One little bar of handmade soap isn’t going to save the planet single handedly. But swapping bottled shower gel or liquid hand soap for a good old-fashioned bar is one of those ridiculously easy changes that can help cut down on plastic, without making your bathroom routine any more complicated.
For me it all started with a charcoal facial soap that I made to help my super sensitive skin while cutting down on our plastic waste. My OG facial soap is still a best seller today: Charcoal & Tea Tree Soap
No elaborate zero waste lifestyle required. No sacrificing lovely fragrances. And definitely no washing yourself with something that resembles a beige brick. Just really lovely handmade soap. Luckily, we know a thing or two about that. 🧼
Handmade soap vs liquid soap: what’s the difference?
The obvious difference is staring at you from the side of the bath. The bottle. Liquid soaps and shower gels need something to contain them, and that’s very often plastic. Once you’ve worked your way through the product, including the obligatory upside-down bottle balancing act to get the last bit out, you’re left with packaging to dispose of.
A solid soap bar doesn’t need a plastic bottle at all. At Thistle Soapery, our handmade soaps are plastic free, so once you’ve lovingly used your bar down to the tiny sliver you insist you’ll definitely use tomorrow, there’s no empty bottle left behind.
Small change. Big impact.
Switching to bar soap can mean less plastic Bathrooms have a habit of collecting plastic. Shower gel. Hand wash. Shampoo. Conditioner. Another shower gel you bought because it smelled amazing. That bottle of shampoo you tried twice, hated, but somehow can’t bring yourself to throw away…
Choosing plastic-free bar soap instead of bottled liquid soap or shower gel is a simple way to reduce some of that packaging. And you don’t need to throw away everything currently in your bathroom and start again. Please don’t. That would rather defeat the point. Just use what you already have. Then, when the next bottle runs out, consider replacing it with a bar.
One less bottle. Then another. Easy.
Handmade soap can be packed with gorgeous plant-based ingredients More sustainable shouldn’t have to mean more boring. Absolutely not on our watch.
Our vegan handmade soaps are made in small batches using carefully selected plant-based oils and butters, with ingredients such as olive oil, sunflower oil, shea butter, avocado oil and cocoa butter appearing throughout our collection.
And then we get to have some fun. Depending on the bar, you’ll find essential oils, gorgeous fragrances, clays, botanicals, charcoal, turmeric and plenty of colour too. Some are fresh and citrusy. Some are earthy and botanical. Some are even a little bit ridiculous. All are rich and luxurious.
Handmade soap naturally contains glycerine
Here’s a tiny bit of soap science. Don’t worry there won’t be a test afterwards. Traditional soap is created through a process called saponification, where oils react with an alkali and are transformed into soap. During that process, glycerine is naturally produced and remains in our finished handmade bars. Glycerine is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture, and is one of the things that contributes to the lovely feel of traditionally made soap.
Our handmade soaps are vegan and cruelty free
Every Thistle Soapery soap is vegan and cruelty free. It’s not something we think should require a huge fanfare. It’s simply how we’ve chosen to make our products. We use plant-based oils and butters rather than animal fats, and our finished soaps are made without animal-derived ingredients. And absolutely no need to test soap on a bunny. Bunnies have better things to do. 🐰
We’re palm oil free too
You won’t find palm oil hiding in our soaps either. Its production has been linked to deforestation and habitat loss, so we decided we’d rather formulate without it. Instead, we use a carefully selected blend of plant-based oils and butters to make really lovely soap. No palm oil required. For us, it’s about making thoughtful choices about the ingredients we use, the way we make our products and the packaging they leave behind.
Bar soap can last for ages
The secret to making handmade soap last longer is wonderfully uncomplicated: let it dry between uses. A draining soap dish or sisal soap pouch can help keep your bar out of standing water and allow it to dry properly before its next outing.
You don’t have to choose between sustainability and lovely things
This might actually be our favourite reason to switch from shower gel to handmade soap. Making a more sustainable choice doesn’t have to feel like a sacrifice. Your soap can still smell incredible. It can still produce gorgeous bubbles. It can contain lovely plant-based ingredients. It can look beautiful sitting in your bathroom. It can even be bright pink, covered in swirls or smell good enough that you have to remind somebody in your household not to eat it. And it can do all of that without needing a plastic bottle.
Is handmade soap better than liquid soap?
In my opinion YES! There isn’t one product that’s going to be perfect for absolutely everyone. But if you’re looking for an easy way to reduce plastic packaging in your bathroom, a solid handmade soap bar makes a pretty convincing case for itself. There’s no plastic bottle, our bars are vegan and cruelty free, they’re made without palm oil and there’s a huge variety of fragrances and ingredients to choose from.
Is bar soap more environmentally friendly than shower gel? Packaging is one of the clearest differences between a solid soap bar and bottled shower gel. Choosing a plastic-free soap bar removes the need for a disposable bottle each time you replace your soap. Of course, sustainability is much bigger than one bathroom product, and we’re never going to pretend buying a soap bar suddenly makes anyone an environmental superhero. But reducing unnecessary packaging where we can? That seems like a pretty sensible place to start.
Ready to swap the bottle for a bar?
We’re not here to tell you to completely overhaul your bathroom. Start with one thing. When your shower gel runs out, try replacing it with a handmade soap bar. When the hand wash does that sad little pfffft noise and finally gives up, pop a bar beside the sink instead. That’s it. One less bottle. We even have our own range of shampoos if you fancy moving over to solid shampoo
Small change. Big impact.
Explore our collection of handmade vegan soaps, made in small batches with carefully selected plant-based ingredients: HERE
