The benefits of soap bars

For years, soap bars were considered out of date and old-fashioned, but now they’re making a comeback in the world of natural beauty. Many soap bars are cold-processed soaps, made using the “cold processing” method, which retains all the benefits of the active ingredients used. There are soap bars for all budgets, and they’re some of the most eco-friendly products you could have in your bathroom. If you’re still not convinced, read on. We give you all the good reasons to switch to solid soaps now!

A soap bar may be small, but it lasts much longer than a regular shower gel. That’s because we tend to use more shower gel than we really need, every time we take a shower. A standard shower gel (200ml) lasts for one month on average, whereas a soap bar may last several months! The price per kilo is often much higher for shower gels in bottles, even though they’re made up mostly of water… So, if we just look at the economic arguments, a soap bar wins hands down! Just remember that if you want your soap bar to last a long time, you should store it on a soap dish between uses so that any water will drain away and your soap stays dry.

If we look at the ecological arguments for using a soap bar rather than a shower gel, again, it’s the solid soap that wins!

Little energy is required to produce a cold-processed soap, as it’s made at a low temperature (about 30°C) in order to conserve the benefits of the oils used in it. There’s also less wastewater with this production method.

Soap bars are made from raw materials that don’t pollute the planet. Botanical oils or butters are mixed with a strong base (water + caustic soda). Saponification occurs, and natural glycerin is created. Other ingredients can then be added, such as essential oils, clay, rhassoul, flowers, or even exfoliating powders. This natural composition makes the soap 100% biodegradable, and therefore absolutely environmentally friendly!

With a soap bar, there’s no waste! There’s very little packaging, if any. Often the soap is just held in a cardboard box, which can be recycled. There are also organic stores and stores that sell unpackaged goods, where you can buy unwrapped soap bars, or soap cut to size. Bearing in mind that most shower gels are held in plastic bottles, if you want to reduce waste, again, the soap bar wins hands down.

A soap bar is extremely travel-friendly! If you’re going on vacation or just taking a weekend break, you can slip it into your travel bag or suitcase. It won’t take up much space and you won’t have to worry about it leaking. Plus, if you’re travelling by plane, you won’t have to worry about airport restrictions on liquids either! Make sure you take a soap that’s suitable for the body, face and hands, so you can use it to clean your entire body.

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a shower gel bottle? Don’t be surprised if there are lots of ingredients that you don’t recognize, along with preservatives that are potentially harmful for the environment and/or your health, such as formaldehyde. In fact, if you take a close look at the ingredients in a liquid soap or shower gel, you may well find cause for concern… Unlike a regular shower gel, bar soap doesn’t need preservatives as it doesn’t contain water. If you choose a natural, certified-organic soap bar, you can be sure that it’s made with nothing but ingredients that your skin needs, and certainly no controversial ones!

To get the best out of a solid soap, look for one that’s natural and certified organic, made with high-quality botanical oils. When soap bars are made using the traditional cold-processing method, there’s no need to heat the oils used in them. Consequently, all the benefits and properties of these natural active ingredients are retained. Rich in glycerin (which is produced naturally during the saponification process), a solid soap both nourishes and softens the skin.

In order to provide soaps that work for different skin types, Absolution selected a variety of rich, natural active ingredients and used them to formulate two soap bars: Le Savon Noir and Le Savon Blanc.

Designed for blemish-prone skin, Le Savon Noir combines soap with skincare by helping to restore the skin’s balance.

While Le Savon Noir translates as “Black Soap,” it has nothing to do with the black soap traditionally used in many spas and hammams, which comes in the form of a soft black paste. Our soap can be used to gently cleanse the face and body, and is made with natural active ingredients that are ideal for temperamental skin:

– Propolis – a plant resin collected by bees that helps the skin to fight germs and the effects of aging.

– Activated Charcoal, which works deep down to rid skin of impurities, toxins and excess sebum.

– Tea Tree essential oil, known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. This oil helps to prevent blemishes from forming, without being harsh on the skin.

– Neroli essential oil – a very gentle antibacterial agent that helps to restore balance, regenerate the skin, and improve suppleness. Its orange blossom scent has a calming, comforting effect, and can help you to fall asleep.

Made with purifying and soothing active ingredients that work together in synergy, Le Savon Noir comes to the rescue of acne-prone skin. Given that some people with acne-prone skin find rinse-off cleansers too harsh on their face, this soap provides the perfect, gentle alternative.

Le Savon Blanc is designed for more delicate skin, and cleanses while caring for the face, hands and body.

It’s made with nourishing, softening and antioxidant active ingredients, including:

– Calendula oil, known for its softening and healing properties.

– Nourishing and repairing Shea Butter, which helps to combat skin aging, prevent stretch marks, and protect and soften the skin. It also promotes healing.

– Coconut oil, which works hard to nourish and repair sensitive skin. Easily absorbed, it deeply nourishes, relieves irritation, and improves suppleness.

– Rice Bran oil, which acts like a pro-aging complex. Known for its ability to protect skin against the effects of aging and environmental aggressors, it has a soothing and calming effect, and promotes microcirculation.

Le Savon Blanc softens, protects, and calms, and can be used morning and evening on the entire body, and even the face. Every day, it leaves skin feeling beautifully soft and soothed.