The Rise of Plant-Based Soaps - Benefits for your Skin and the Environment

Ever question if your soap is clean? Not in the literal sense, but in its ingredients. Many soaps are more 'chemical cocktail' than 'cleanse and care'. But fear not, there's a hero in the soap dish: plant-based soaps! They're like a kale smoothie for your skin, all-natural and full of goodness. So swap your synthetic suds for these green gems! Not only will you be scrubbing up your hygiene routine, but also your environmental impact. 

Generic soaps versus plant-based 

We rarely consider our soap to be a problem. Since we’re too busy putting a magnifying glass to the formulas for our facial products, we often neglect to inspect the quality of our body cleansers!  To offer some much-needed clarity, let’s consider the key differences between your average drugstore-caliber soap, versus a plant-based boutique version.  

Standard soaps 

Standard soap contains sulfates, parabens and perfumes—a trifecta of toxins—along with a laundry list of other skin-drying chemicals. So although yes, you’re technically getting a “deep clean”, using a harsh antiseptic to bulldoze through bacteria and grease, will also hurt your skin in the process. These powerful suds alter your skin’s acidity and protective moisture barrier, resulting in dryness and irritation. 

Plant-based soaps 

By switching to a plant-based soap, we’re getting all those deep-cleaning benefits without the drawbacks.  Instead of harmful additives, we’re using calming botanical oils to gently cleanse and strengthen our skin. 

Look for artisanal creations, made in limited quantities, like this luxury organic soap! It features shea butter which coats the skin in nourishing fatty acids, while coconut milk (drenched in minerals) works to protect collagen and elasticity. There’s also olive oil, a classic ingredient working as both an antibacterial and softening agent. 

All working in synergy to leave skin cloud-supple and smooth, this high-end mixture even includes probiotics to protect the dermal barrier even further! These “good microbes” help balance the ratio of harmful bacteria with the friendly ones, maintaining an overall healthy ecosystem in the microbiome. 

A price comparison

This army of plant-based benefits is why boutique soaps are far more expensive than drugstore versions. Needless to say, due to high quality standards and pricy ingredients, the plant-based formulas are much more expensive to manufacture—which is why many major brands opt for cheaper shortcuts in the development process. 

Yet, to create the illusion of quality, these basic soaps may still feature one or two “hero ingredients” like a nut butter or fruit extract, distracting us from the other not-so-friendly culprits on the ingredient list. Ultimately, however, getting luxury results far outweigh the cons of the standard chemical soaps. 

Our soapy footprint 

Ever think our shower could double as an environmental hazard? Think about what goes down our drains! Standard soaps carry tons of chemicals into our water systems, eventually increasing toxicity levels of our oceans. That’s why plant-based soaps are also an integral part of the #bluebeauty movement!

These eco-crusaders lather up a storm while washing away our eco-guilt. Each sudsy experience is akin to giving the planet a gentle, moisturizing hug. Sweet, right?!  

So, lather, rinse, repeat and rejoice! Because with plant-based soaps, keeping clean just got a whole lot cleaner (and smarter).