All-Natural Ingredients

All Soap is Not Created Equal: The Goat Milk Soap Difference

When we found out that the average bar of soap contained 15-20 chemicals, we knew it was time for a change. That’s why at Bend Soap Company, we make all of our bars of goat milk soap from scratch using a combination of four rigorously tested, all-natural, and mom-approved ingredients — no junk and zero harsh chemicals. Each bar of goat milk soap comes with the ingredients listed on the individual package and is never tested on animals. We’re proud to make each and every bar of goat milk soap from start to finish, ensuring only high-quality ingredients are being used.

The 4 Essential Ingredients You’ll Find in Our Goat Milk Soap

#1 Goat's Milk 

The star of each and every bar of our goat milk soap. In fact, over 26% of every bar of goat milk soap consists of farm-fresh, raw goat's milk. Our goats are never treated with antibiotics, steroids, or toxic goop of any sort. In fact, the milk we use is 100% Food Grade — we often drink it because it’s so nourishing! To learn more about the individual benefits of goat milk, click here.

#2 Coconut Oil

Considered by some to be nature’s  “fountain of youth”, coconut oil is full of vitamin E and antioxidants. It moisturizes, soothes, and fights the effects of aging (such as wrinkles and saggy skin) and contributes to the amazing lather you’ll find in our bars of goat milk soap. Noted as one of Dr. Oz's top 10 Super Foods, this ingredient is packed full of the nutrients we want (and need) in our bodies.

#3 Olive Oil

Olive oil has been an all-star of the culinary and beauty worlds for centuries. It’s loaded with antioxidants and rich properties that leave your skin feeling silky smooth. Olive oil by itself can make the soap soft, but we paired ours with palm oil which hardens the bar, giving it a solid feel in your hands and allowing it to last longer.

#4 Sustainable Palm Oil

Highlighted by Dr. Oz as a “miracle fat!”, our palm oil is sustainably harvested and perfectly rounds out our plant oil trifecta. As mentioned above, palm oil helps harden each bar of goat milk soap that we make and has a number of important nourishing qualities that are great for your skin. Palm oil is loaded with Vitamin E and is extremely moisturizing. It also contributes to that wonderful lather you’ll find in our bars of goat milk soap. We love this oil for its multifaceted properties.

The Other Ingredients

Essential Oils

We use essential oils to impart therapeutic and restorative properties into our products. We’re proud to share that our essential oils are 100% natural, 100% pure, undiluted, and often times steam-distilled to obtain the highest levels of purity. All of the essential oils we use are sourced from high-grade botanicals from around the world to ensure that each bar of goat milk soap gives you the highest quality therapeutic and restorative effects as possible. And of course, we make sure to choose essential oils that hold more “commonly approved” aromas and scents.

Here's a full list of the essential oils we use:

    • Lavender
    • Rosemary
    • Geranium Rose
    • Spearmint
    • Grapefruit
    • Lime
    • Eucalyptus
    • Lemon
    • Lemongrass
    • Tangerine
    • Tea Tree
    • Clove
    • Orange Valencia
    • Ylang Ylang
    • Fir Needle
    • Cedarwood

Lye

Lye, otherwise known as Sodium Hydroxide, is added as a catalyst to saponify the oils and the goat milk. Otherwise, you'd have a liquidy mess, instead of hard bars of soap. This is a completely and totally necessary ingredient in the making of real soap. But, don't be afraid of its name; lye completely dissipates out and neutralizes with the oils and milk during production, so there is nothing left of it in the soap itself.

Ingredients You WON’T Find in Our Goat Milk Products

Just as important as what we DO put in our goat milk products is what we DON'T put in! So, do you know what’s in your soap? Have you checked the label? You’ll be shocked to find that most soaps you find on the shelves include a long list of these not so nourishing and potentially harmful ingredients — the average bar of soap or body wash contains 15-20 chemicals!

#1 GMO Oils

Even “handmade” soaps often contain petroleum based glycerin or genetically modified oils such as soybean or corn oil (often disguised under the nefarious term “vegetable oil”), and canola oil (genetically modified grape seed oil). The effects of consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or applying them to the skin are unknown. Many countries have banned GMOs because of the lack of information regarding the long-term effects of GMOs on the human body and environment. We strongly encourage everyone to do their own research regarding GMOs and cosmetic chemicals that they may make informed decisions regarding what’s best for their family’s health as well as their own.

#2 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

A common ingredient in commercial soap and skincare products, this ingredient is also used to degrease engines and clean garage floors. But, why put it in soap? It’s a lathering agent and dissolves the oils of your skin just like it dissolves the oils on an engine block. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is just one of the numerous harsh chemicals found in other soaps and body washes that dries and irritates the skin. The skin does a great job of protecting us from harmful substances, but it can only do so much. Today, the average person harbors an unprecedented amount of foreign and hazardous chemicals in their body with children having more chemicals than adults! Could some of these chemicals be infiltrating our bodies through our skin? After reading about some of the chemicals in commercial skin care products it’s hard not to believe that this is probably the case.

#3 Dyes

With most commercial products, dyes are often used to color soaps synthetically. A big reason we’ve chosen to avoid using dyes is that they can be troublesome and unnecessary for those with skin sensitivities such as psoriasis and eczema. Our goat milk soap is 100% natural in color — we don’t use any type of dye to alter the look of our products.

#4 Detergents

Most commercially produced soaps contain synthetic additives, such as detergents, that are intended to remove dirt from the skin. Such detergents actually strip the skin of natural oils, leaving it dry and irritated with even just one use. Because of our deep commitment to using only the highest quality ingredients, we believe that detergents are completely unnecessary and go against the all-natural hydrating, exfoliating, and cleansing properties that are in goat’s milk. For this reason, we do not use detergents when making our Goat Milk Soap products.

#5 Fillers

As you can imagine, using 100% pure, all-natural ingredients is not the cheapest way to make soap. Many soap makers (both large commercial corporations and small batch soap makers alike) will add in fillers or dilutions. This makes the product volume “stretch” which is done to reduce costs and increase profits. But, it also reduces the quality and purity of the soap. Because of our commitment to making products that are 100% pure and all-natural, each of our goat milk soap products are made using the highest quality of ingredients in their undiluted form with zero fillers.

#6 Synthetic Preservatives

Chemicals like these are actually banned in other countries because they have been known to aggravate skin disorders (such as eczema), morph skin cells, compromise the integrity of the skin barrier, and more. Despite all of this, they are often found in many beauty-related products (such as soap) in the US. Synthetic preservatives are an unnecessary ingredient to have on your skin and in the products you use, so why risk it?

#7 Pthalates

This is a man-made ingredient that is often used as a softener in many different types of cosmetics. Some research has shown that these ingredients have been linked to cancers, hormone issues, low IQ, and many other issues. These phthalates are also found in synthetic fragrances (another ingredient we refuse to use in our products at Bend Soap Company).

#8 Parabens

These chemicals are widely used as preservatives in many cosmetic products. However, in the 1990’s scientists found that when used, Parabens stay and build up in the body over time. Not only that, but Parabens contain agents that mimic estrogen when they enter the bloodstream. When our bodies have abnormal levels of estrogen, there is an increased potential for reproductive issues, cancer, and more. We highly recommend you avoid any soap products with parabens!

#9 Alcohols

Plain and simple, this ingredient contains properties that cause the skin to dry out.

#10 Synthetic Fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are man-made scents that are often added to skin care products in order to create unique smells. However, the companies that produce these fragrances are not required to disclose their ingredients. The ingredients can contain anything from alcohols to harsh chemicals, to phthalates, and any number of other ingredients that are harmful to the body.

#11 Premade Bases

The quality of our goat milk soap is extremely important to us which is why we make every bar of goat milk soap from scratch using high-quality individual ingredients and steering clear of any premade bases. Many soap makers who claim their products are “100% handmade and all-natural” use these premade bases when creating their soap as a way to speed up production and reduce costs. However, these premade bases contain chemicals and other unnecessary ingredients in them which significantly reduce the quality of the soap and at times are even dangerous to use on our bodies. At Bend Soap Company, if we can’t guarantee the quality of the ingredients being used, we simply won’t use them in our soaps (even if it would save us time and money).

Simple, Honest & All-Natural: The Difference with Bend Soap Company

When we first created Bend Soap Company, we simply wanted to find a soap that helped ease our son’s eczema. We wanted an all natural soap that truly was all natural (we found most of the self-proclaimed all natural products were just natural enough to claim natural but were still full of cheap fillers). After we saw how effective a truly all natural, 100% pure,  goat’s milk soap was compared to anything we could find in stores or online, we knew we were onto something.This is what ignited our passion for creating 100% all-natural and handmade goat milk soap and other natural products. We’re doing our part to cut down on the onslaught of toxins that our bodies are continually being faced with by providing the world with chemical-free alternatives that are safe, natural, and actually good for your skin. Love your skin, one bar at a time!