SoapBox Soaps {Review/Sponsor Spotlight} #USAMade

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My love for soap bars is increasing as I keep crossing paths with some amazing companies! SoapBox Soaps is a company that is dedicated to bringing you certified organic soap as well as committed to a cause that delivers soap to people in need.

I met the co-founder of SoapBox Soaps, David Simnick, at the NPA Marketplace last month. I had a great time talking with him about the company and their mission. David and Eric Vong, the co-founders of SoapBox Soaps, were Boy Scouts together in Naperville, Illinois. David started making soap in Washington DC and his small batch of soap grew into a business that is now two years old. Eric oversees the development of the website, and partnerships with organizations that distribute soap around the world.

SoapBox Soaps feature three scents: Oatmeal Clove, Lavender, and Lemongrass. Their soap is literally unlike many soaps I have tried! Most commercial soap companies remove glycerin from their soap bars that is produced during the saponification process. Saponification is the chemical reaction required to produce soap. Glycerin is a traded commodity which is why many soap makers remove it from their soap, to sell. Some keep small amounts in their soap in order to list it on the label. SoapBox Soaps leaves the natural occurring glycerin, that comes from organic vegetable oils, in their soaps. The glycerin provides a better feeling and accounts for 9-10% of their moisturizing soap. SoapBox Soaps does not add sodium laurel sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate or any other surfactants that are often added during the saponification process to their soaps. Other companies add these ingredients to increase lather quality. Unfortunately, these synthetic compounds often dry out and irritate peoples’ skin. SoapBox creates a lather by using natural ingredients and organic oils. You will also never find any parabans or artificial ingredients.

SoapBox Soaps are certified organic and are made up of 85% organic ingredients.

So how does certification happen?

To become USDA certified, we had to prove that the ingredients that are essential to the production of soap, like sunflower and safflower oils, and fragrances are made from materials that are found in nature. We had to prove that we were not using artificial ingredients, harsh chemicals, or chemical production processes that would hurt the environment. We submit our soap to the USDA, they analyzed it, and granted us that certification. In 2010, the state of Montana granted us organic certification.

 

What makes us organic certified?

We are organic certified because over 85% of the ingredients that go into our soap are organic. They aren’t created using harsh chemical processes.

 

What does that mean for our soap?

It means that our soap is certified good. Good for you, because it doesn’t contain elements that would destroy or irritate your skin, and good for the environment, not harming the ecosystems surrounding production areas, or creating chemical waste that would be harmful if released into the environment.

Besides offering amazing soap, SoapBox Soaps is committed to a mission. Every time a bar of soap is purchased, a bar of soap is sent to a child in need. This company goes above and beyond, and sends a bar of soap that will work for the specific location that it is being sent to. They will not get the same bar as you, rather one that is formulated for their temperature, humidity, storage conditions and water properties. This mission-specific soap is designed to be gentle on all skin types, especially for people who may have never used soap before. This bar is still made with all natural ingredients, is glycerin based, and has the same quality as their retail soaps. SoapBox Soaps mission is to create healthy hygienic conditions for people in order to eliminate deaths that are caused by diseases that are spread through germs. In order to see their mission succeed, SoapBox Soaps has partnered with Clean the World, Thrive DC, Loaves and Fishes, and Global Handwashing Day. Soaps are being delivered here in the US as well as other countries.

I was given the Lavender soap bar to try out, as well as samples of the Oatmeal Clove and Lemongrass! I think they are beautiful to look at…even the colors of the bar make the soap appear natural and organic! I appreciate that their packaging is made from recycled material, therefore making itself recyclable again! I was very curious about the glycerin and how this soap would feel. I would not say that the bar is “soft” (because I have used bar soap that feels pretty soft to the touch), but the bar is not a rock either. It lathers rather quickly and feels heavenly on my skin. The glycerin makes the lather feel oily (not in a bad way) and very moisturizing. I have tried soaps before that lather, but leave your skin feeling dry. I know that this is a bar of soap that both me and my husband will love. The scent wasn’t overpowering but very present. I love all three of their scents and I look forward to the other scents they may produce in the future. I use bar soap everywhere in my house, so I always am in need of at least 4 soaps to be out at once. My kids also like using bar soap and I can safely say that I will probably never use liquid soap again (unless I can find one that is as great as these natural and organic ones and leave my hands feeling soft and moisturized). When I am out in public or at someone’s house who uses “fake” soap like SoftSoap, it makes me gag! I can’t stand the synthetic smells and scent left on my hands after using it (I actually think about the residue being left on my hands). I can say that my life has been changed since I started using natural products and I will never turn back to the artificial way, even if it is on sale!

I encourage you to find a natural/organic soap company that works for you and go with it. Give this soap a try and hopefully you will love it like I do. You can buy SoapBox Soaps online for $17.97 for a three pack or $33.97 for a six pack. You can choose to get a set of all the same scent or a variety pack! This company has dedicated themselves to serving the public as well as helping those in need. For only being around for two years, they have a large mission and I hope to see them succeed and go beyond what they dreamed.

Connect with SoapBox Soaps on their website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

SoapBox Soaps is sponsoring a 3 bar Variety Pack of their threes soap scents for the Made in the USA giveaway hop! The value of the 3 pack is $17.97. The giveaway will go live on July 4th and end on the 13th! Please come back on the 4th to enter to win this #USAMade soap along with other USA made prize packs.

Interested in getting an extra entry? Visit SoapBox Soaps and leave a comment below telling me something you learned AND your favorite scent of the three.

Thank you to SoapBox Soaps for providing the products mentioned in this post for review. Although I received these products at no charge, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.