Flip over a bar of commercial soap and you'll find a list of ingredients that reads like a chemistry exam. Flip over a bar of handcrafted cold-process soap and you'll find something very different.
Here's how to make sense of what you're reading.
INCI names: what they are and why they're used
Cosmetic and soap ingredients are listed using INCI names — International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. These are standardized names used globally so that ingredients are consistent across products and countries.
That means olive oil becomes Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, and coconut oil becomes Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil. The Latin-looking names can seem intimidating, but they're actually a sign of transparency.
What to look for in natural soap
Good signs on a soap label:
- Named oils: olive, coconut, shea, avocado, sunflower, castor
- Sodium hydroxide (or "saponified" oils) — this is lye, which is essential to soapmaking and fully reacts during the process; no lye remains in finished soap
- Butters: shea, mango, cocoa
- Botanicals: aloe, oatmeal, honey
- Essential oils for fragrance
Ingredients worth avoiding
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) — a harsh detergent that can irritate sensitive skin
- Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben) — synthetic preservatives
- Artificial dyes — listed as FD&C or D&C followed by a color and number
- Triclosan — an antibacterial agent with environmental concerns
A note on "fragrance"
The word "fragrance" on a label can legally represent dozens of undisclosed chemicals. Natural soap makers typically list the specific essential oils or fragrance components used instead.
What EVCo lists and why
Every EVCo product lists its full ingredient deck in INCI format. We believe you have the right to know exactly what's going on your skin — no hidden ingredients, no vague "fragrance" catch-alls.
If you ever have a question about a specific ingredient in one of our products, reach out. We're happy to explain every single one.
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