Rediscover Bar Soap
Many of us think of bar soap as something drying, basic, and a bit joyless. A sad block by the sink that’s endured, not enjoyed.
But what most of us have used as bar “soap”, is not actually soap.
It’s sad, drying and joyless, because it’s industrial detergent pressed into a bar shape.
Designed to be cheap, shelf-stable, and mass-produced. Your enjoyment of using it is not even on the list.
Well-formulated, oil-based soap on the other hand…
What is good soap, if it’s not detergent?
Real soap begins with oils. In my case, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, and essential oils.
These oils are combined with an alkali solution, and the magic happens.
The two ingredients ‘cook’ themselves in a complete chemical reaction that turns liquid oils into solid soap.
It amazes me every time that when weighed and mixed in the correct quantities, simple ingredients turn into soap, all by themselves.
Crucially, this process creates glycerine.
Glycerine is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture to the skin.
In many commercial cleansing products, glycerine is removed and sold separately for use in lotions and serums.
In well-made, cold-process soap, it stays exactly where it belongs — in the bar.
This is one reason good soap feels different. It cleanses thoroughly, but without the tight, stripped feeling many people associate with bar soap.
Real bar soap is the original simple skincare.
Many people who switch to well-made soap notice something surprising: their skin feels softer.
That tight, squeaky feeling we’ve learned to associate with “freshly washed” skin is often a sign that the skin barrier has been stripped more aggressively than necessary.
Cold-process soap, made with a balanced blend of oils, and with its natural glycerine intact, lifts away dirt and excess oil, but leaves behind soft, supple skin, not squeaky tight skin.
This is one reason my customers often find they need fewer additional moisturising products after a few weeks of using good soap.
The case for well made soap
Bar soap is often mistaken for a lesser option because it looks humble, and has been misrepresented.
In reality, it is one of the most enduring and brilliant forms of everyday comfort.
It can be used for hands, body, and face. Being 100% biodegradable it disappears without a trace after use. There’s no recycling to take out, or bottles to re-arrange, just the delight of starting a fresh bar every few months.
For people who prefer to own fewer, better things, a good bar of soap is one of simplest pleasures in the house.
Because ingredients are king at Bread & Weather, the rapeseed oil in our soap comes from this gorgeous, biodiverse family farm 🐝
