We are committed to using ingredients that are responsibly sourced. Whenever possible, we use natural essential oils for fragance and natural materials for color and texture. We're transparent about what's in each of our bars, and our ingredients are completely pronouncable - no weird chemicals! Our olive oil, cococut oil, and shea butter are all food-grade (but please, don't eat our soap.)
Natural ingredients will sometimes lead to variations in color and fragrance. We use a plant root extract from Africa that creates a beautiful purple bar - except when a different batch of the extract creates a dull brown bar instead. Most of the time, the variations are a lot less dramatic, and none of it ever leads to a change in the cleaning performance of the product. But you may see more and less dramatic coloring and scent in our product over time.
The sodium hydroxide that reacts with oils and fats to make our soap is taken from a purified lye product. Long ago, lye was synthesized by mixing wood ash with water. We've done this, and it's kind of interesting to try it once, but this material on its own is caustic and can cause burns if it's handled incorrectly. And, it's important to get the mixture right when it is used in soap so that the soap isn't gloppy or without the right lathering properties. Using a refined product lets us carefully control the reaction between the sodium hydroxide and our oils to create the perfect bar.