Frequently Asked Questions

“Why are your soaps better than supermarket varieties?”

It's the difference between a homemade brownie, lovingly baked with real chocolate, fresh butter and eggs, and a Hostess Ho-Ho full of artificial flavors, colors, stabilizers and preservatives.

The only thing amiss with this analogy is the butter and eggs. Our soaps are vegan, another difference from supermarket soaps.

“How do Herbaria soaps compare with Dove, for instance?”

We believe, and our customers agree, that Herbaria soaps smell better, are more moisturizing, kinder to your skin and last longer than mass-produced soaps.

Our soaps contain only vegetable oils and other plant-based ingredients. Dove contains animal fat, petroleum derivatives, preservatives, synthetic colorings and fragrances. Do you really want 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol (BHT), sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate, or sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate on your body?

More about Herbaria being cruelty-free.

“Why do you scent only with essential oils?”

It’s not just that they smell better. Essential oils are markedly different from synthetic fragrance oils regularly used in most soaps and scented candles.

Take lavender, for example. It has been loved and associated with bathing and cleanliness for centuries. Our bodies still make a straightforward, deep, healthy connection with it.

Just a dozen molecules of imitation lavender can trick your nose into thinking you’re smelling lavender. But real lavender has more than 5,000 molecular compounds. It’s a botanical treasure full of healthy phytonutrients—esters, lactones, keytones and phenols. Real lavender is also non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

The many essential oils we add to our soaps are prized in aromatherapy. Essential oils are also used therapeutically as deodorants, antimicrobials, astringents, anti-inflammatories and countless other purposes.

“Why no linen, jasmine, or sandalwood scents?”

Easiest to consider are the synthetic scents such as “linen” or “strawberry” or “cucumber.” These come from chemically fabricated fragrance oils that mimic natural scents. Fragrance oils may even create totally new odors not found in nature. While many of these fragrance oils may smell good enough, Herbaria is committed to providing you with all natural products.

Jasmine and rose are used strictly for fine perfume. We can buy these natural scents, but at over a thousand dollars a pound, they are prohibitively costly for soap. The expense comes from harvesting many thousands of blossoms. It takes more than one hundred pounds of rose flowers to produce a single ounce of attar of roses. On the other hand, lavender essential oil is made from the entire lavender plant, easy to harvest by the acre.

Furthermore, we avoid certain essential oils, such as rosewood and sandalwood, because they come from endangered plants. We are committed to using only responsibly-harvested ingredients.

“Why is ‘all natural’ better anyway?”

Over millions of years, the world and its organisms have evolved together in a miraculously delicate balance. All-natural products help maintain that balance, while synthetic products can disrupt the evolutionary equilibrium.

“How do you make your soaps?”

We handcraft our soaps the old fashioned way, called cold process soap making. We use lye to convert food-grade vegetable oils to soap. This soap retains glycerin, a terrific skin softener. During the process, we add other moisturizing emollients, such as shea butter or hemp seed oil. Almost all are scented. Some have added plants for color and texture.

“Why do you put oatmeal in your soaps?”

As an exfoliant, oatmeal scrubs your skin and removes dead cells. Finely ground oatmeal binds moisturizing emollients to your skin so that it is softer and more elastic. That’s called “colloidal action.” Oatmeal also soothes and reduces redness, itching and minor skin irritations.

See all soaps containing oatmeal.

“Why don’t you make a liquid soap?”

We know that many of you enjoy the convenience of liquid soap, but it simply cannot be as healthy for you as our bar soaps. We suspect liquid soaps, often harsh and drying, may account for the increase in many skin problems today.

Most liquid “soaps” are not soap at all, but detergents with imitation fragrances, preservatives clarifiers, emulsifiers and stabilizers just to make the product get through the pump.

Big companies push liquid soaps because they make more money selling them. You pay a lot for mostly water and a fancy plastic bottle.

“Won't your soaps leave soap scum?”

We hope you aren’t choosing your soap on the basis of how clean it leaves your bathtub. Yes, real soap leaves a natural residue on bathroom surfaces. However, it cleans off easily with any cleanser.

Any body soap product that claims not to leave a residue is most likely a detergent with a slew of questionable additives. We prefer to keep petrochemicals off our skin.

“Do your soaps contain phthalates?”

Absolutely not. We’ve read some horrifying studies of how phthalates, commonly found in synthetic fragrances, adversely mimic human hormones. Here’s a summary of just one reported by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:

Long-term studies suggest that phthalates can cause harm to the genitals of baby boys during prenatal development by reducing normal levels of sex hormones. Additionally, some phthalates are associated with poor sperm quality and infertility in adult men.

Some female laboratory animals exposed to phthalates experienced alterations in sex hormones and fetal loss. Phthalates have also been shown to cause proliferation of breast tumor cells and to make anti-estrogen treatments, such as tamoxifen, less effective against tumors.

“Don't I need antibacterial soap to wash off germs?”

Germs are certainly a concern. What kind of soap do you need to protect against disease?

A Federal Drug Administration study concluded that “mass-marketed antiseptics have shown no evidence of preventing infections more effectively than hand washing with regular soap.” Adding antibacterial chemicals to soap does not improve the protection of your health.

Simply washing your hands with good old-fashioned soap and water rids your skin of about 99.9% of all fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Anti-bacterial soaps, whether bars or liquids, make claims about extra protection that cannot be realized with typical hand washing. The anti-bacterial agents, such as triclosan, must remain on the skin in contact with bacteria for about two full minutes. Most of us do not take that much time washing our hands. Furthermore, in no case will anti-bacterial agents work against viruses. In every case, they will deposit contaminants into our rivers, streams and groundwater. We at Herbaria object to that effect.

Reputable scientists also suspect that long-term exposure to chemically formulated anti-bacterial agents may actually cause the opposite reaction: a resistance to the bacteria.

And don’t forget that many of the bacteria present on our skin are not unhealthy. For example, they fight bacteria that are harmfully aggressive.

We recommend a good, sudsy hand wash and shower with any of our Herbaria soaps as the best way to support your skin’s natural role against disease-related germs.

“Which Herbaria soaps are the most moisturizing?”

All of our soaps are moisturizing. Every bar begins with olive oil, which for centuries has been esteemed for its excellent skin care. Every bar (except Old Fashioned Lye Soap) is superfatted, which means that additional emollients, such as shea butter, almond oil and cocoa butter, soften and soothe your skin.

Browse soaps by emollients.

“What's the best bar for sensitive skin?”

We've gotten great feedback on our Lavender Oatmeal. Some have even claimed that it cleared up their eczema and psoriasis. Another soap to try is the Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free bar. Consider this, though: your sensitive skin issues may be related to unnatural ingredients prevalent in ordinary soaps, shampoos and detergents. For that reason, you may find that you can enjoy any of our natural bars.

“Can I shave with your soaps?”

Absolutely! Read more about enjoying the best shave ever.

“With so many choices, how do I choose the one bar I really like?”

Most of our customers try several varieties and discover they like them all.

“How long will a bar last in my shower or bath?”

Customers are amazed how long our bars last. There are several reasons why.

1. Composition: the blend of oils we use ensures durability. Our bars will consistently and considerably outlast brand name soaps.
2. Size: Herbaria bars start off weighing a generous 4.5 ounces. Over time they lose moisture, but in the process they become harder and more long-lasting.
3. Handling: Most of our customers understand the importance of letting soap dry out between uses. Choose a soap dish that keeps your bars out of puddles and allows air to circulate around them. Beware of ersatz soap dishes that collect water under your bars.

“How long is the shelf life of your soap?”

Kept cool and dry, our bars will be fine for several years. We’ve been making soap for over nine years and have seen just a couple of bars turn bad.

We do not use preservatives to extend the shelf life of our soaps. Industrial preservatives such as parabens may be carcinogenic, current evidence suggests.

How long will the scents last? The more powerful essential oils, like lavender and eucalyptus, are quite long-lasting. We have saved a couple patchouli bars from our early days and they are still fragrant. Lighter scents such as grapefruit or almond fade more quickly, in a year or so. However, the loss of scent is only from the surface. Use the bar and the scent will emerge.

How long will the color last? Some varieties, exposed to bright sunlight, can show signs of fading in as little as several hours. On the flip side, other varieties may retain their full color for years. Still others, such as Lavender Oatmeal, have no added color and won’t change at all.

“What is the pH of your soap?”

A chemist tested our soap and found that, dissolved in distilled water, the pH was 8.5. The bar itself measured 9 pH. Neutral pH is 7. The chemist who tested our soap was quite impressed. He said we make an "extremely mild" product. He remembered his grandmother's soap testing at pH 14.

“Can you round the edges of your soap?”

Because our goal is to make soap you can afford to enjoy and use every day, we don't form Herbaria bars in individual molds. We hand cut a large block of soap into bars. To trim the twelve edges on each bar (count ‘em) would add a lot of extra labor and expense. You’ll notice, though, that the soap begins to round out after the first shower. If you'd like, bevel the edges of each new bar with a vegetable peeler.

“I have read that the palm oil industry has had some devastating effects on tropical forests in Indonesia and orangutan populations there. Do you know where your palm oil comes from?”

Herbaria takes extra care to purchase ingredients and supplies from sources that promote environmental sustainability, social and economic justice.

Our supplier has given us the answer to your question:

"Our palm fruit and palm kernel oil are from South America, grown in a region of the Amazon that was cleared by previous owners 30-40 years ago. The reestablishment of a forest crop has brought back many species of birds and other plants and animals. While not as diverse as native rainforest, it is a vast improvement over grasslands. We are conscious of where we purchase our oils and will continue to seek conscious growers and producers."

Any comments or suggestions?

If you have any suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to e-mail us.