Why is natural soap more expensive than commercial soap?

Michael Bortolotto
2026-03-31T09:52:31-04:00

The price difference comes down to ingredients, process, and scale.

Higher-Quality Ingredients
Handcrafted natural soap is made with real fats, plant oils, butters, essential oils, and botanicals. These ingredients cost significantly more than the synthetic detergents, artificial fragrances, fillers, and preservatives commonly used in mass-produced bars. You’re paying for nutrient-rich oils instead of inexpensive foaming agents.

Small-Batch, Handcrafted Production
Commercial soap is manufactured at high speed in large factories. Natural soap is typically made in small batches, hand poured, hand cut, and cured for several weeks. That extended curing time and hands-on process increase labor and production costs.

Long Cure Time
True soap made through traditional saponification must cure for 4–6 weeks before it is ready to use. During that time, the bars are stored and aged properly, which ties up inventory and space — something large detergent manufacturers do not deal with.

Ingredient Integrity & Simplicity
Natural soap focuses on simple, recognizable ingredients without synthetic hardeners, artificial lather boosters, or petroleum-based additives. The result is a bar that supports the skin’s natural barrier rather than aggressively stripping it — and that level of formulation comes at a higher cost.

In short, commercial soap is designed for maximum shelf life and minimum production cost. Natural soap is designed for ingredient quality, skin compatibility, and traditional craftsmanship — and that difference is reflected in the price.