African Black Soap Bar

Soap made by saponifying palm oil, one of the most common bar-soap bases. Well tolerated in rinse-off use; like all true soaps its alkaline pH can feel drying on some skin. Questions about palm oil are about sourcing and environment, not about safety on skin.

Soap made by saponifying palm kernel oil, often blended with tallow or palm soaps to boost lather in bar soaps. Well tolerated in rinse-off use; like all true soaps its alkaline pH can feel drying on some skin.

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

A humectant that draws water into the skin. One of the best-studied, best-tolerated ingredients in personal care.

An undisclosed scent blend that can contain dozens of components. The single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy, and the blend is not itemized, so you cannot see what is in it.

A rich plant butter pressed from shea tree nuts, valued for softening and cushioning dry skin. It is generally well tolerated, though very rare allergic reactions have been reported and people with tree nut allergies who are cautious may want to patch test first.

A gentle humectant derived from glucose. It draws water to the skin and is mild enough for sensitive skin types. Widely used in cosmetics without reported safety concerns.

Ordinary salt, used in surfactant-based products like shampoos and body washes to adjust viscosity by interacting with the surfactant micelles. It has no meaningful toxicity concern at cosmetic use levels; the main practical downside is that too much can make a formula feel less mild.

Finely milled oat that the FDA recognizes as an over-the-counter skin protectant for temporary relief of minor itching and dryness. Well tolerated, including on eczema-prone skin, with rare contact allergy in people with pre-existing oat or cereal sensitivity.

The mixed fatty acids of palm oil, left in bar soaps as superfat or added to temper the cleanse. Mild and well tolerated; graded safe as used in CIR fatty-acid reviews.

A more stable, esterified form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and skin-conditioning ingredient. It is a different substance from the vitamin E acetate implicated in vaping-related lung injury, which involved inhaling the oil, not applying it topically to skin.

A rich, solid-at-room-temperature butter extracted from cocoa seeds, valued for its intense emollient and conditioning properties. While generally well tolerated, it carries a higher likelihood of comedogenicity, so people with acne-prone skin may want to opt for lighter alternatives.

Soap made by saponifying coconut oil, valued in bar soaps for rich lather. Well tolerated in rinse-off use; the alkaline pH of true soap can feel drying on some skin, and very lather-heavy bars can be stripping for dry skin types.

A plant-derived water or extract used mainly as a soothing humectant filler. Evidence for dramatic skin benefits beyond mild hydration and soothing is limited, but it is well tolerated by most people.

A starch derivative used in cosmetics to thicken formulations and improve texture. It has been used safely in food and cosmetics for decades and shows low irritation potential across rinse-off and leave-on products.