Handmade or commercial soap: composition, manufacturing, impact... what you need to know

We use soap every day, often mechanically, without paying attention to what we are actually applying to our skin. However, not all soaps are equal. Between a conventional industrial soap , sold in supermarkets, and a cold-process artisanal soap , the differences are numerous (and they count!), for your health as well as for the environment.

Because behind such a seemingly simple product lies a complex reality: ingredients, manufacturing method, skin benefits, and ecological impact... By choosing a natural soap, you're doing much more than opting for a gentle alternative: you're supporting a more ethical and transparent way of consuming. So, what are we really putting on our skin? And why are more and more people turning to artisanal soaps? We'll enlighten you.

Composition: what does your soap really contain?

The underside of industrial soap

Industrial soap, ubiquitous in supermarkets, is often made from petrochemical ingredients. Its composition may include:

• synthetic surfactants that are harsh on certain skin types (such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS),
• chemical preservatives,
• synthetic perfumes, sometimes allergenic,
• artificial colors that are poorly or not at all biodegradable.

These ingredients allow for the mass production of a homogeneous, economical, and highly foaming product. However, they can also cause irritation, dry out the skin, or disrupt the skin's microbiome, especially on sensitive or reactive skin.

The advantages of artisanal soap

On the other hand, a handmade soap, often cold saponified, is formulated with raw, simple and natural ingredients:

• nourishing vegetable oils (olive, coconut, castor, etc.),
• butters like shea or cocoa,
• essential oils or perfumes of natural origin,
• sometimes gentle additions like clays, dried plants, plant milk or honey.

This type of soap contains no controversial substances or unnecessary additives. It not only respects the natural balance of the skin, but also that of the planet thanks to biodegradable formulas, often labeled ORGANIC or eco-responsible. To learn more about the main labels, you can read our article Ecological labels: how to navigate them to make eco-responsible choices? .

A manufacturing method and know-how that changes everything: cold saponification

We often talk about ingredients, but the way a soap is made has a direct influence on its quality and the benefits it will bring to your skin.

Industrial manufacturing: fast but impoverished

Industrial soaps are usually produced using a hot process called hot saponification or continuous industrial process . This method allows large quantities of soap to be produced very quickly. However, it has several disadvantages:

• Natural glycerin is removed, although it is valuable for moisturizing the skin. It is often sold to the cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries.
• Vegetable oils are heated to high temperatures, which degrades some of their nutritional properties.
• To compensate, synthetic moisturizing agents are sometimes added, which are less effective... and less natural.

Result: a standardized, homogeneous soap, often more aggressive, and which provides little care for the skin.

Cold saponification: a gentle and respectful process

Conversely, the majority of artisanal soaps are cold-processed. This is an ancestral, slow and meticulous method that involves mixing fatty substances (such as olive, coconut, castor oil, etc.) with soda, over moderate heat, generally around 50°C. This process preserves all the properties of each ingredient used.

• Glycerin, produced naturally through cold saponification, is preserved, for an immediate moisturizing effect.
• Vegetable oils retain their benefits, resulting in a soap rich in nourishing fatty acids.
• Each soap is poured by hand, then air-dried for 4 to 6 weeks: this is called curing , essential to obtain a soft, hard and balanced soap.

The result? A soap that cleans without stripping, respects the skin barrier, and leaves the skin soft, supple, and comfortable. Vegetable oils can be added after cooking to create a superfatted soap .

The benefits of handmade soap on the skin

Soap is much more than a cleansing product. It's a treatment that you apply directly to your skin, sometimes several times a day. However, not all soaps have the same impact.

When soap attacks more than it heals...

It is not uncommon, after using industrial soap, to feel a sensation of tightness, dryness, or even irritation. We have already seen several reasons for this previously:

• The presence of sulfates and aggressive detergents (such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate),
• The absence of natural glycerin created during saponification, although moisturizing,
• Synthetic fragrances or preservatives that can trigger skin reactions.

Result: the hydrolipidic film (the skin's natural barrier) is weakened, especially if you have sensitive, dry or reactive skin.

When soap becomes a treatment

Cold-process artisanal soaps respect the skin's natural balance. Thanks to their richness in vegetable glycerin and nourishing oils, they:

• Deeply moisturizes, without leaving a greasy film,
• Soothe irritations thanks to plants, butters and gentle oils,
• Keeps skin supple and comfortable, even after showering.

At Le sens des choses , we offer several gentle soaps adapted to the needs of each skin:

• Orange blossom soap : soothing and softening, perfect for skin in search of softness,
• Lavender soap : relaxing, purifying, ideal for combination or blemish-prone skin,
• Cévennes honey soap : ultra-soft and comforting, particularly suitable for sensitive or irritated skin.

Using a handmade soap means transforming an everyday gesture into a simple, natural, and deeply beneficial care ritual.

When soap becomes a versatile product

A well-formulated cold-process soap can often be used for several purposes: for the body, hands, sometimes even for the face or hair depending on its composition!

This is what makes artisanal soap an everyday ally in a minimalist and zero waste approach:

• It is gentle enough to use on the face, without damaging the skin.
• It is suitable for daily body hygiene, even for reactive skin.
• Some natural soaps without essential oils or with an adapted pH can also be used for washing children or atopic skin.
• And depending on the formula, it can even replace a solid shampoo, particularly superfatted soaps enriched with oils such as castor oil, known for strengthening hair.

On the other hand, industrial soaps are rarely suitable for these multiple uses: their composition, which is too detergent, sometimes too perfumed or enriched with aggressive foaming agents, risks unbalancing the scalp, irritating the skin of the face or causing itching in sensitive areas.

With a well-chosen handmade soap, you can simplify your routine while taking care of your skin, your family... and the planet. One product, multiple functions: that's the very essence of responsible and natural consumption!

And what about the environment?

Every soap we use ends up in wastewater and then in nature. So it's essential to ask yourself what's in it... and what it leaves behind.

A soap that blends into nature

Handmade soaps, made from natural and biodegradable ingredients, decompose naturally, without polluting rivers or soil. They are often formulated without controversial substances, microplastics, or petrochemical derivatives, unlike many industrial soaps.

The latter, due to their chemical composition (foaming agents, preservatives, synthetic perfumes, etc.), have a much heavier and more dramatic environmental impact, particularly in terms of aquatic pollution.

A local, ethical and responsible choice

By choosing a cold saponified soap made by hand, you are also supporting a production model:

• On a human scale, often anchored in a local French soap factory,
• Which favors natural raw materials and sometimes those from organic farming or fair trade,
• Which operates in short circuits, thus reducing the carbon footprint linked to transport,
• And which limits waste, often by offering minimalist, recyclable or compostable packaging (or even zero plastic).

It's a simple gesture, but one that makes sense: by choosing an ecological and ethical soap, you take care of your skin... while preserving the environment and supporting a sustainable economy.

A simple gesture and beautiful consistency

Choosing handmade soap is much more than a consumer decision: it's a commitment to yourself, your skin, and the planet. It's choosing transparency, quality ingredients, gentle and respectful manufacturing, and a reduced environmental impact.

At Le sens des choses , we believe that taking care of yourself can (and should) rhyme with ethics and simplicity. That's why we offer natural soaps classified according to different skin types, to gently and naturally support each and every one of us in our specific needs.

And you, have you already taken the step towards more conscious care?
Feel free to share your questions or discoveries in the comments!