Welcome to the Society Botanica blog. Here, we take time with the questions that shape personal care, offering thoughtful perspectives where the conversation is often oversimplified. Our goal is to bring clarity without fear or exaggeration, and to share information that feels both calm and trustworthy. If you ever have a question, or see something that could be improved, we’d love to hear from you.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed more conversation around and references to “real soap.” It often comes from the natural brands, where saponified soaps are positioned as more authentic than modern wash and cleanser systems. The truth is more nuanced—and certainly more interesting. Both traditional soaps and modern cleansers have value, with unique properties that meet different needs. This post is meant to explore those differences without elevating one above the other.
What Is “Real” Soap?
Yes—traditional saponified soap is real soap. Chemically, soap is a single type of surfactant called a carboxylate salt, produced when a fat (plant or animal) reacts with an alkali such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. This saponification reaction is one of the oldest known chemical processes, with evidence tracing back to Babylon around 2800 BC.
Other cleansing systems—body washes, face cleansers, shampoos—are not soap in the chemical sense. They are surfactant systems that use other types of detergents. That doesn’t make them “fake,” just different. It’s a bit like saying apples are the only “real” fruit. Pears, while different, are still fruit.
How to Recognize a Traditional Saponified Soap
- Solid vs. liquid: Solid soaps are made with sodium hydroxide, liquids with potassium hydroxide.
- Ingredient labels: Look for names like Sodium Olivate (olive oil soap) or Potassium Cocoate (coconut oil soap). Some small makers simply list “olive oil + sodium hydroxide,” which isn’t technically the correct INCI but is common practice.
- Texture: Liquid soaps are naturally thin and watery. Attempts to thicken them with gums (like guar) often lead to instability or clumps over time.
Well-known examples include Dr. Bronner’s, but many small-batch artisans also make beautiful, traditional soaps.
How Soap Differs from Modern Cleansers
Traditional soaps are relatively straightforward: one surfactant (the soap itself), plus glycerin and water (which are byproducts of the saponification reaction). Modern washes combine several surfactants—anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic—to fine-tune foam, mildness, and skin feel. This requires more chemistry know-how, but it also allows much greater control over the final product.
Rather than one being “better,” it’s more accurate to see them as two different approaches: soap-making as an ancient craft, surfactant systems as modern chemistry. Each excels in its own context.
Key Differences
Surfactant type and strength
- Soap is 100% anionic. Anionics are powerful cleansers because their negative charge binds oils and dirt. The trade-off is that they can also remove beneficial skin lipids. This is why many people notice a “tight” or “squeaky-clean” sensation after rinsing with traditional soap — it’s the hallmark of strong cleansing power.
- Cleanser systems balance anionics with amphoterics (which soften harshness) and nonionics (which add mildness and foam stability).
pH
- Traditional soap finishes with a pH around 9–10. Healthy skin, by contrast, sits around 4.5–5.5. While detergency drives the squeaky feel, this higher alkalinity can contribute to barrier disruption, dryness, or sensitivity with frequent use.
- Modern cleansers can be adjusted to skin-friendly pH levels. Surfactants like isethionates need a slightly higher range (6–8), but most formulas are tuned for skin comfort.
Naturality
- Traditional soaps are among the most “natural” cleansers, derived directly from oils and alkalis.
- Modern surfactants usually involve synthetic processing, even when derived from natural feedstocks (like coconut or sugar). For more on this balance, see our post Natural vs. Synthetic in Perfumery.
Environmental impact
- Both soaps and many modern surfactants are biodegradable. The claim that soap is inherently “more biodegradable” is not fully accurate—some modern surfactants (including those we use at Society Botanica) degrade just as readily.
- Sodium hydroxide production (needed for soap) is energy-intensive and can generate chlorine gas and brine byproducts.
- Surfactants vary in their environmental footprint depending on feedstock and production method. Related reading: Palm Oil and the Complexities of Personal Care.
How to Choose What’s Right for You
- Frequency of use: For daily showers, a pH-balanced cleanser may be gentler on skin. Traditional soaps can be excellent for occasional use or for oily skin types that benefit from stronger cleansing.
- Skin type: Sensitive or dry skin may find soap drying with frequent use. Oily skin may find it balancing.
- Experience: Soaps offer beautiful artisanal presentation and a sense of tradition, but their foam tends to be looser and they often leave skin feeling squeaky-clean. Modern cleansers can deliver creamier, denser lathers with a softer after-feel.
- Naturality: If your priority is maximum natural origin, soap will always win. Surfactant systems can offer high degrees of naturality but not 100%.
The Society Botanica Approach
At Society Botanica, we formulate cleansers to be mild, pH-balanced, and suited for daily use. We choose surfactants for both sensorial luxury and proven biodegradability. That balance—of craft, chemistry, and environmental consideration—is what guides us. This is reflected in our Cedar & Mandarin Body Wash and Cedar & Mandarin Body Lotion.
Related Reading & Products
Continue Learning
- Clarity in Cosmetics: Making Sense of Ingredients and Misinformation
- Palm Oil and the Complexities of Personal Care
- Natural vs. Synthetic in Perfumery
Explore Our Formulas
