Why Natural Soap Matters: What’s Really Touching Your Skin Every Day

Your skin is your body’s largest organ — and what you use on it every day matters more than most people realise.  From handwashing to daily showers, soap is one of the most frequently used skincare products in our lives.

Yet many supermarket soaps are formulated for low cost, long shelf life, and mass production, not skin health.

At The Bubble Jungle, our handmade natural soaps are crafted in small batches using palm-oil-free, synthetic-free ingredients chosen for their skin benefits and their performance.

Here’s why that difference matters.

What Happens When You Wash with Commercial Soap?

Many mass-produced “soaps” aren’t true soap at all. They’re often detergent-based

cleansing bars, designed to foam aggressively and strip oils quickly.

Over time, this can:

·        Disrupt your skin’s natural moisture barrier

·        Leave skin feeling tight, dry, or itchy

·        Increase reliance on moisturisers to restore balance

Natural soap cleans effectively without stripping, helping skin remain comfortable, resilient, and balanced.

The “Nasties” Commonly Found in Supermarket Soaps

Not all soap is created with your skin in mind. Many supermarket soaps use synthetic ingredients to increase lather, improve shelf stability, and cut costs — often at the expense of the skin’s natural barrier.

If you’d like to understand what’s commonly used in mass-produced soaps, expand the sections below to learn more.

Synthetic Surfactants (Detergent Cleansers)

Strong synthetic surfactants such as SLS and SLES (Sodium Lauryl / Laureth Sulfate), commonly used in pressed and mass-produced soaps, are designed to create heavy foam by aggressively breaking down oils. Clinical dermatology research shows irritation can occur at concentrations below 1%, yet some commercial formulations use multiple surfactants at combined levels exceeding 10–20%, increasing dryness, barrier disruption, and irritation with daily use.

These detergent cleansers are especially common in liquid soaps and body washes, where they’re needed to keep products stable, pumpable, and shelf-ready — which is why many “soap-style” bars and washes aren’t true soap at all.

What we use instead: Natural sugars from aloe vera juice, coconut milk, and goat’s milk, which enhance lather without damaging the skin.

Synthetic Fragrances

Listed simply as “fragrance” or “parfum,” this can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals. Synthetic fragrances are one of the most common causes of skin sensitivity and allergic reactions.

What we use instead: Pure essential oils and botanical ingredients — scented by nature, not laboratories.

Artificial Dyes & Colourants

Bright, uniform colours are often created with synthetic dyes. They offer no skincare benefit and can aggravate sensitive or reactive skin.

What we use instead: Natural colour from clays, botanicals, and plant infusions — each chosen for both appearance and skin benefits.

Parabens

Parabens are synthetic preservatives designed to extend shelf life. They’ve been widely avoided due to concerns around hormone disruption and cumulative exposure.

Phthalates

Often used to help synthetic fragrances last longer, phthalates are rarely listed clearly on ingredient labels. They’ve been associated with endocrine disruption and are best avoided in everyday products.

Triethanolamine (TEA)

Triethanolamine is a synthetic emulsifier and pH adjuster commonly used to stabilise commercial soaps and cleansers. It offers no skin benefit and is known to cause irritation, with additional safety concerns due to its potential to form nitrosamines — compounds that are restricted in cosmetics — which is why many natural and low-toxicity formulators deliberately avoid it.

Palm Oil

Palm oil is widely used in soapmaking because it creates a hard, long-lasting bar with stable lather. However, even when certified as sustainable, its supply chain can be difficult to fully trace, and environmental impacts remain a concern for many consumers.

From a formulation perspective, palm oil is often chosen for its technical performance and cost efficiency, rather than for its direct skin-nourishing properties. While it contributes hardness and structure, it offers fewer naturally occurring skin-supportive compounds compared to ingredients like tallow, butters, or certain plant oils.

At The Bubble Jungle, we’ve formulated our soaps to be proudly palm-oil-free, opting instead for a combination of:

·        Skin-compatible fats and oils

·        Natural hardening techniques

·        Ingredients that prioritise nourishment as well as performance

This approach allows us to create soaps that are firm, long-lasting, and beautifully lathering — without relying on palm oil.

These detergent cleansers are especially common in liquid soaps and body washes, where they’re required to keep products stable, pumpable, and shelf-ready. As a result, liquid soaps typically rely on higher overall levels of synthetic surfactants than well-made bar soap — which is why many “soap-style” washes aren’t true soap at all.

Does Skin Really Absorb What We Put on It?

Yes — even with wash-off products.

Your skin is designed to absorb substances, and repeated daily exposure matters.  Areas like hands, face, underarms, and freshly shaved skin absorb even more.

Using gentler, thoughtfully formulated soap helps:

·        Protect the skin barrier

·        Reduce cumulative irritation

·        Support long-term skin health

The Glycerine Truth: What Commercial Soap Doesn’t Tell You

Glycerine is a naturally occurring by-product of true soapmaking and one of the most

powerful skin humectants available.

In commercial soap production:

·        Glycerine is often removed

·        Sold separately to cosmetic manufacturers

·        Leaving the finished bar more drying

Handmade natural soap retains its glycerine, helping attract moisture to the skin and leave it feeling soft and comfortable after washing — without that tight, squeaky-clean feeling.

Why Some “Natural” Soaps Are Much Cheaper Than Others

Not all soaps that appear natural are made the same way.

Many lower-priced soaps — including some marketed as “botanical” or “natural” — are made using pre-manufactured soap noodles. These noodles are produced at scale, often overseas, and then melted, pressed, or stamped into bars locally. Many of them are based on cheap palm oil also.

However, soap noodles are typically formulated for mass production and long shelf life, not for skin nourishment. They commonly contain:

·        Synthetic surfactants

·        Added fragrances and colourants

·        Stabilising agents and fillers

·        Little to no naturally retained glycerine

While these soaps may look attractive and smell strong, they are fundamentally closer to detergent-based cleansing bars than to traditionally made soap.

In addition to pre-made bases, many lower-cost soaps rely on powdered or dried additives — such as milk powders or botanical extracts — added primarily for label appeal. While convenient and shelf-stable, these don’t offer the same skin benefits as using fresh liquids during the soapmaking process.

Handcrafted natural soap, by contrast, is made from scratch using the traditional cold process method, where oils, butters, and/or tallow are saponified in small batches using real liquid bases. This method:

• Naturally retains glycerine, created during soapmaking and integrated into the bar

• Allows full control over ingredient quality

• Supports skin-friendly formulation choices

• Takes weeks — not minutes — to complete

This difference in method is a major reason why genuinely handmade soap costs more — and why it feels gentler, creamier, and less drying on the skin with daily use. In soapmaking, process matters just as much as ingredients.

When comparing soaps, it’s also important to check the actual size and weight of the bar. Many commercially produced soaps — including some marketed as “natural” — are significantly smaller, often 90–110 g, while appearing similar in photos or packaging.

Our handmade soaps are substantially larger bars, often up to 50% bigger, offering more washes and better long-term value — even when the upfront price looks similar.

Why Natural Soap Feels Different (and Better)

Natural soap works with your skin, not against it. 

Instead of aggressive surfactants, it relies

on balanced fatty acids, natural humectants, and skin-compatible ingredients.

The result?

·        A creamy, stable lather

·        Less dryness and flaking

·        Skin that feels clean, not stripped

What About “Chemical-Sounding” Ingredients Like Sodium Lactate?

If you look closely at our ingredient lists, you may see names like sodium lactate, sodium citrate, or sorbitol.  While they sound technical, they are naturally derived and purpose-driven.

Sodium Lactate

·        Derived from fermented sugars

·        Acts as a natural humectant to help skin retain moisture

·        Helps soap stay harder, longer-lasting, and more moisturising

Sodium Citrate

·        Derived from citric acid (often from citrus fruits)

·        Helps improve lather in hard water

·        Reduces soap scum and improves rinse-off feel

Sorbitol

·        A plant-derived sugar alcohol

·        Enhances glide and smoothness

·        Supports moisture retention and lather quality

These ingredients allow us to improve performance without resorting to synthetic detergents.

The Benefits of Tallow Soap

Tallow is one of the most skin-compatible fats available.

Properly rendered grass-fed tallow is:

·        Rich in oleic and stearic acids

·        Similar to the lipids naturally found in human skin

·        Exceptionally nourishing and protective

Tallow soap creates a dense, creamy lather that cleans gently while supporting the skin barrier — ideal for dry, sensitive, or environmentally exposed skin.

The Ingredients We Choose — and Why

Every ingredient in our soaps earns its place:

·        Grass-fed Aussie tallow – Barrier support & deep nourishment

·        Plant oils & butters – Gentle cleansing and conditioning

·        Aloe vera juice, coconut milk & goat’s milk – Skin benefits + natural lather

·        Botanical infusions & clays – Minerals, colour, and skin support

·        Essential oils – Naturally aromatic and skin-friendly

·        Naturally retained glycerine – Long-lasting hydration

·         

No fillers. No shortcuts. No unnecessary additives.

A Better Way to Wash

Choosing natural soap isn’t about trends.It’s about understanding that what you use every day adds up — and choosing ingredients that respect your skin and the environment.

Once people experience truly well-made natural soap, most never go back.

Discover handcrafted, palm-oil-free natural soaps made in small batches with skin-loving ingredients — where the rainforest meets the reef.