natural skincare, Soapwalla obsesses over the ingredients that make it into their products. In fact, quite incredibly, only safe, organic, food-grade plant materials go into our products. Plus, every one of them is sustainably grown, minimally processed and responsibly harvest and they mix their products by hand in small batches in their Brooklyn studio, as well as being committed to responsible packaging and thoughtful distribution. The politically involved, socially conscious company creates vegan, SLS- and paraben-free natural soap. Their unisex Activated Charcoal bar is one of the bestsellers, and has a custom blend of petitgrain, geranium and tea tree essential oils to cleanse and help to nurture smoother, clearer skin.

Kleensoaps

With an ethos of making sustainable skincare that has a planet-kind approach accessible, it’s not surprising to see that Kleensoaps come out on top for their innovative natural soap on a rope. Inspiration struck Jutta Klee, the founder, when she could not find a soap-on-a-rope that suited a seemingly simple requirement; affordable and sustainable with natural ingredients. Frustrated with the overwhelming popularity of plastic-bottled shower gels on the market, Jutta aims to bring back the traditional soap-on-a-rope to help combat our out-of-control plastic consumption. The soap is cold-pressed and vegan, and is made with only the best natural ingredients. They are packed full of natural oils, rich butters, water and lye, leaving no room for added chemicals found in liquid soaps/washes; which can be packed with surfactants, parabens, microbeads and preservatives to maintain shelf life. Oh, and they look pretty good, too!

SPORTSWEAR BRAND

LABISKO.OT

LIFESTYLE

The power of plants & mushrooms