Solid soap: the most beneficial, eco-friendly way to care for your skin without toxins
Did you know that solid soap is the best option for caring for your skin and the environment at the same time? Natural bar soaps are made with high-quality ingredients that have great benefits for the skin. They also cut down on plastic and avoid polluting chemicals.
Today we explain the benefits of solid soap and why going back to the traditional bar is a smart move, not only to improve the health of your skin but also to look after the planet.
The importance of eco-friendly soap for the health of our skin
The soap we choose to use every day is key to the health of our skin.
Soap is an essential product in our daily lives. We use it every day and several times a day: for our hands, face, body and hair… Even though it is an omnipresent product in our lives, we rarely stop to think about it. From the ingredients they are made of to the packaging they come in, soaps have a significant impact not only on the beauty and health of our skin, but also on the environment.
The soap you use every day may be damaging, drying out or irritating your skin. Switching to an eco-friendly option costs nothing and will bring you many more benefits. We invite you to discover natural, sustainable skincare, the best personal care option – and we mean it – in which solid soap takes centre stage.
Benefits of solid soap: pamper your skin the eco-friendly way
Solid soap is a handmade product, made with natural ingredients using traditional saponification processes. Its composition and quality are a far cry from the long, indecipherable lists of chemicals usually found in the industrial soaps that fill supermarket shelves, and the difference is noticeable in its effects on your skin.
Cleansing and caring for your skin in one go
Handmade soap bars are made with natural, organic ingredients of high quality and purity. Unlike shower gels, which can contain up to 80% water, solid soap is highly concentrated in nourishing, skin-friendly ingredients.
Bar soap provides gentle cleansing that respects the skin barrier, while softening, protecting and moisturising the skin with every wash. Solid soap is made with ingredients that have beneficial properties for the skin and provide effective cleansing. Because it contains no harsh cleansing chemicals, it does not dry out or damage the skin.
With daily use of natural soap, your skin is much softer, better protected, more moisturised and healthier.
When we buy plant-based soap, we are choosing a healthier, more beneficial option, with no unnecessary chemicals.
Plastic-free
One of the great benefits of handmade soap with natural ingredients is that using it very significantly reduces the amount of plastic waste and polluting chemicals. We can all help reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment simply by swapping liquid soap for “plastic-free” and “eco-friendly” alternatives.
That’s why at Cannactiva we offer you handmade hemp soap, made in Spain with natural, locally sourced ingredients. It comes in biodegradable cardboard packaging, with no unnecessary wrapping, which is kinder to the planet.
Eco-friendly and with more benefits for your skin
Solid soap produces a softer, gentler lather as it cleanses the skin, and is just as effective at removing germs and dirt from the skin as conventional versions, with the advantage that it does not irritate or dry out the skin.
Sulphate-free
By choosing natural soap, you avoid chemical components that are harmful to the skin and the environment, such as sulphates and parabens.
Sulphates are the main ingredient in a huge number of “personal care” products: the well-known “sodium lauryl sulfate” (SLS) and “sodium laureth sulfate” (SLES), among others. Their job is to create lots of lather, which effectively strips away all dirt, including the skin barrier’s protection, causing irritation and dryness.
If you struggle with dry skin or find yourself reaching for the hand cream all day, that’s all the more reason to switch to solid soap. There’s no point moisturising your skin with creams, masks and serums if you then use soaps and shampoos that are harsh on your skin and scalp.
Gentle, effective cleansing
One of the differences you’ll notice when you use natural soap is that, when you rinse, your hands feel less slippery, because its lather is gentler on the skin and the product doesn’t cling to it as much as shower gel. Once you’ve dried off, you’ll notice that your skin is incredibly soft and moisturised.
Paraben-free
Parabens are preservatives added to soaps and other products, especially creams. On labels they appear as “methylparaben” and other similar names. Although they are very effective at preventing the growth of bacteria and mould in soaps, they can cause irritation, photoallergies and premature skin ageing. Another controversial issue is their possible endocrine-disrupting effect, as they mimic oestrogens in the body and affect hormonal balance. Companies that defend their use argue that they are safe at the doses used in personal “care” products.
In water-free formulations, such as solid soap, fewer preservatives are needed to keep the soap fresh and dry, which makes it kinder and healthier for your skin and for the planet.
Avoid chemicals that pollute the environment
What happens when that soapy, heavily chemical-scented liquid goes down the drain? They don’t just disappear! Ecologically, both sulphates and parabens can be toxic to living things, including fish, plants and other marine organisms. They can also have negative effects on air quality and drinking water. When these compounds come into contact with other waste chemicals, they can form toxic by-products that are even more dangerous to life and ecosystems.
Biodegradable, eco-friendly natural ingredients
As you can see, the advantages of natural soap don’t end at the drain. The natural ingredients it is made with are fully biodegradable and break down quickly in nature, leaving no toxic residue in the environment.
The use of soap with natural and plant-based ingredients contributes to sustainability and the protection of biodiversity.
Long-lasting
Traditional soap goes through a triple-milling process, one of the most important stages in soap making. This technique seals the blend of natural ingredients evenly and removes as much water and air as possible, giving a uniform result that is extremely dense, solid and long-lasting. That’s why a bar of soap can last for months.
This process not only makes solid soap last a long time, it also makes it softer and creamier, with a richer, more consistent lather.
Economical, beneficial and sustainable
The price of a bar of solid soap may seem higher than that of conventional liquid soap, but if we take into account the high-quality ingredients, the handmade production process and the durability of the product, it is a cost-effective, healthy investment that is sustainable for the planet.
Decorative and aromatic
And last but not least, a handmade soap bar is not only a healthier, more eco-friendly option, it also adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to your bathroom.
A bathroom with a bar of soap conveys naturalness, quality, eco-awareness and care, and scents the whole room with its aromas.
How to choose the right solid soap
Better than our grandparents’ soap
Today’s bar soap isn’t the same as the soap our grandparents used: it’s much better. Natural skincare has modernised and changed enormously, and today it contains ingredients that are more beneficial and kinder to our skin than the soaps of the past.
Cannactiva’s handmade hemp soap gives you a combination of highly moisturising, nourishing and skin-protecting ingredients, providing softness and gentle cleansing with every use.
Use your bar soap properly
Any change of habit needs a strategy, however minimal, if it isn’t going to fail. When you buy your solid soap, also think about getting a suitable soap dish so that your bathroom isn’t left dirty after the first use and the soap doesn’t get soggy and fall apart within a few days.
Although it may seem a minor detail, it is not. If you remember the days when your grandparents used bars of soap, you will surely remember that a soap dish was indispensable.
Ideally, choose a soap dish with a ridged base, which lets air circulate underneath and keeps the soap dry. That way, the bar of soap will last for months. If you leave the bar on a smooth surface in the bathroom, the moisture won’t drain away properly, and it will quickly lose its fragrance and firmness, so it won’t last as long.
Protect your skin and the environment with Cannactiva’s handmade solid soap
Now that you know the benefits of solid soap, all you need to do is take the small but important step of using it every day.
In the Cannactiva shop you’ll find natural hemp bar soap as part of our commitment to offering you healthy, eco-friendly personal care products.
We hope you found this information interesting, and that the next time you use soap you’ll stop and think about the effect it has on your skin and the environment.
We invite you to switch to bar soap and experience its benefits on your own skin, and to discover our range of natural, eco-friendly skincare!
