Catherine, one of our canary flock, who blogs over at Breathez, posted some timely info about an organic soap she recommends for peeps with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I was just thinking that I need to find some soap, so I’m going to put in an order and try some (unscented). I’ll let you know how it goes. Here’s what Catherine has to say about it:
I just have to pass on a little tidbit of information about the “greatest soap on earth.” Well, I think it’s the greatest anyway, and I’ve converted a good friend here too, who splits a wholesale order with me every six months or so. Botanie Soap is made by a small company in Missoula, Montana, and is available in several natural fragrances as well as no-fragrance-added. It has an olive oil base and just feels yummy on your skin. And it actually cleans, even my four-year-old grandson’s grimy fingers after he’s been digging in the dirt. Best of all, even Randl likes it, so we don’t have to have two separate bars of soap in the shower.
Here’s some info from Botanie:
I have sensitive skin and can’t use soap. Can I use Botanie’s organic herbal soap?
Although we cannot guarantee it, chances are, yes. Most skin sensitivities are aggravated by the synthetic ingredients in lotions, creams, make-up, and soaps. Without these ingredients, however, there is nothing left to irritate your skin. Many people who have had trouble with dermatologist recommended soap or “sensitive skin” soap have found success with Botanie’s Herbal Soap. This is because even doctor recommended sensitive skin soaps contain many unnecessary chemicals that can, and do, irritate your skin. Again, always read the list of ingredients in your soap. Although many people with sensitive skin enjoy using our scented herbal soap varities, we recommend our Unscented Soap for people with extreme sensitivities.
What does Botanie mean by “all natural soap”?
To us, natural soap means a soap whose ingredients are plant based, and we further define our product as an herbal soap. We oppose the body care industry’s use of the word “natural” to include synthetic fragrances, colorants, and preservatives. We add no artificial substances to our soaps, such as synthetic fragrances, dyes, and preservatives, and where possible, we use organically grown products. Our purely herbal soap is scented with essential oils only and colored with organic herbs and plant extracts only. The soap base recipe is made from 100% certified organic oils. Our products contain no parabens. Read through our ingredient list to see what we mean by “natural soap.” Then, to really see what we mean, take a copy of our ingredients with you next time you go to the store and compare them to the ingredients of soaps on the shelves. Your skin will know the difference.
How organic is your soap?
We make every bar with a minimum of 85% organic ingredients. Due to the chemistry of soap, it is almost impossible to go much higher than that. Within the natural products industry, there is a conversation taking place about whether soap can be technically defined as “organic” (since soap is the result of a chemical reaction and most of the original organic materials have been transformed). For our part, we commit to making soap using ONLY organic base oils and keeping our soap’s ingredients above 85% organic. A soap’s raw ingredients are either organic or they’re not, regardless of the definitions, and Botanie commits to using certified organic oils.
Link to Botanie home page
Link to more about Botanie natural soap
Link to Botanie organic soap page
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