Handmade Vegan Soaps (with no palm oil)

Think soap is bad and dries your skin out? You’ve been reading too many silly beauty magazines! Proper soap has been made for thousands of years, and properly cleans your skin. The issue is that most commercial soaps remove the moisturising glycerine (to sell to industry). And as beef fat is now rarely used, most use palm oil instead.

Its use is devastating forest habitats of orangutans and other endangered creatures in Indonesia (where it’s shipped from thousands of miles away). Greenpeace says the term ‘sustainable palm oil’ is as useful as chocolate teapot. It’s just a self-policed term by industry, and has no legal meaning.

So go for artisan brands of soap that are:

Vegan (no milk, goat milk, sodium tallowate)
Free from palm oil (nearly all bars in shops are made with it – sodium palmate).

Good vegan soaps are mostly made either from olive oil (very gentle but as it takes weeks to cure, it’s a bit more expensive) or coconut oil (for a nice foaming lather).

Choose unscented soaps for pregnancy/nursing. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies. Note that cocoa butter contains the same toxin as chocolate, so wash off before letting pets kiss you. And never use human soaps on pets (the PH is different – read more on how to give dogs baths, naturally).

Oliva (simple, plain, cheap and good!)

One woman went to a dermatologist for her ‘incurable itchy skin’ even though she was using a ‘good soap’. He couldn’t help, so she bought a cheap bar of Oliva soap (just olive oil, salt and water). Her skin began to heal in an hour.

Alter/native by SUMA (sold in health shops)

Alter/native by Suma is a brand of soaps from a wholefood collective set up in the 70s, owned by its 200-strong workforce (there are no bosses or shareholders) in Yorkshire. It’s also widely involved in tree-planting projects in Upper Calder Valley.

These are mostly based on coconut and olive oil (to avoid palm oil) and sold in paper packaging. Inspired by the natural power of plants, everything is vegan and not tested on animals. Made in Yorkshire.

Earthbound all-in-one bar is ideal for face and body, and can also be used as a shampoo. It’s scented with lime, lemongrass and tea tree oil.

We do not recommend the ‘far and away’ body bar, as it contains artificial fragrance oil.

Battle Green (handmade soaps from Wales)

Battle Green Soaps are made from natural ingredients in Wales, sent in zero waste packaging. Lavender is a relaxing soap with dried lavender buds.

Menthol is a refreshing soap for oily skin with spearmint and peppermint oils

Charcoal is good for oily and congested skin with lavender, tea tree, rosemary and peppermint oils

Coraline Soaps (for dry and sensitive skin)

Coraline Nettle Calendula Soap was created by the parents of a baby with Down Syndrome, who could not tolerate ‘sensitive skin’ soaps. The chamomile soap has anti-inflammatory ingredients to relieve dry itchy skin.

For 3 months and up only. Check for nut allergies.

Skin experts often recommend Coraline Soaps for people with sensitive skin. Their formulas are tested to make sure they’re safe and kind. Learn how to help people with eczema.

Friendly Bar Soaps (made in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire)

Friendly Soaps are widely sold at markets and in health shops. Or buy online in packs of 12, to save on postage. You can even buy bags of ‘soap scraps’ from leftovers.

This company also offers specialty soaps like minty foot soaps, chef soap (to remove garlic smells) and even an exfoliating soap for mucky mechanics! Plus unscented versions for babies/pregnancy/nursing/allergies.

How to stop soap bars going mushy

The only caveat with moisturising handmade soaps is that they go mushy, if left in water. So store on a dry facecloth or in some kind of slatted soap dish, to help them last longer. You can also buy shower soaps with integrated ropes, so gravity drains away the water.

These soap saver pads only costs a few pounds. In four colours, they can be cut to size. They let air circulate, and if they get clogged with soap, give them a wash (even pop them in the dishwasher).