What goes in, and what does not
The full ingredient list sits on each soap's own page. This page explains what it means.
No SLS, no parabens
SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is the detergent that makes industrial soaps foam so much. Parabens are preservatives. Neither goes into my products.
About lye
All real soap is made with sodium hydroxide - it is the chemical reaction that turns oils into soap. None of it remains in the finished bar. That is why it appears in the list marked with a †.
Animal-derived ingredients: said plainly
My bars fall into three groups, and every one says which on its label:
- Plant-based — no animal-derived ingredient at all. Vegan.
- Plant + dairy/honey — no lard or tallow, but they contain goat milk or honey. Not vegan.
- Contains animal fat — and we always say which. Some bars use pork lard, others beef tallow. Both are traditional soapmaking ingredients that give hardness and a creamy lather. Each soap's own page names exactly which one it contains.
Not everyone wants the same thing, and some people cannot use products containing pork, beef or dairy for religious, health or personal reasons. So you can filter the shop to the group that works for you, and it is never buried.
Fragrance and colour
Some bars use essential oils, others use cosmetic-grade fragrance oils. For colour I work with ingredients like cocoa, turmeric, beetroot, activated charcoal and clays, alongside cosmetic-grade micas and oxides.
Batch variation
Because these are small batches made by hand, colour and swirl shift a little from one batch to the next. The bar you receive will not be identical to the photograph, and that is part of it being handmade.