Allergen & skin safety
Every bar lists its full ingredient deck on its product page. Here's the bigger picture — what's commonly in our bars, and how to introduce a new one to sensitive skin.
Common ingredients across our line
- Saponified plant oils — olive, coconut, castor (plus shea butter)
- Essential oils — lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, rose, patchouli, pine, etc
- Botanical inclusions — oats, dried rose petals, honey, beeswax (in some bars)
- Naturally occurring colors — clays (kaolin, French green, pink), activated charcoal, indigo
What we don't use
- No synthetic fragrance oils
- No artificial dyes or micas
- No SLS, parabens, phthalates, or preservatives
- No palm oil
Common allergens to watch for
If you have sensitivities, please read the ingredient deck on the product page before ordering. The most common irritants in handcrafted soap are:
- Tree nuts — coconut oil and shea butter are botanical, but allergy guidance varies. If you have a severe nut allergy, talk to your allergist before trying any handcrafted soap.
- Bee products — honey and beeswax appear in our Honey Beef Tallow and Honeycomb Bee bars.
- Tallow — beef tallow appears in our Honey Beef Tallow bar (vegan and vegetarian shoppers, this one's not for you).
- Essential oils — citrus, tea tree, peppermint, and cinnamon are the most likely to cause sensitivity.
Patch testing — always recommended
Before regular use of any new bar (especially if you have sensitive skin):
- Lather a small amount on the inside of your forearm.
- Leave it for ~30 seconds, rinse well, pat dry.
- Wait 24 hours and check for redness, itching, or irritation.
- If you see no reaction, you're good to go.
Sensitive-skin recommendations
If your skin is reactive, start with our Oat Milk bar — no essential oils, no fragrance, just gentle plant oils and oats. It's the bar we point new parents and eczema-prone shoppers to.
Reactions or questions
If you have a reaction to one of our bars, please stop use and email us at blackcatartisangoods@gmail.com. We'll refund the bar and take notes — every report helps us improve.