Soap Label Words Decoded: Sodium Cocoate and More

How to Read Soap Ingredient Labels

Soap labels sometimes use long scientific names. They look scary, but most are just fancy names for simple things. Here's a cheat sheet.

Soap Names

When oils and butters become soap, they get new names. These all mean "real soap":

  • Sodium cocoate: soap made from coconut oil.
  • Sodium olivate: soap made from olive oil.
  • Sodium shea butterate: soap made from shea butter.
  • Sodium castorate: soap made from castor oil.

Plant Names

Many labels use Latin plant names:

  • Butyrospermum parkii: shea butter.
  • Cocos nucifera: coconut.
  • Lavandula angustifolia: lavender.
  • Avena sativa: oats.
  • Aloe barbadensis: aloe vera.

Other Common Words

  • Sodium hydroxide: lye. Used to make all real soap. None is left in a properly made bar.
  • Kaolin: a soft, white clay. It's in every bar we make.
  • Glycerin: forms naturally when soap is made. Helps keep skin soft.
  • Fragrance or parfum: a blend of scent ingredients.

Words to Watch For

  • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES): detergents that can dry skin. Our soaps are sulfate-free.
  • Anything ending in "-paraben": preservatives some people skip. We don't use them.

Our Tip

Every bar we make has shea butter, coconut milk and kaolin clay. If you ever see a word on our labels you don't know, just ask us.

A little about us: I'm Gracie, a third-generation soap maker. My grandmother started our family's soap making, and I'm proud to carry it on. We're a small, faith-centered family business in Waddell, Arizona, and we make everything by hand in small batches.

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