Our mission at Better Basics, is to make high quality, everyday products that are safe for you and the planet. We set the highest standards, not just for the health of people and our planet, but also for the quality, performance and enjoyment of our products. All of this starts with what goes into the bottle.
Let's break down the ingredient list of our top selling Bliss Wash hand soap.
Coconut Oil Derived Cleansers
Our hand soaps feature cleansers derived from coconut oil. These gentle, yet effective, surfactants cleanse your hands without stripping away moisture, leaving your skin feeling soft and nourished after each use. We use a combination of safe and gentle ingredients to create a luxurious, soft and effective formula:
- Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine: Derived from coconut oil, it acts as a mild surfactant and foam booster, enhancing the cleansing properties of the soap while being gentle on the skin.
- Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate: A mild surfactant derived from coconut fatty acids and taurine, it helps to create a rich, creamy lather and provides gentle cleansing without stripping the skin's natural oils.
- Lauryl Glucoside: Made with coconut oil, this surfactant enhances the cleansing power of our hand soaps while being gentle on the skin. Lauryl Glucoside also contributes to the stable and creamy texture of the lather, ensuring a pleasant and effective handwashing experience.
- Glyceryl Oleate: Derived from glycerin and oleic acid, it helps to stabilize emulsions and provides conditioning benefits to the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
What is a surfactant, and how is it different from castile soap?
Traditional soap itself is a type of surfactant. The process of making soap, known as saponification, involves reacting fats or oils with an alkali (such as lye) to produce soap and glycerin.
Surfactants are naturally derived compounds that lower the surface tension between liquids. In soapmaking, surfactants act as cleansing agents that bind with dirt and oil, allowing them to be rinsed away with water. Natural surfactants are derived from natural sources (like coconut oil) and are often biodegradable and considered more environmentally friendly.
Castile soap is traditionally made from olive oil and sodium hydroxide. The making of Castile Soap involves a chemical reaction (saponification) between oils and lye during the soap making process. Surfactant-based soaps involve blending various pre-made surfactants and additives without a saponification process. Surfactant formulas can have specific characteristics, such as increased lather, better cleaning power, or added skin benefits
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
Olive oil moisturizes and nourishes the skin, providing vitamins and antioxidants that help maintain skin health and hydration.
Glycerin
Glycerin attracts moisture to the skin, helping to keep it hydrated and prevent dryness.
Aloe Vera Extract
Known for its soothing properties, aloe vera extract is a staple in our hand soap formulation. It helps to hydrate and calm the skin, making it ideal for frequent handwashing.
Essential Oils
We use our own unique blends of essential oils to scent our soaps, as we find essential oils offer a subtle and refreshing aroma that doesn't have any of the potential health risks of synthetic fragrances.
Citric Acid
Citric acid adjusts the pH of the soap to ensure it is skin-friendly and effective for cleansing.
Food Grade Preservatives
- Sodium Benzoate: Prevents microbial growth, ensuring the soap remains safe and effective for use over time.
- Potassium Sorbate: Works alongside sodium benzoate to inhibit the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria, extending the shelf life of the product.
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate: Helps to stabilize the formulation by binding metal ions that could affect the product’s performance and stability.
Purified Water
The foundation of our hand soap begins with purified water, this allows the oils and other emulsifiers to be creamy and pH balanced so we know our soap is doing its job: cleaning and leaving your hands soft and moisturized. We felt that a foaming hand soap didn't perform as well on the hand, and that mixing a powder or tablet format would mean compromising on the thickness of the product.
No Harsh Chemicals
Our products are free from harsh chemicals such as parabens, sulfates (SLS, SLES,) and phthalates. We use the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database as a guide for the latest ingredient health research, and we follow the EU Cosmos ingredient guides.
Cruelty-Free and Vegan
We believe in ethical sourcing and manufacturing practices. Our hand soaps are certified cruelty-free and vegan.
Explore our range of self care products and discover how we're #doingbetter.