Much discussion about the word “natural” appears on forums and blogs all over the internet. Misinformed folks claim there is no standard definition of the word, and therefore, that companies such as ours are using a word that is meaningless. Well, we like “Natural,” and therefore, will explain what we mean when we use it to describe our handcrafted bars of goodness! An educated consumer, is a happy consumer!

First off, we all agree that “Natural” means from nature. I think that’s a pretty basic truth. It’s the extent to which we use “natural” literally, however, that causes issues in the soap and cosmetic industry. Some argue that only things that come DIRECTLY from nature, without alteration of any kind, including washing, purifying, etc, would qualify as natural. With this line of thinking,  applesauce made by cooking apples and water would not be natural because applesauce does not exist on its own, in nature. Basically, anything that is “synthesized” or made, could not be considered  natural. But, this confuses the term Natural, with Naturally Occurring.

The Natural Bar Soap Company uses a more reasonable definition of Natural. We believe that if an ingredient has its origins in nature, it can be called natural. Therefore, Olive Oil? Natural. Palm Oil? Natural. Although these items need to be extracted by human means to be useful for making soap, they are, nonetheless, found in nature.

Some people like to point out that just because an ingredient is natural, it is not necessarily good. We wholeheartedly agree. Poison ivy would certainly not be a skin-friendly addition to our natural bars of goodness. Luckily, artisan soap crafters know which natural ingredients make good soap and which ones don’t. You don’t have to worry about finding poisonous plants in our all-natural soaps.

Likewise, the fact that something is not natural, and may be lab created, doesn’t make it bad, either. Tylenol, vaccinations, the internet, or even soap, for that matter, would not exist were it not for synthesis.

This naturally leads to a discussion of Natural Things Being Made Better through science. Some things found in nature are made even more safe and wonderful through purification processes. Just as the shea nut’s outer shell must be removed, and the contents filtered and cleaned to utilize the healthy shea butter within, so too must harmful contaminants be removed from things like Kaolin clay, and kelp powder. The cleaning process of these natural materials ensure their safety. While these materials do not exist in nature in their purified state, we do not believe that the fact that they have been cleaned up a bit in any way strips them of their “natural” status.

That’s basically where we stand. Ingredients that are natural in their origin, deserve to be called “natural,” even though they may be cleaned, purified, or even blended with other natural ingredients. To say that only things that exist naturally in the universe are “natural,” is a bit short sighted, to say the least.