1. How long does a bar last?

On average, one bar of our soap lasts between 20-40 showers, which is why we generally say that 1 soap = 1 month of showers. However, that calculation largely depends on how well the soap is allowed to dry between uses. To maximize a bar’s lifespan, make sure it doesn’t sit in water. If the soap is used for handwashing, it usually gets soft much faster because it doesn’t get the chance to properly dry between uses. Note that superfatted soaps tend to be softer than industrial bars.

2. Are your soaps okay for sensitive skins?

All of our soaps are free from any harsh chemicals or conventional irritants, and are formulated with ingredients that are gentle and nourishing to the skin. They are suitable for all different skin types, from sensitive to greasy.

That said, our mildest and most protective formulation is the Neutrois soap, as it doesn’t contain any essential oils (potential allergens). Its only ingredients are avocado oil, a large amount of shea butter (30%),  olive oil, coco nut oil and calendula. 

3. Are your soaps natural?

Yes! Our soaps are plant-based, 100% biodegradable, and free from synthetic preservatives or stabilizers. They are handmade from scratch from basic plant-based organic ingredients in our little soap lab in Berlin.

4. What’s with the lye?

There is no need to worry about lye when using our soaps! 

Lye, also called sodium hydroxide or caustic soda, is a strong alkaline substance that is absolutely essential for artisanal soap-making as it reacts with the fats to produce soap and glycerine.  

However, once the lye bonds with the fats during the saponification process, it is completely transformed, meaning that no lye is present in the final bar of soap.

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5. Does Fluid use animal-related ingredients?

Absolutely not. None of our soaps contain any animal or animal-related ingredients. Fluid is a 100% vegan brand.

6. Why don’t you have an organic label?

Organic labels are incredibly expensive, especially for a small company like Fluid. For now, we clearly indicate on our packaging which ingredients are organic (and most are!). See “*Aus kontrolliert biologischem Anbau” (translated to “from controlled organic cultivation”) on the ingredients list.

7. Why are they much more expensive than supermarket soaps?

The short answer is: because they’re handmade from excellent ingredients. 

The long answer is that Fluid, along with other similarly-priced artisanal soap brands, are pricier than mass-produced soaps that you often find in supermarkets because high quality ingredients are expensive and cold-processing is very time-intensive. 

We make our soaps in small batches using a cold-processing technique that maintains the integrity of its ingredients. In contrast, conventional soap manufacturing often uses lesser quality ingredients and also compromises the properties of important ingredients, for example by heating up their oils.

Also, without getting too deep into the wonderful world of wholesaling… When producers sell our products in retail shops, we need to build a margin into the price of our product that allows these small shops to make the money they need to continue to exist (e.g. pay their rent, staff, electricity). So that margin is also included in our soap’s final price. (And if you buy directly from our website, it’s because of this margin that we can offer you free shipping or special promotions.)

Ultimately, true quality comes with a price, but we hope you’ll see that the final product is worth what you pay for it. Thanks for supporting our small soap business! <3

8. Why are they more expensive than organic-supermarket soaps?

See our answer above! The difference is that you might actually find a couple of cold-processed soap brands at organic supermarkets (it will always be mentioned somewhere on the packaging). If these soaps are made with high quality ingredients, you’ll notice that they’re not the cheapest soaps on the shelf either. If they are significantly less expensive, it’s probably that they have opted to use some cheaper ingredients, like palm oil, or that they’re mass-produced by large companies and therefore are able to undercut our price.

9. Do you use palm oil in your formulas?

No! We’re aware of the environmental and animal/human rights concerns surrounding palm oil production, and therefore don’t feel comfortable using it in our soaps. Of course, we also recognize that palm oil alternatives come with their own problems - related, for example to field space and labour issues - and are always looking for more sustainable ways to make amazing quality products, including using larger amounts of local oils in our formulas. Our promise to you is that we’ll continue doing the best that we can, and will always stay open to doing things differently if it means doing them better!

11. Do your soaps have an expiry-date?

We recommend using our soaps within a year after purchase. You may have heard that the longer a soap dries, the better it is. While it’s true that soaps generally get harder as time goes by, Fluid soaps are scented with essential oils and the smell will fade if they sit around for too long. Our soaps are already dry enough the moment you buy them, so there’s really no need to wait to enjoy all the fabulousness they have to offer!

12. Your soaps are superfatted. How do they satisfy greasy skins?

Don’t be afraid to use a superfatted soap on greasy skin - it won’t make your skin greasier. On the contrary, if you use a cleanser that actively dries out the skin, the skin’s reaction will be to produce more sebum (a natural oily secretion released by the sebaceous skin glands), which results in even greasier skin in the longer term.

People with greasy skin types might especially like our Queen formula for its gently exfoliating properties.

13. Do you have a shampoo bar?

We don’t make a bespoke “shampoo bar”. However, all of our soaps can be used to wash hair!

That said, we have found our Butch, Fem, Neutrois and Queen bars to be the best options for hair washing, since these are especially rich in olive oil and shea butter, which are highly suitable hair-care ingredients.

For optimal results, after using your Fluid soap on hair, rinse with diluted lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in order to lower the pH of the scalp and hair (which should be more acidic than soap). When the hair has dried, place a few drops of cold-pressed organic oil in your hand (e.g. almond oil) and gently rub the oil into your hair. These steps help to nourish your hair, giving it great texture and added shine!

14. Does the smell of the soap stay on the skin?

For a little while, yes. But the scents are best enjoyed at the moment of use, as soap is a rinse-off product. Only chemical fragrances would make the scent stay longer, and our products are totally free from synthetic chemicals. 

15. Do your products comply with the cosmetics regulations?

Yes! We strictly follow the Regulation (EC) No1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products, which require us to meet comprehensive production guidelines and guarantee that our recipes are safe for cosmetic use.