What’s Really in Your Soap?

When it comes to choosing soap, the words on the package can be deceiving. Take Dove's Turmeric Milk & Lemon Drop Plant Milk Cleansing Bar as an example. With a name like that, you might expect a natural, plant-based product that’s kind to your skin and the environment. Let’s dig a little deeper into the ingredient list to see what you’re really getting—and how it stacks up against my Lemon Eucalyptus vegan cold process soap.

What’s In Dove’s Turmeric Milk & Lemon Drop Plant Milk Cleansing Bar?

Here’s the ingredient list from Dove’s product:

What’s In My Lemon Eucalyptus Vegan Cold Process Soap?

Now, here’s what goes into my handmade, vegan cold process soap:

• Coconut Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Olive Oil
• Shea Butter
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Castor Oil
• Mango Butter
• Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• French Green Clay
• Brazilian Yellow Clay
• White Kaolin Clay
• Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
• Distilled Water

The Breakdown

Dove’s Bar: The Not-So-Natural Reality

At first glance, Dove’s product may seem appealing with mentions of turmeric, lemon, and plant milk. However, the ingredient list tells a different story:

1. Synthetic Surfactants: Ingredients like Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate and Sodium Isethionate are synthetic detergents, not natural soaps. These are great for lather but can strip the skin of natural oils.
2. Palm-Derived Ingredients: The heavy use of palm oil derivatives like Sodium Palmitate and Sodium Palm Kernelate raises sustainability concerns due to palm oil’s environmental impact.
3. Fragrance: "Perfume" or "fragrance" is a catch-all term that can hide a cocktail of synthetic chemicals, many of which may irritate sensitive skin.
4. Preservatives & Stabilizers: Ingredients like Tetrasodium EDTA and Tetrasodium Etidronate are included to prolong shelf life and improve texture, but they are not necessary in truly natural soap.
5. Natural Ingredients in Small Doses: While turmeric, lemon extract, and sunflower seed oil are listed, they appear far down the ingredient list, meaning their actual concentration is minimal.

My Lemon Eucalyptus Soap: A Truly Natural Alternative

Each ingredient in my soap is carefully chosen for its skin-loving and natural properties:

1. Nourishing Oils & Butters: Coconut, avocado, olive, sweet almond, and mango butter deeply moisturize, repair, and protect the skin. Shea butter adds a luxurious creaminess that soothes dryness.
2. Pure Essential Oils: Lemon eucalyptus essential oil not only provides a refreshing, uplifting scent but also offers natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
3. Natural Colorants: French green clay, Brazilian yellow clay, and white kaolin clay are gentle, mineral-rich clays that cleanse and detoxify the skin naturally.
4. No Hidden Chemicals: No synthetic detergents, fragrances, or preservatives—just pure, simple ingredients.
5. Saponified Oils: Sodium hydroxide (lye) is used in the saponification process, transforming oils into soap. It’s fully neutralized in the final product, leaving no residue.

The Verdict

While Dove markets their product as a “plant milk cleansing bar,” the reality is that it’s a synthetic detergent bar with only a sprinkling of natural ingredients for marketing purposes. In contrast, my Lemon Eucalyptus Soap is made from scratch with high-quality, plant-based oils and clays to provide genuine nourishment and hydration for your skin.

The choice is clear: If you’re looking for a soap that’s truly natural, vegan, and free from synthetic additives, Soft Skin Naturals has you covered. 

Which soap would you trust on your skin? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and feel free to explore my collection of handcrafted soaps designed with your skin’s health in mind!