Commercially made “soap”

This is referring to the soaps generally found in most retail establishments such as grocery stores, some department stores, big box stores, etc. Most of these “soaps” are not really soap at all. They are DETERGENT bars, or better known as syndet bars. If you look at the ingredients you will not see actual oils in them at all (if you do, they are not at the top of the list but rather towards the end which indicates a very small amount of this oil is actually in the product. This “soap” will actually have a significant/majority amount of synthetic chemicals and detergents). Rather, you will see a long list of synthetic chemicals that not only can you NOT pronounce and you most likely do not know what they are or what they are used for. Most of these synthetic ingredients are used for creating lots of thick lather and for hardening the bars. Something that is not needed with handmade real soap bars.

They are not labeled as “soap” but they are in the soap aisle which is misleading. They are generally labeled as “bath bars” or “cleansing bars” or something along those lines. They are not labeled as “soap” because they do not meet the legal requirements to bear that title. Thus, the alternative names. The FDA has specific guidelines concerning soap and cosmetic products.

They have the same purpose as natural soap…..to cleanse the body. But they strip your skin of its natural oils…..why is this an important fact? Well, stripping your skin of its natural oils will result in dry skin over time. This also leads to irritated skin and allergies.

Commercially made soaps are produced in very large quantities. By machine rather than handmade by an artisan. They are usually very heavily scented with fragrance oils (much heavier than your average hand-crafted soap)….so much so that it can be overwhelming.

With that said, some bath products will have detergents added for increased foam and bubbles. But if you’re looking for a natural soap this syndet bar would not be what you’re looking for.