The Journal

Sourcing

Where our materials come from and why provenance matters.

The most biodegradable soap is the one you barely use

What "Biodegradable" Actually Means for Soap

True cold-process soap breaks down readily into harmless components. The biodegradable label means more in contrast to detergent bars than as a claim about good soap.

Where cedarwood actually comes from

The sum of small sourcing decisions

The case a bar of soap makes for paper

What "Eco-Friendly Soap" Actually Tells You

The term "eco-friendly" has no regulated meaning in soap. What it should describe, what it usually describes, and the questions that separate the two.

What fair trade certifies in essential oils, and what it doesn't

Why the same essential oil smells different each year

Atlantic salt and what the cold water leaves behind

Some Materials Travel. The Honest Limits of Local

Recycled or virgin: the paper a soap bar arrives in

The sandalwood that built the reputation is mostly gone

What a wrap signals before it's discarded

From tree to bar: the supply chain inside one bar of soap

The bottle that has passed through six hands

Palm oil in soap, without the easy answer

What a brand will and won't tell you about its suppliers

The water in soap is doing one specific job

A hundred kilometres of coast, and almost all the bergamot

The clay tablet that recorded soap

How Most of the World's Soap Is Actually Made

What "wildcrafted" actually promises, and what it doesn't