The humble bar of soap is making a comeback, thanks to millennial-savvy brands that care about the planet. Editor Trudi Brewer shares a fab find from her local supermarket, proving an Only Good body bar can be kind to your skin and the planet. Read on to learn more.

You may think all soap bars are created equal, but they’re not. And while in the past they may have slipped from favour for body wash, their popularity is rising. According to Mintel, a global market research company, the driving force in the 23 per cent spike in sales last year is our planet. Clean, high-quality formulas created by millennial-savvy brands intent on simplifying our beauty routines and cutting out chemical-laden fillers are what people want. Re-education has also helped this billion-dollar industry. Gone is a soap made with caustic that destroys the skin's pH level, leaving it feeling tight and dry. Today’s natural alternatives are made and treated like skincare. One New Zealand brand meeting this demand is Only Good. Tatum Dunster, their sales and marketing manager, believes, “Soap has been a part of the beauty industry for centuries, and while liquid alternatives have occasionally overtaken sales, they are the most sustainable choice. They’re plastic-free, palm oil-free, gentle on the skin and much kinder on the planet.” She adds, “For every bar soap you use, it’s one less plastic bottle in the landfill.” But as we said, not all soap is created equal. Only Good ticks the eco-conscious box, and it’s also luxurious to use. Each bar is triple-milled, a labour-intensive process, where soap noodles are passed through three rounds of steel rollers to remove air bubbles and excess water. “This process helps natural soap last much longer than commercial bar soaps, and they don't get soggy and fall apart when wet,” says Dunster. Who adds, “The triple-milling processing also helps our soap maintain its colour, fragrance, and potency until it’s run out.”

What’s in each bar?

The base of all the Only Good Body Bars is a blend of olive and coconut oils. Both offer the same hydrating luxe-y feel on the skin, and once wet; they do lather, thanks to coconut, which even suds in grey or seawater. With additional flower and plant extracts, the Replenishing Bar contains Arabica coffee seed extract with Shea butter. The Rejuvenating Bar (our favourite) contains rosehip fruit oil, peony, geranium flower extract and molasses. While the Repairing Bar has pear and calendula flower extracts blended with Manuka honey. Finally, the Revialishing 2-in-1 Hair and Body Bar contains aloe, vitamin B5, lavender and wheat protein, designed to clean and hydrate your hair. And if you’re worried about sharing your soap, research by The New York Times proved soap bars are unlikely to transfer bacteria, with the odds even lower if a rinse is carried out in-between uses. “Little hazard exists in routine hand washing with previously used soap bars,” the report stated.

So how are they kind on the planet?

Being natural does not automatically make a brand sustainable; it’s about taking a solid stance with ingredient sourcing and every step of manufacturing. Dunster says sustainability is at the forefront of Only Good, and being palm-oil free is mandatory. “Palm oil is often used to make a white, hard bar of soap that provides a fluffy, bubbly lather; however, palm oil plantations pose a major threat to the earth’s rainforests, and many species of animals are now on the brink of extinction as a result of palm oil production. To keep up with that global demand for palm oil, rainforests are destroyed using a technique known as ‘slash and burn’ to make way for new plantations. Only Good uses ethically sourced ingredients in line with fair-trade farmer practices and is cruelty-free.”

WHY DO WE LIKE THEM?

It’s a body bar you would expect to see at a luxury farmers’ market, but they’re found at your local supermarket. As far as a humble bar of soap goes, they last forever; they smell lightly floral and look pretty. The minimal biodegradable packaging and the boon for conscientious shopping have made us all too aware of the constant waste associated with household products, which is why we chose this soap. Also, for a bathroom item we often take for granted but use daily, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.