When it comes to daily hygiene habits, many of us are completely on auto pilot. We have developed our routines over time and we go through the same motions every day without giving much conscious thought to what we are doing. We wake up in the morning and immediately jump into our routines. We hop out of bed and brush our teeth, shower, make coffee and get on about our day. Because we’re so used to doing the same thing every day, we can easily get in the habit of using the same products for our daily routines for years without even realizing it! That can be a great thing if we're already using high-quality products, but can be a bit concerning if we have blindly been using low-quality products that may do more harm than good!

This brings us to the question: When is the last time you gave much thought to the soap you’re using? Maybe you’re someone who has used the same soap for years, or maybe you’re someone who loves to peruse the aisles at the grocery store looking for fun new products to try. Either way, taking a moment to learn more about the wide world of soaps could prove to be extremely beneficial and a game changer for your skin!

Looking across the landscape of commercial soaps, there are a plethora of options lining grocery store shelves at any given moment. There are tons of brands with all sorts of pretty packaging and eye-catching names, but if you take a closer look you’ll realize that most of these “soaps” aren’t actually soap at all.

Commercial Soap vs. Natural Soap

As it turns out, many of the commercial soaps available today are actually detergents rather than soaps. These detergent-style “soap” products are mass produced and, as such, cost-effectiveness is the name of the game. The manufacturers do their best to drive down costs and make these "soaps" as inexpensive to produce as possible. In addition, many of the commercial soaps are stripped of their naturally occurring glycerin in the name of increased shelf stability. In place of the natural glycerin, they are stuffed with synthetic foaming agents meant to mimic the natural suds that would be produced by glycerin. Additionally, they are packed with artificially created perfumes and fragrances, as well as more synthetic chemicals and surfactants. While these man-made ingredients do work well at removing dirt, they come at a cost. Detergents are generally harsh and can strip the skin of its good natural oils leaving it dry and irritated. There are also questions surrounding the consequences of regulalry using these synthetic ingredients on the skin. We know that our skin is our largest organ and anything we put on it will get absorbed into the body. I don’t know about you, but we don’t love the idea of putting questionable ingredients on our skin.

In contrast to these detergents and artificial products, natural soap is made with high quality, natural ingredients that you can easily recognize. The ingredients come from sources derived from nature such as plant sources, minerals, and sometimes animal byproducts (honey or milk). The ingredients undergo a process called saponification which converts them into soap. These natural ingredients are not only safe and familiar, but they are also extremely effective. Natural soaps are able to clean your skin incredibly well without stripping it of it’s natural oils or causing irritation.

Why We LOVE Natural Soap

Here at Rinse, we are dedicated to making all natural soaps the old fashioned way, the same way grandma used to (with a few modern improvements like digital scales and refined ingredients!). There are so many incredible benefits of natural soap and we've listed a few of our favorites below!

High Quality Ingredients

Natural soaps are made from high quality ingredients that you can recognize and can feel good about. Ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil, coconut oil, essential oils, and natural color blend together incredibly well to make amazing natural soaps that safely and effectively cleanse skin. These ingredients are naturally moisturizing and leave your skin feeling hydrated!

Free of Chemicals and Harmful Toxins

Just as important as what goes into natural soap is what is left OUT of it. One of the best things about natural soap is that it is free of harsh chemicals and harmful toxins. Natural soaps don’t contain any synthetic preservatives, detergents, or artificial perfumes. It’s important that you can feel good about what you’re putting on your skin and natural soap allows you to do just that! You’ll never have to worry about any negative impacts on you or the environment from harmful toxins.

Gentle Yet Effective Cleansers

Cleaning your skin shouldn’t mean using harsh ingredients that cause irritation and strip it of its naturally occurring oils. Natural soaps have been found to be just as effective as commercial soaps when it comes to washing away dirt and germs. In fact, Janet Woodcock with the FDA has said “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water… In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”

Incredibly Moisturizing

As we mentioned earlier, natural soaps contain many naturally moisturizing ingredients from various plant oils and butters. Some of our favorite ingredients are shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. These easily recognizable ingredients are unbelievably nourishing to the skin. They infuse the skin with moisture and help your skin retain its good natural oils which helps to further moisturize skin and keep it healthy and glowing!

Full of Glycerin Goodness

The best byproduct of making natural soap has got to be glycerin! It's the key ingredient that gives natural soap its sudsy, bubbly goodness! It helps to wash away dirt and grime without being overly harsh. It also is an amazing humectant that ensures your skin keeps its good oils. It’s non-greasy which means its great for all skin types, including oily skin!

Environmentally Friendly

While the commercial packaging in stores may be shiny and eye catching, it’s also incredibly wasteful. Natural soap allows you to get all the goodness of an effective cleanser without any of the waste that comes from commercially packaged soap products.

Incredible Scents

Instead of using synthetic perfumes and fragrances, natural soaps are made with natural essential oils that not only provide benefits to the skin but they also smell absolutely incredible!

Limitless Varieties

One of the best things about natural soaps is that there are nearly unlimited options! Some natural soaps serve specific purposes, and some are more general purpose. They can also come in different forms, such as soap sticks which allow you to take your favorite soaps with you anywhere!

Most Popular Natural Soaps

We are really big fans of natural soap and have a wide variety of soaps available to choose from! It's hard to say which one is the best natural soap because they all have unique properties, but some of our best sellers are:

Dead Sea Mud Soap

This is our best selling soap and it’s easy to see why! It contains actual Dead Sea mud imported from Israel. This magical mud is known for its many skin-loving properties. It is incredibly purifying and is great at opening pores and pulling out impurities. It works great as a facial soap as well as a body soap. Many people with skin troubles including eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne have found it to be helpful for dealing with these conditions.

Casteel Soap

This all natural soap is the perfect option for anyone who has extremely sensitive skin. Casteel soap is our most gentle soap as it is made of only one ingredient – saponified olive oil. It’s gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types and even is great for little ones. It’s also a fantastic choice for anyone who has a hard time with scented products. It’s loved by dermatologists and those with skin concerns across the spectrum from eczema to psoriasis!

This soap is the perfect luxurious exfoliator! It combines an invigorating blend of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils and the soap is poured over a loofah for incredible exfoliating power. It’s excellent for the body and feet!

Tea Tree Soap Stick

As if natural soap wasn’t amazing enough, this soap levels up as it comes in the form of a soap stick! This soap is made with all natural tea tree oil and has an earthy, medicinal smell and is perfect for use as a facial or body soap. It’s great for those who deal with acne and blemish prone skin!

 Delightfully Decadent Natural Soaps

While specialty soaps are amazing for tackling tricky skin issues, we’ve also got tons of options that are just plain FUN! They’re a great way to treat yourself, and they make amazing gifts for those you love! We’ve got so many amazing scents that it’s hard to choose just a few to highlight, but we’ll do our best! Some of our favorite fun scents include:

Coco Kissed

This is one of our newest scents and we are OBSESSED! It has a warm beachy vibe with soft vanilla undertones. It's sweet scent is addicting and it's sure to be a new favorite!

Blue Citrus

Another new scent, this citrusy blend contains hints of orange, lemon, and grapefruit! The cheery scent is bright and fresh, and it may even remind you of your favorite volcano candle!

Lavender

When you need a little rest and relaxation, lavender soap is the way to go! Our soap is made with French Lavender Essential Oil and has lavender buds sprinkled on top for a little extra flair! Great for night time baths for you or your little ones!

Calla Lily

If you’re looking for an elegant, lightly floral scent then look no further than our Calla Lily Soap! It features the clean scents of the beautifully elegant Calla Lily. It’s pure luxury for the skin and the senses!

It’s no secret that we all want to find ways to keep our hair strong, healthy, and looking great. This can be even more true if you are someone who deals with frustrating hair issues. Whether you have dry, brittle hair that constantly breaks or oily hair that has you looking a little greasier than you’d prefer, it can be a challenge to know what’s causing the problems and what to do about it. The vast array of products on the market and the overwhelming amount of advice from hair care companies can leave you feeling confused and paralyzed when it comes to knowing what to do to give your hair the boost it needs!

We’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be complicated! In fact, just following a few simple steps can lead to a big payoff when it comes to restoring your hair. Even better, there’s a lot you can do to improve your hair naturally. So, let’s dive in with some of our top tips for naturally healthy hair!

1. Use a Sulfate-Free Shampoo

It’s an unfortunate fact that many of the shampoos on the market today contain sulfates. There’s a lot of talk about sulfates, but the bottom line is that they are excellent cleaning agents that help shampoo to trap dirt and oil residues and wash them away. Sounds great so far, right? The issue is that they work a little too well! Sulfates don’t just wash away the dirt and bad oils, but they also can strip hair of GOOD, naturally occurring oils. When your hair is stripped of it’s good oils, it can leave it dried out and brittle. This can also wreak havoc on color treated hair as well, leaving it faded and dull. Additionally, because sulfates can lift the hair cuticle, they can leave hair (especially curly hair) looking frizzy and wild. Yikes!

Don’t let your shampoo be a contributing factor to your bad hair days! It’s super simple to switch to a sulfate-free shampoo! Sulfate free shampoos are extremely easy to find these days. No need to visit a fancy salon to get your hands on some! Just head down to your local grocery store or big box store and you should find plenty of options! These shampoo’s will be clearly marked as “sulfate free” on the bottle making them easy to identify. Switching to a sulfate free shampoo will allow your hair to keep it’s good essential oils, it’s natural shine, and to grow strong and healthy!

2. Wash Less Often

Another easy thing you can do to help restore your hair is to wash it less frequently. Yep, this is one of those rare cases in life where you can accomplish more by doing less! So why exactly are we suggesting you wash your hair less frequently? Well, similar to the negative effects from shampoos with sulfates, washing your hair daily can also cause your hair to be stripped of it’s natural oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to split ends! It might sound funny, but washing your hair every day actually trains your body to produce extra oils to try and make up for the ones that you are washing away. This can lead to excess oil which can encourage more hair washing and get you into a vicious cycle of feeling like you need to wash your hair every day! Skipping a day or two of washing your hair can help to “re-train” your it to level out oil production levels. We recommend starting with just challenging yourself to skip one day of hair washing! Once you get past that hurdle and grow more comfortable with the concept (and start seeing the benefits), we think you’ll grow pretty fond of skipping more than just one day!

3. Level Up with Tea Tree Oil & Argan Oil

Now that you’ve gotten some sulfate-free shampoo, why not level up by adding some tea tree oil to it? Not only does this magical oil provide a wide variety of benefits for the skin, but it also can help to transform your hair and scalp. Adding a little tea tree oil to your shampoo can help provide relief for those dealing with dry hair, dry scalps, and dandruff. It has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties that allow it to help soothe the scalp, relieving dry and itchy skin and helping to prevent flaking. It helps to improve the overall health of the scalp which may in turn help with healthy hair growth!

Another incredible oil to try is Argan oil! This often overlooked oil is an incredible addition to your natural hair care routine. It’s light, easily absorbed, and nearly scentless making it excellent for a variety of uses. It contains fatty acids as well as vitamin E and is a fantastic option for helping to ease hair frizz, treat pesky split ends, and add shine & bounce! It’s so versatile that it can be used on either wet or dry hair, as well as styled hair. You can easily incorporate it into your routine by adding a little to your shampoo and conditioner, applying it as a hair mask or leave in conditioner, or using it as a regular hair oil.  

4. Try an ACV Wash

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, this is a great option to try! As you begin to stretch out the length of time between hair washes, you may find that you want a quick rinse in between. We recommend trying an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse! This is simply a rinse made up of 2 easy ingredients: apple cider vinegar and water! If you’re new to the ACV rinse, we recommend starting conservative! Go for a 25% ACV and 75% water mixture. Blend it up and simply put it on as a rinse instead of using shampoo and conditioner. It will rinse your hair beautifully and leave your hair nice and shiny! It’s a win-win! You can use an ACV rinse all over, or section off the top portion of your hair and just rinse that!

5. No Poo, No Problem!

Our last recommendation is certainly the most extreme option and is for those who are wanting to be completely D-O-N-E with shampoo. If that’s you, we recommend trying a little concoction that we like to call “No Poo” 😉. This is not for the faint of heart, but is great for those looking to “shock” your hair into the natural life! It can be especially great for those with oily hair! Since this method involves completely ditching shampoo, you’ll need to create a little “no poo” concoction to use on those days when you otherwise would have washed with shampoo.

Here’s the “No Poo How-To”:

There are many different variations on the "no poo" method, so feel free to experiment and find what works best for you! The bottom line is that you’ll only need 3 ingredients: baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and water. 

We recommend mixing about a tablespoon of baking soda into about a cup of water. You can add ACV to your mixture or use it separately afterwards as a rinse. We recommend putting your "no poo" in an old dish bottle for easy dispensing!

We’ll go ahead and warn you now… this transition is going to be pretty oily and you’re probably going to be wearing a lot of bandanas, hats, and scarves to hide your grease, but once you get through it, you’ll thank yourself!! We do recommend starting conservative with any rinse that involves baking soda as everybody is different and baking soda can alter the PH balance of your skin… so, start small and grow from there!

Here at Rinse, we are obviously big fans of natural products, especially Essential Oils. It would be impossible to pick a favorite, but one that definitely ranks towards the top of our list is Tea Tree Oil! Sometimes it feels like Tea Tree Oil doesn’t quite get the attention it deserves. It may not be as flashy and well known as Peppermint Oil or Lavender Oil, but it sure has some knock-out benefits that we’re certain you will love!

Tea Tree Oil is derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia (yeah, we can’t pronounce it either!), commonly known as the Tea Tree! This unique tree is native to Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. The oil is obtained through a process of steam distilling the leaves to extract the oil. Tea Tree Oil has been used for centuries. The Aboriginal people of Australia discovered the benefits of the oil first. They would crush the leaves to extract the oil which they would use to treat a wide variety of ailments including cuts, burns, and skin infections. They would even bathe in lagoons that were under Tea Trees. The leaves would fall into the waters which would essentially create natural antiseptic baths. The benefits of the Tea Tree quickly became known throughout Australia and physicians began using the oil to sterilize wounds after surgery. Tea Tree Oil was even issued to Australian soldiers during WWII for the treatment of wounds, infections, and more. It wasn’t until more recent history that the “secret” of Tea Tree Oil made it’s way around the world. It has since been widely studied and has become extremely popular among those looking for natural remedies to common ailments and those looking for natural additions to their beauty routines!

So what makes Tea Tree Oil so unique? This powerful, purifying oil has natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. In fact, it is the only oil that actually has an effect on bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. It’s basically an oil straight out of mother natures medicine closet! It has become a popular ingredient in many beauty and skincare products. It can be found in skin creams, massage oils, hair products, and more. Because this oil is so potent, it is not recommended to apply it topically to skin without a carrier oil. Also, it should be noted that despite it’s name including the word “tea,” this oil should never be swallowed!

The uses for Tea Tree Oil are nearly endless. We’ve listed out some of the most common uses below!

Popular Uses:

• Acne & Pimples – No one appreciates those pesky pimples that can pop up at the most inconvenient times. For those who deal with frequent breakouts, Tea Tree Oil may be a natural solution! Several studies from the past couple of decades indicate that Tea Tree Oil is useful in fighting mild to moderate acne and helping to clear up pimples. Because this oil has naturally anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, it is able to help lower bacteria levels on the skin, thus helping to reduce outbreaks. For those concerned that using Tea Tree Oil might clog pores, no need to worry! This oil is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog up your skin! Give our Tea Tree Mint Soap a shot if you're looking for a gentle, yet powerful Tea Tree Oil cleanser! 

• Dry Skin & Eczema – Tea Tree Oil is an excellent natura solution for treating dry skin and even can be effective at treating eczema. If you have ever dealt with eczema, you know how frustrating this chronic condition can be. The many antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties of Tea Tree Oil make it an effective treatment. In fact, a study conducted in 2011 found that topically applied Tea Tree Oil was even more effective at treating eczema than zinc oxide and clobetasone buyrate creams. As always, it is important to use a carrier oil when treating dry skin with Tea Tree Oil. Check out our ready-to-use Tea Tree Mint Body Spread for a quick solution for treating dry skin!

• Oily Skin – If you are someone who battles oily skin, Tea Tree Oil may just be your new best friend! It’s antiseptic properties have been shown to be effective at combating oily skin. Adding just a few drops to your daily moisturizer can help to break up and remove unwanted surface oils from your skin.

• Inflammation – Tea Tree Oil is fantastic for helping to sooth inflamed and irritated skin. It has even been shown to help reduce histamine-induced skin inflammation. Give our Tea Tree Body Bliss Oil a shot for helping to soothe irritated skin.

• Cuts/Wounds/Infections – As we mentioned before, this powerful oil was given to Australian soldiers back during WWII so that they could help to treat cuts & wounds. That’s a pretty ringing endorsement speaking to the effectiveness of Tea Tree Oil! It’s antibacterial properties make it a fantastic natural option for helping to heal wounds.

• Hair & Scalp Health – Tea Tree is excellent for helping with a dry scalp or dry hair. Improper cleaning of hair follicles on the scalp can lead to clogged pores which can lead to dandruff or even hair loss. Tea Tree Oil can help to cleanse the scalp, helping to reduce dandruff. It also can make hair follicles more receptive to nutrition which can help to generally support healthy hair. Adding a few drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil to your shampoo can be a real game changer!

• Psoriasis – Many people who suffer from this autoimmune skin condition have reported that they find relief from using Tea Tree Oil. Many find that it is soothing when applied to the bothersome, scaly patches caused by psoriasis.

• Athletes Foot – If you’ve ever dealt with Athlete’s Foot, you know that this common foot infection can wreak some serious havoc on your feet leaving them feeling scaly, itching, or even painful. Tea Tree Oil can be used as an effective home remedy. Using it with a carrier such as coconut oil may help to treat both the cause (fungus) and the symptoms of this condition. Check out our Tea Tree Mint Loofah Soap which can help to cleanse rough foot skin, as well as our Tea Tree Soaking Salts to give your feet a refreshing, cleansing soak! 

• Burns – While no one ever plans to get burned, it’s unfortunately a reality of life that it happens from time to time! When you are dealing with a burn to your skin, Tea Tree Oil can be an effective home remedy to help provide some much needed relief. It’s antiseptic and antimicrobial properties can help to keep the burned skin clean, while also helping to accelerate the healing which may in turn help reduce the appearance of scars.

• Bug Bites – Yet another unavoidable reality of life, especially during the Summer! If you are sugary sweet and tend to get eaten up by biting bugs, this oil is for you! It can be very helpful for alleviating bug bite pain and reducing inflammation caused by it. Check out our Tea Tree Oil Roll-On for a pre-made, ready-to-apply, convenient option for spot treating those pesky bug bites! 

• Aromatherapy – Tea Tree Oil can be added to a diffuser for a purifying, calming environment. This is great for times when you want to let your brain and body get a little rest and relaxation!

• Expectorant – Australian Aboriginal people have long used a method of crushing Tea Tree leaves and inhaling the oil to help alleviate coughs and colds. It is a little easier to access these days, but the effectiveness of Tea Tree Oils as an expectorant has not changed! Diffusing the oil in combination with using it in a massage oil can help to act as an expectorant, providing relief from coughs, colds, and congestion.

• Cleaning – As many of us are looking to move from traditional (potentially toxic) cleaning products to more natural and safe solutions, we should definitely consider using Tea Tree Oil in our natural cleaning product lineup! Making a home made cleaner is super simple and can be done by adding about 10 drops of the oil to 2 cups of hot water and ½ cup of vinegar! This DIY all purpose cleaner solution can safely and naturally help to disinfect surfaces in your home. Just be sure to steer clear of using it on any granite surfaces!

While our list of uses for Tea Tree Oil could go on for what feels like forever, we think you kind of get the point… this stuff is awesome! Hopefully this list has helped to educate you on how powerful and versatile this oil really is. If you’re ready to give it a try, we’ve got quite a few products that might be just what you’re looking for!