featured ingredients

Olive Oil

Some would say the original oil used for soapmaking – olive oil is still a powerhouse of natural soap recipes today. Its one of the only oils that you can use alone, however we find that blended with our other base oils it makes the best soap recipe (in our opinion!). It provides moisture to the skin, creates a nice lather and a hard bar…three things that are desirable in a good bar of natural soap. Its also a mild ingredient that does well with every skin type – even loved by those with the most sensitive skin. All of our soap contains organic olive oil.

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is not commonly used in soapmaking due to its shorter shelf life.  We use flaxseed oil in our recipe because we make soap that is meant to be used to feed the skin and not sit on a shelf for years. Flaxseed oil contains a high amount of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which the body needs but does not produce on its own. Flaxseed has more of these fatty acids than Hempseed oil (another popular choice for omegas).

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, the king of lather! Finding the perfect amount of coconut oil for your recipe is important. It creates lather and moisture for your skin, but too much of it will do the opposite and dry your skin. We have found the perfect balance in our soap blends – and its one of our favorite ingredients. Coconut oil has a naturally long shelf life – which is why its heavily featured in our natural cutting board wax and oil products.

shea butter

Shea butter is the queen of moisture and skin elasticity. It softens and smooths the bar, providing a soothing, moisturizing effect while making the soap bar itself harder. It offers vitamins to the skin as well and is naturally antiinflammatory. The harder a bar is, the longer it will last.  Its important to find the right balance of lather to hardness.  Too hard? no lather. Too much lather? the bar will wash away quickly. 

apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is featured in some of our soap recipes as a “base oil add on.”  It its a popular request for shampoo bars, and bars for “down under” commonly known as yoni bars.  Its recognized for its PH balancing effects, as well as helpful acne-fighting properties. Its also great for those looking for help with extra-oily skin.

colloidal silver + gold

Colloidal silver and gold are two ingredients we have been working with more in the past several years.  They are renowned for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Im sure you can think of a few applications for those properties! We find they work well in after-workout bars, dog soaps, kitchen soaps like our chef soap. They also can help promote faster healing, and infection reduction/prevention when used on scraped up skin/hands etc. This kind of soap became quite popular during the COVID era when people were particularly stringent about cleanliness but wanted to keep using natural + effective products.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is the star of our perfume oil base. It is easily absorbed by human skin, and provides soothing & deeply hydrating benefits. Since its essentially a liquid wax, it also creates a barrier for dry, chapped skin making it an ideal choice for those with eczema and psoriasis.  We have featured it in soap bars before – but since it absorbs quickly, and has minimal aroma of its own, we find that our preferred use is as a base oil in our natural perfume that can be put on after bathing.

goat milk

Goat milk… I could go on all day about the benefits of goat milk in soap…but I will just mention a few here (you can find a LOT more information on our blog/product pages).  Goat milk adds a creamy luxury to the bar soap lather. The fat in goat milk is similar to the fat in human skin, so it transfers nutrients easily and is one of the most soothing, moisturizing ingredients we have worked with. Its perfect for all skin types, and all skin issues.

Rosehip Seed Oil

The rose plant is often though of for its flowers – their intoxicatingly beautiful aroma, and their timeless use in beauty products throughout the ages. Another part of the rose plant that is less thought of, but equally as powerful are the rosehips. They are extremely nutrient dense, provide omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. Rosehip seed oil is one of our favorite oils to use – though not currently in any of our products (featured in some limited editions).  

beer

Yes! You did read that correctly and are probably thinking “why do you put beer in natural soap” – well let me tell you, it creates a wonderful lather and adds a smoothing effect to your hair when added to shampoo bars. Dont worry, you will not end up smelling like beer afterwards – the scent does not make it throught he soap making process.

castor oil

Another nutrient dense oil that has long been used as a folk remedy for ailments internally and externally. Its extremely good at moisturizing skin.

lavender

We use lavender in as many forms as we can get our hands on! We grow it in our garden, and appreciate it each time it blooms. Its probably the most well known plant for calming and soothing both the mind AND body. Its extremely mild, so it can be used on children, adults-  and anyone who has the most sensitive skin. We use it as an essential oil to scent our products naturally as well as dried lavender buds as beautiful garnishes to the top of our soap. Every year, our best selling soap is Field & Flower which features Lavender as its main note. Fun fact, Lavender is also a great healer of burns.

bergamot

Bergamot is an uplifting aroma that is distilled from an orange-like fruit. Its very popular in mens perfume, and has an uplifting high frequency aroma.  Topically its wonderful for reducing inflammation – which is why its part of our Lavender Benzoin Bergamot soap.

jasmine

A highly sought after precious oil, jasmine is a fountain of youth, both balancing, hydrating, and restoring skin through repairing skin elasticity.  All of those things pale in comparison to its strong, delicious floral aroma and its beautiful dried buds.  While we do use jasmine oil on occasion in our limited editions (its quite an expensive oil), we mainly use the dried buds on top of our bars as they are beautiful and add a pop of contrasting color.

Thyme

A favorite ingredient in our Chef’s soap – we use thyme essential oil as well as the dried herb on occasion. Like many of the “kitchen herbs” it is known to be antibacterial, improve circulation, and be rich in antioxidant properties. Its extremely good at killing the bacterial that causes acne. Its also a great choice in bars for those with oily skin – and provides a pleasant herbal smell.  For such a small leafed plant – it really is quite powerful. The photo above is a thyme variant that grows in our garden (not the official thyme that essential oil is produced from).

turmeric

Turmeric seems to be the current “hot thing” in herbal medicine and soap – but really its been used for centuries – one of the most potent and healing roots out there.  Topically its great for soothing and calming skin – for eczema and psoriasis. It helps to keep skin vital and full of vibrant life. We use it in powder form, as well as essential oil (you can find in our Orange & Clove bar). This is one ingredient you have to be careful not to put too much in, or else you may stain yourself with its rich orange color! Something we try NOT to do to our customers as a soap company.

frankincense

Frankincense is another ingredient that has been used for centuries and well known for its powerful healing abilities. Topically its regenerative, helping skin repair and heal itself, tightening and healing scars & acne. Its one of our favorite oils and is featured in many of our soaps, particularly in the “signature scent” collection.

rose

Its impossible to talk about Jasmine, without bringing up her sister Rose. Offering anti-aging, soothing, hydrating properties – Rose oil is a natural toner and has been used by the most famous beauties throughout history.  Like Jasmine, we do use this oil from time to time but its quite expensive so you can usually find it in our Limited Editions. We use dried rose petals and rose water more frequently. Dried rose petals are beautiful in and on top of soap bars.

peppermint

Peppermint – my personal favorite ingredient – some would call this my “spirit plant.” Its cooling and soothing, wonderful for inflammatory issues like eczema and psoriasis. Extremely invigorating in scent and function – great for making you and your skin look & feel vibrant.  We use peppermint leaf dried and infused in our soap, dried peppermint on top of some soap, and also peppermint essential oil for scent in many of our blends, including our popular Mint & Mary soap bar.

Have you ever tried peppermint tea?
Its literally, THE BEST.

patchouli

Patchouli is one of those scents that people either LOVE or they HATE.  Its a very earthy aroma that balances skin and hair amazingly. It practically does whatever you need it to! Oily skin, it will balance it. Dry skin, it will balance it as well. Acne? not anymore. I was once a hater, but now I am a lover. Its the reason our Herb & Soil bar is my go-to shower bar for literally everything, including shampooing my curly hair.

calendula

Calendula is one of the most gentle topical ingredients you can add to any skincare product.  It soothes inflammation and irritation, and promotes would healing (the reason why its often found in salves). Its very hydrating for dry, chapped skin – and often the choice of herbalists because its not only easy to grow and sustainable but its extremely easy to work with. Calendula can easily infused in oil to create a potent salve, soap or oil.  Its beautiful dried petals can be found on top of our Orange & Clove bar.

bentonite clay

Bentonite clay provides two key elements to the soap bars we add it to. The first is detoxification.  Bentonite clay absorbs toxins and impurities from the skin (great for extra oily or acne prone skin).  It also reduces inflammation (also reasons why its a favorite for clay masks). The second key elements is its effect on the soap bar lather – it adds a super silky, creamy aspect to the lather that only clays can provide.

rhassoul clay

Another mineral heavy clay, Rhassoul Clay provides many of the other benefits of the previously listed clays (detoxification, skin oil balancing, skin tone improvement, silky luxurious lather).  One thing in particular that rhassoul clay is known especially for would be its ability to moisturize and hydrate the skin.

oatmeal

Ground oats are found in a few of our soap recipes – and are one of the most powerful, yet mild ingredients. As we all know, oatmeal baths soothe inflammation – whether it be from eczema, psoriasis, or chicken pox! Oatmeal helps to repair and rebuild the skin, and very gently exfoliates dead skin cells. Ideal ingredient for children, and anyone who is having any kind of skin reaction or issue. It can be found in our very mild, milk and honey oatmeal soap

pumice

Pumice – the most abrasive exfoliants we have – pumice is ground volcanic rock. It really works to give you a good scrub in the places where you need it – dirty hands and feet. The pumice bars we have made are too harsh for the face and other more sensitive areas – these bars are for getting out grit! 

red + pink clay

Red + pink clays take on the natural iron color of the minerals contained in these clays.  Both of these clays, like the others listed here excel detoxifying and pulling out impurities leaving fresh, clean, moisture rich skin behind.  We love everything about red and pink clays – the color, the properties, the rich silky smooth lather it gives the bars, and best of all how your skin looks and feels after you use it.

activated charcoal

This ingredient is very often used for both the beautiful look it gives soap but also the detoxification qualities it provides by absorbing toxins and impurities.  This rich black powder acts as a natural colorant to a few of our bars – including Spooky, Event Horizon, and Shampoo bar.  

raw honey

Honey, both delicious and practical. Honey is a humectant, meaning that it draws moisture to the skin and is deeply hydrating. It is extremely mild as well, so always great for soap that children will use, as well as those with sensitive skin. Often combined with oatmeal – it creates a very nourishing and toning effect for the skin. It will naturally aid the healing of wounds and scars, and keep your skin looking youthful.  While we put raw honey in the soap, it does get heated up naturally as the soap goes through its saponification process.

ground almond

A personal favorite ingredient of mine, ground almond (or almond meal) makes the most luxurious natural exfoliant. Its just the right amount of pressure, and kicks up the right amount of lather for my taste. When I think about the little plastic balls they put in skincare products these days to exfoliate, it just makes me want to scream when there is this much more natural version that is perfection!

french green clay

French green clay, similar to bentonite clay works to absorb toxicities from the skin leaving behind a clean, balanced face. It helps to tone and brighten skin complexion. One thing green clay boasts is its unique abundance of minerals that will be absorbed into your skin as you use it.  Green clay can be found in our Sea & Foam bar – although its not what makes the soap green (that would be the chlorophyll!)

coffee

Coffee!! Everyones favorite morning drink may become everyones favorite skincare ingredient. We use ground coffee in some of our natural soap bars for a mild exfoliant (our most popular one). It gently exfoliates away dead skin cells while invigorating the skin to look and feel brighter!

chlorophyll

An ingredient we mostly use for the natural green color it imparts on our soap – its also known to provide wound healing and  anti-aging qualities when used topically.

Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera

A beautiful early summer wildflower in Central Texas – native american medicine suggests that a tea made from the leaves and stalks can be helpful for stomach aches and pains, as well as headaches. A decoction of leaves and stems is used as a wash for snakebites and poison ivy. We collect and dry these beautiful flower petals to use on top of limited edition soap – they have a rich velvety color once dried that somehow emanates a vibrant inner light.

Marigold
Tagetes

A seasonal garden harvest at Old Factory Soap – we collect and dry marigold petals for limited editions and custom soap.  A very important spiritual herb for many in Texas – its dried flower petals hold their vibrant colors long after they are dried..unlike many herbs which quickly loose their vibrancy. If you are ever in Blanco Texas, please visit the Arnosky Flower Farm, right down the road from our old ranch. You can walk through the vast marigold fields in the fall (and other flowers at different times of the year). Its pure magic.