bare essentials
About bare products and tips for use and preserving our handmade, all natural products.
the bare difference
Each bar is handmade, by us. We do not sell bare soap by the loaf. Handmade soaps sold in loaves tend to be on the softer side and the bars don't last very long. Our formula makes such a hard soap that it must be cut into bars only hours after it is made. This density is what makes bare soap a uniquely long-lasting bar. Our 6 oz. bar is an unusually generous size for handcrafted soap. This makes bare soap an economical, healthy choice. It's completely biodegradable so it's environmentally friendly.
care and feeding of bare soap
To get the most out of your bare soap, allow the bar to dry between uses. A wire soap dish or one with prominent ridges works best. If your soap sits on a flat surface or in a soap dish without adequate drainage, it will become gummy and won't last nearly as long.
Your bare bar likes to breathe, so if you are storing your soap, please take care to store it in a cardboard box, placed in a cool, dry location. If you wish to wrap your bars for storage, please use plain brown, packing, or parchment paper. Do not use waxed paper or plastic bags.
Your bare soap is best if used in 6 to 9 months.
using bare face soaps
The bare face line was developed out of our personal need to care for extremely sensitive skin without using products laden with detergents and chemicals. Please remember these few simple tips when using your bare face bar.
1. Be sparing. A couple of quick swishes in wet hands will give you plenty of soap to cleanse your face. No need to work the bar over and over until your hands are dripping with soapy water.
2. Be efficient. Twice, daily, washing is plenty to keep your skin clean. Using any face soap or cleanser more than twice, daily, only serves to work against the naturally acidic, bacteria-fighting mantle of your skin. Cleanse your face then allow the skin to heal naturally. If you are removing makeup, cleanse and rinse three times in each face washing session. If you are not removing makeup, cleanse and rinse twice.
3. Be gentle. Harsh scrubbing is unnecessary and not recommended. Gently massage the lather over your face using your bare hands, then rinse. Allow your face to air dry or blot with tissue. Do not use your bath or hand towel to dry your face; towels can transfer bacteria to your freshly cleansed skin.
4. Be free. (...of astringent, that is.) If you are using one of the bare face soaps containing clay, and astringent is something from which you find benefit, try your bare face soap, refraining from using the astringent, for two weeks. The vast majority of our customers have found freedom from astringent just by using bare face soap.
5. Be cost effective. To get the most out of your bare face bar, allow the bar to dry between uses. A wire soap dish or one with prominent ridges works best. If your soap sits on a flat surface or in a soap dish without adequate drainage, it will become gummy and won't last nearly as long.
Enjoy your wildly beautiful bare face experience!
bare with essential oils
While essentials oils are all natural, smell wonderful and can have beneficial effects for body and mind, understand these are very potent natural compounds, not to be confused with fragrance oils, which are artificially created substances with no known therapeutic benefits. Essential oils must be diluted before use on the skin. The essential oils used in bare soap are diluted to appropriate concentrations for bodies and faces, yet, given their potency, we feel they warrant special mention in addition to our products disclaimer. Essential oils are considered to be alternative treatment by the FDA and therefore, if you are pregnant or nursing, have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or epilepsy, you should seek advise from your health professional before using any product containing essential oils. bare soap containing essential oils should not be used on infants or toddlers. For bare soap specially formulated for infants or toddlers, please see bare baby. You may read our products disclaimer here.
bare naked bars
To be or not to be. ...naked? This is the question. You'll notice an option, in the pull down menu for a four bar purchase, to choose "naked" bars. Naked simply means that your bars will arrive without the little band of vellum and a label; this is what we, at bare, call "unpackaged". While our packaging is quite minimal (the materials are 100% recycled fiber), you may wish to receive your multiple bar purchase without packaging (and it saves you a bit of cash, too!).
bare sustainable products and packaging
Sustainability is very important to us. In our soap, we use as many local and organic products as possible and work to use sustainably harvested, fair trade products in the case of ingredients not available in Maine. When developing our packaging, we considered many options to keep it both minimal and 100% recycled. Our packaging, save for one label on our bare bags (for which we are currently working on a solution) is 100% biodegradable.
bare orders
We'll do everything we can to accommodate your 'need to have by' gift plans; however we encourage you to order 4-5 weeks ahead of need or gift giving plans. We do not warehouse bare products and availability may be limited, without notice, due to unexpected sales volume.
bare samples
Unfortunately we are no longer able to accommodate free sample requests. We encourage you to try our bare sampler (coming soon).
bare seconds
On occasion, we have bare soap bars with a slightly more humble appearance than we find acceptable for our final product; we refer to them as bare seconds. It's the same great bare formula, with only a blemished appearance or slightly smaller in size. Availability varies at any given time. These bars sell for $5-6/bar, depending on the variety, and are not packaged or labelled ('naked' bar). Contact us and we'll be happy to let you know if any bare seconds are available. Shipping charges DO apply to bare seconds orders.