It is always wonderful to support artists and crafty people, especially when they manufacture high quality, natural personal products.  Upon finding an intriguing blog called Frenchy’s Finds, I discovered that the author of the blog, Sherrie Graham, also has a Canadian based Etsy store where she sells her homemade soaps.

Birch Bark soaps are made with the finest quality and natural ingredients. At a time where most of our soaps contain chemical dyes and fragrances amongst many other unnecessary synthetic ingredients, Birch Bark soaps do not contain any harmful chemicals like: artificial colors, animal fats, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, phthalates, parabens or any other preservatives.  The soaps are about 99% natural ingredients.

The soaps come in a wide array of traditional and unique varieties. You will find anything from tomato and carrot soaps to spiced rum and fruit smoothie soaps.  I had the pleasure of trying three of the varieties which were: Pina Colada, Chocolate Peppermint and Oatmeal, Milk and Honey.

The soaps all lather very well, just as good in fact as any commercial soap.  The scents are mild and very pleasant, with so many varieties there is I am sure a favorite scent for everyone, and even pure and unscented for those sensitive to scents.  My favorite was the Oatmeal, Milk and Honey one, as every time I brought it to my face to wash with, I wanted to take a bite out of it – they really are that delectable. It is infused with orange and vanilla oils and so it smells delicious.  To me it smelled like the most refreshing orange ice tea! The oatmeal in this soap also makes it great for exfoliating.

The Chocolate Peppermint variety is also very gentle and the minty scent is very invigorating.  The Pina Colada variety is not strong at all, so not to worry if you are sensitive to strong scents. It has just a hint of a coconut milk smell.

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint

• Saponified Olive, Castor, Grapeseed and Coconut Oils
• Cocoa Butter
• Brewed Mint Chocolate Tea
• Cream
• Peppermint Essential Oil

Pina Colada

• Saponified Oils of Olive, Corn, Sunflower, Vitamin E and Coconut
• Coconut Milk
• Fragrance (0.6mls per bar)

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey

• Olive, Coconut, Grapeseed, Corn and Castor Oils
• Water
• Sodium Hydroxide
• Organic Ground Oats
• Milk
• Honey
• Orange Essential Oil
• Vanilla Essential Oil

Packaging

The soaps come packaged in brown recycled paper sleeves, which add to their natural and Earth friendly appearance. The sleeves also come stamped with a personalized logo of Birch Bark soaps which also adds a personal touch to your purchase. They can also come packaged in homemade muslin bags for an additional charge of $1.00. The bags also give the product a very Earthy and natural look. See detailed pictures of the packaging here.  

Price (as of this posting)

• $4.00 CDN per roughly 4oz bar (+ shipping)

Availability

• Globally; Etsy.com (seller’s store)
• Locally; Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Good

• Excellent lathering
• Excellent and diverse choice of varieties
• Delicate and pleasant scents
• No artificial colors
• No artificial preservatives
• Made with natural and safe ingredients
• Come shipped with detailed ingredient cards
• Fast shipping
• Nice packaging

The Bad

• Not easily/cost effectively available worldwide

Overall Rating as a Great Natural Product

WELLNESS RATING: Very Unsatisfactory

2 OUT OF 10

About the author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.