I know I've been away for a while, but I've been focusing on customers and new products for the past few months.
There is something that a lot of people who have never tried handmade soap always tell me:
"I can only use Dove soap." Well, do you know what's really in Dove soap?
I can not use Dove soap because it dries my skin out so bad. There's a reason for this.
Below, I have pulled the ingredients information from the plain Dove White Beauty Bar directly from the Dove website. I have never heard of most of these ingredients, but I am going to conduct a quick search and provide you with what the ingredients are. You can also view the ingredients and product information for yourself with the link below.
Dove White Beauty Bar Ingredients
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate Or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).
I am conducting my chemical search through a database known as EWG.org. If you have never heard of them, they give a lot of valuable information on chemicals and toxicity levels that all of these commercial brands are using in YOUR soaps, makeups, lotions, cleaners, and detergents.
Now, let's break down these ingredients to show you what they are:
1. Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - Although it is considered to have a low overall hazard rating, it is a chemical that is used as a surfactant or cleansing agent. There are currently 2 case studies on the toxicity level of this chemical. You should also know that use restrictions and limitations are required for this chemical. So, pretty much what this tells me is that at certain levels, this is considered safe in cosmetics and soaps. Why have it? Why do you need an added surfactant in your soap and cosmetics?
2. Stearic Acid - Also considered to have a low overall hazard rating, Stearic Acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid that may be derived from agricultural and domestic animals. So, it's not vegan. Also, according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list, it is suspected to be an environmental hazard. Handmade lotion recipes often call for Stearic Acid and is used as a thickening agent.
3. Sodium Tallowate - Used as a surfactant and foam booster, Sodium Tallowate may also be derived from animals. It is also suspected to be an environmental hazard according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list.
4. Lauric Acid - Considered a low overall hazard, and used as a surfactant, cleanser, and emulsifier. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments have noted safety limits.
5. Sodium Isethionate - This ingredient is an organic salt that is used as an antistatic, cleanser, and hair and skin conditioner. There have also been data gap concerns as there have been 170 recorded case studies concerning the toxicity level of this ingredient.
6. Water - Not hazardous.
7. Sodium Stearate - A naturally occurring fatty acid that is used as a cleansing agent and emulsifier. Low overall hazard rating. However, according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list, it is suspected to be an environmental hazard.
8. Cocamidopropyl Betaine - So far, this is the ingredient that poses concern. It is moderately hazardous. This ingredient is an inorganic compound. It is a synthetic cleansing agent, skin and hair conditioner, and foam booster. This chemical has also registered on the scale for allergies, and it is also suspected to be an environmental hazard by the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list. There are also data gaps in toxicity level information. Folks, you do NOT need foamy lather. Lather is not what determines clean. I'll get to this in a minute.
9. Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate - Sodium Cocoate is a cleansing and emulsifying agent derived from coconut. Sodium Palm Kernelate is a cleansing, emulsifying, and viscosity controlling agent derived from palm. There are safety limitations on this ingredient.
10. Fragrance - Because we are not given the type of fragrance, ingredient information may or may not be invalid. Some fragrances register as high on the allergy scale while others do not. However, most of the people that I come across that say they can only use Dove mention that it is a fragrance-free soap which, in fact, it is not fragrance-free based on Dove's ingredients list from their website. Upon conducting research, it has been noted in some studies that fragrances in cosmetics may actually cause allergic reactions.
11. Sodium Chloride - An inorganic salt used as a flavoring and oral care agent as well as a viscosity increasing agent.
12. Tetrasodium Edta - Registering as a moderate hazard. According to the European Union Classification & Labeling and the Environment Canada Substance list, this ingredient has evidence as toxic and harmful notably in eyes. It is also a penetration and skin absorption enhancer according to Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments. It is a "chelating agent, used to sequester and decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product." (ewg.org). Why do you need this in your soap?
13. Tetrasodium Etidronate - Another chelating agent that is also used to stabilize emulsification and control viscosity.
14. Titanium Dioxide - An inorganic compound used as a colorant. According to the California EPA, this ingredient is considered a possible human carcinogen only when inhaled or used in aerosols.This is the ingredient that gives the soap its white color. Some handmade soaps do contain Titanium Dioxide as a colorant as well.
Now, take a look at what Earth N Moon soaps are made of. We will compare our plainest bar of soap: Old Fashioned Lye Soap as well as our most popular Clear Complexion Soap
Clear Complexion Soap:
Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Lard, Castor Oil, Avocado Oil, Rose Clay, Activated Charcoal, Litsea Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide.
1. Coconut Oil -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil
2. Canola Oil -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil
3. Lard -- Natural, food grade oil which is rendered animal fat
4. Castor Oil -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil
5. Avocado Oil -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil
6. Rose Clay -- Natural, cosmetic grade clay
7. Activated Charcoal -- Natural, cosmetic grade powdered activated charcoal
8. Litsea Essential Oil -- Natural, plant-based essential oil
9. Rosemary Essential Oil -- Natural, plant-based essential oil
10. Tea Tree Essential Oil -- Natural, plant-based essential oil
11. Water -- Natural, non hazardous
12. Sodium Hydroxide -- Inorganic compound used to soponify oils to make soap. Without it, there is no handmade soap. I use the food grade Sodium Hydroxide which is also used to make pretzels.
Old Fashioned Lye Soap:
Water, Lard, Sodium Hydroxide.
1. Water -- Natural, non hazardous
2. Lard -- Natural, food grade oil which is rendered animal fat
3. Sodium Hydroxide -- Inorganic compound used to soponify oils to make soap. Without it, there is no handmade soap. I use the food grade Sodium Hydroxide which is also used to make pretzels.
So, based on the comparison, I did not see any natural oils in the Dove White Beauty Bar soap. In fact, Earth N Moon soaps contain more mild and safer ingredients than Dove soaps based on the ingredients comparison list. I saw more ingredients that were used as "cleansing agents" or "surfactants" or "emulsifiers". Let's also not forget the "chelating agent" ingredients. Why do you need that in soap? The point is you don't! I didn't even know what chelating was. I had to look it up. That should tell you that those ingredients do NOT belong in your soaps.
I know I have said it before, but you do NOT need foamy lather to get a good clean.
Lather ≠ Clean
Also, I would like to mention that while Sodium Hydroxide is caustic, there is none left in the final product because the oils have been soponified using Sodium Hydroxide. It's used in the process, but there is none left in the final product. In fact, the PH level of Earth N Moon soaps register at a 7 which is considered mild.
Plus, out of all of my customers, not one has said that the soap has made their skin dry. In fact, I've had customers tell me that the soap actually helped heal their skin especially the Psoriasis & Eczema soap as well as the Clear Complexion soap. I do not use commercial soaps anymore because they ALL dry my skin out and cause irritations.
So, next time you reach for that Dove bar, ask yourself if you want to rub surfactants, emulsifiers, and chelating agents all over yourself. If you want a good bar of soap that doesn't cost an arm and a leg with natural ingredients, come see me. If you don't want animal byproducts in your soap, I offer vegan alternatives and can custom make you a soap. If you're allergic to a specific oil or ingredient, let me know. I will be happy to help find and make you a custom soap that does NOT contain harsh chemicals.
Find me here:
Etsy
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