Palm Oil in any form, sustainable or otherwise. The massive deforestation and loss of natural habitats caused by the palm oil industry is well documented however we remain convinced (along with vast swathes of the environmental community) that the argument for sustainable palm oil is also weak and that the evidence fails to justify any application of the term sustainable. For this reason we feel strongly that palm oil has no place in any products which are bought, sold, produced or even consumed by us in any capacity.

SLS - Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a chemical agent that is predominantly used for cleaning. Its main purposes are to work as a surfactant, trapping oil-based dirt so that it can be rinsed away, and helping the soap froth up, to create a thicker more luxurious lather. It has been used in soaps and shampoos since the 1930s but, despite its historic popularity in cosmetics and personal cleaning products, it remains an irritant to the skin, stripping it of its natural oils and helping to cause dryness, irritation and allergic reactions. Popular though it may be, we are aiming for something a little different in the form of long lasting softness, moisture and protection so while it may appear in a number of other cosmetic products, you certainly won't find it in ours!

Parabens are a group of artificial chemicals widely used as preservatives going all the way back to the 1920s but while they may help to preserve the product which contains them they certainly don't help preserve your skin! In truth they are not often found in bar soap (featuring predominantly in lotions) however it has become common for producers of bar soap to declare their products to be paraben free and so we wanted to be clear. We take the natural approach; with our soap being made using the traditional cold process method, it cures for a minimum of four weeks before being removed from the curing room ready for use. Once it has gone through the saponification process it has no need of any parabens in order to prolong its life. Essentially the soap will not go bad over time and, while the scents might fly away, the product itself will always be soap. So once again, when it comes to artificial preservatives, we'll pass.