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Natural bar soaps provide a green clean sans the dirty ingredients found in many conventional soaps. But with so many options—organic, cruelty-free, "natural", and more—choosing the best soap for you and the planet can get overwhelming and a bit pricey. Knowing what to look for when purchasing a natural bar soap can help you make sense of environmentally friendly standards so you can be a wise consumer.

What to look for when choosing natural bar soap

When choosing natural, eco-friendly soap, look for the following:

1. Avoid antibacterial agents: A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that triclosan—the main antibacterial agent in soaps—can be linked to cancer in lab animals, may disrupt hormone function in humans, and is a non-biodegradable toxic agent that pollutes ecosystems and threatens wildlife when it is discharged into the water stream.
2. Look for plant-based ingredients: Conventional soaps are made from petroleum-derived chemicals that persist in the environment, creating pollution and threatening human health. Bar soaps that use plant-based ingredients and essential oils for fragrance replace these dangerous ingredients with ones that are healthy for you and the earth. In particular, try to avoid ingredients like parabens and phthalates. While many soaps are biodegradable, they often only break down into their original ingredients, which can still cause environmental issues if those ingredients are harmful chemicals. Biodegradable soaps made from plant-based ingredients will break down into natural components, which is safer for the environment.
3. Go organic: Because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spends only a tiny portion of its budget investigating the chemical composition and toxins in skin care products, soaps can tout their use of organic ingredients and still have up to 30 percent synthetic materials, even the ones labeled "organic" or "made with organic ingredients." The only way to be sure that the product you are purchasing is, in fact, organic is to look for the USDA Organic Seal on the label. This seal guarantees that every ingredient is organically produced as defined by the National Organics Standards Board, which bans the use of harmful pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetic engineering.
4. Look for soaps that do not contain animal fats or employ animal testing: While you're contemplating green attributes, you may also wish to join the cruelty-free movement. Just keep in mind: a company may claim that they don’t employ animal testing for their products, but without third-party verification, it’s hard to know whether these statements are in fact completely true. So stick to those products certified as cruelty-free by looking for products with the Leaping Bunny Logo or the Certified Vegan Logo. You can rest assured that no bunnies (or monkeys or cats for that matter) were harmed in the making of these non-animal-tested products.

Find it! Natural bar soap

Take a look at GreenYour's picks of individual bar soaps and soap lines that straddle the often nebulous "natural" label. While all might not be absolutely perfect, they all boast green attributes. Just be sure to read the product label to ensure that the product you're purchasing really does contain organic and/or natural ingredients.

Before you buy

Keep in mind that if you choose bar soap concocted with green ingredients in lieu of a conventional variety, you'll likely be confronted with a higher price tag as chemicals generally come cheaper than botanical, organic-certified ingredients. For example, .33 ounces of Pangea Organics Tunisian Olive Oil & Coconut Bar Soap will set you back $7.00, while, for around the same price, you can buy eight 4.5 ounce bars of Dial Antibacterial Deodorant Bar Soap.

Choosing natural bar soap helps you go green because...

• Natural bar soaps rely on ingredients found in nature, not health- and eco-unfriendly chemicals, to keep skin clean and healthy.
• Like other conventional bath and skin care products, bar soaps can contain petroleum-derived components. Petroleum is a non-sustainable resource with various eco-repercussions.
• Many makers of natural bar soaps also follow green business practices, such as using recycled packaging and harnessing renewable energy sources like wind power.

Like other beauty, hair, and skin care products, such as lipstick, deodorant, and shampoo, many popular soaps contain petroleum-based ingredients. The production of the petrochemicals used in bath and skin care products pollutes the environment by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and water. These products support the hazards of the petroleum industry, which include about 2.6 million gallons of oil spilled every month during transportation and about 71 million pounds of toxins released into the air and water during refinement.[1]

Supplementary preservatives in conventional soaps can include parabens, known endocrine disrupters that are not only detrimental to human health, but also destructive to animal hormones and development. (Studies have found higher levels of parabens in tumors from human breast tissue, but, because the potential damage to the endocrine system has yet to be proven, the controversy surrounding the toxicity of parabens is still being debated.)

And the list of not-so-friendly ingredients goes on. The potent synthetic antimicrobial agent triclosan, used in some soaps and other personal care products, has been found in 55 percent of streams examined in 2002 at levels high enough to disrupt the natural life cycle of frogs. While diethanolamine (DEA) is infrequently used in skin and hair care products because it is a known carcinogen, the more commonly used chemicals TEA and MEA are often contaminated with diethanolamine. Lauryl/laureth sulfates are common skin irritants that can dry out the skin and hair with longterm use.

Fragrances

The fragrances in bar soaps and other bath products pose risks as well. Fragrances are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which add to air pollution, are persistent in the environment, and contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife. An estimated 5.72 million Americans have skin allergies to fragrance, while around 72 percent of those suffering from asthma claim that their condition can be triggered by synthetic fragrance.[2] Bar soaps with artificial fragrances can also contain phthalates, widely used industrial chemicals that are estrogenic or anti-androgenic. Studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health reveal a link between monoethyl phthalate, a chemical used to preserve scent in perfumes and colognes, and sperm damage. Click here for a breakdown of the leading chemicals found in fragrance products and their related health effects.

Animal fats

Additionally, there's the issue of lard (pig fat) and tallow (cow fat), two traditional soap ingredients still being used in boutique soap production. Although these fats are waste products and animals are not raised and slaughtered exclusively for soap production, vegetable-based ingredients still use fewer resources, such as water and grain, than animal-based ones. Animal derivatives like honey and milk are also popular ingredients in "natural" soaps, so consumers looking for a strictly vegan bathing experience should read labeling carefully.

Biodegradability

Many soaps are biodegradable, but they only break down into their separate ingredients, which can still raise eco-havoc if those ingredients are toxic or harmful chemicals. A greener way to go is to buy soaps labeled as biocompatible. These soaps break down into harmless graywater, which can actually be reused for things like watering plants.

For those with non-traditional sewage systems, biodegradability of soap is a serious issue. If you're on a septic system, a biodegradable soap made with natural ingredients breaks down more readily in your tank and doesn't harm the beneficial digestion bacteria the way soap containing antibacterial agents does. If you're using a graywater system, biodegradable soap doesn't risk leaching chemicals into your soil. Campers who opt to bathe and clean in natural water systems should also ensure that the soap they use is biodegradable.

Controversies

In a recent study that shook the natural products industry, 100 “natural” and “organic” soaps, shampoos, dish liquids, lotions, and body washes were tested and nearly half contained 1,4-Dioxane, a carcinogenic chemical. This toxin has been found in conventional personal care products but this study, commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), was the first to test green products.

In scientific studies, 1,4-Dioxane has caused cancer in animals; scientists have not yet confirmed the long-term effects on humans. The FDA says current levels do not pose a hazard to consumers but have advised manufacturers to lower amounts in cosmetics as much as possible. None of the products tested that were Certified Organic by the USDA contained 1,4-Dioxane. In response to this study, some of the affected companies have said they will work toward removing 1,4-Dioxane from their products.

Organic labeling

The personal care industry is in turmoil trying to agree upon a set of standards for organic labeling of personal care products. While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains clearcut standards for organic food, the same can’t be said for body care products. Some companies use the USDA certified organic food standard, which requires 95 percent of the ingredients to be organic. Others use the less stringent California state standard for organic cosmetic products, which requires at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients. And still others label their products organic without meeting any external criterion. Fortunately, the guidelines for labeling a soap as "100% Organic" are strict. Products carrying this label maus contain all organic ingredients.

To clear up this confusion, a nonprofit standard-setting group called NSF International has released a draft set of rules for organic personal care products and a group of 30 cosmetic companies recently devised their own set of specifications called Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards (OASIS). How it all washes out remains to be seen.

Glossary

• 1,4-dioxane: A petroleum-derived contaminant classified as a probable human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• DEA: Diethanolamine (also related to the additives TEA and MEA). Suspected carcinogen, used as an emulsifier or foaming agent.
• parabens: This family of synthetic preservatives (which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl-parabens) can possibly disrupt the endocrine system.
• phthalates: Additives commonly used in plastics and other materials, mainly to make them soft and flexible, that may damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system, particularly the developing testes, according to animal studies.
• triclosan: An antibacterial agent that may form dioxin and chloroform in the right circumstances, both probable carcinogens.
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air and may cause immediate and long-term health problems.

External links

• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
• Restroom Critic - Cancer In Your Bathroom?
• Green Living Tips - Soap and the environment
• TreeHugger - Antibacterial Cleaners Do More Harm Than Good
• The Green Guide - Dirty Dozen SSC: The Dirty Dozen Ingredients In Personal Care Products
• Environmental Working Group - Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database Before you lather, check out where your favorite bar soap ranks on the hazard scale.