Soap is critical for maintaining proper hygiene, health, and cleanliness. Now it’s even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. But many have raised concerns about the environmental impact of soap. So should you be worried? 

Soap is made of fat or oil, water, and an alkali such as lye. While the first two have little environmental impact, except when animal fat is used, lye and additional chemicals in soap could pose a threat. Some have argued that when lye and common chemicals used in soap enter waterways, it can cause irreparable damage marine ecosystems. This is because alkali, like lye, can strip marine life of their crucial protective coatings and clog fish gills. 

Still, the concentration of soap that spills into waterways is so slow that it shouldn’t be a top priority of environmentalists. Several studies have proven that soap degrades so fast that it is harmless to rivers and wildlife. 

However, the soaps claiming to kill “99.9% of bacteria” are causing massive damage to both our skin and wildlife. Many scientists have raised concerns about these chemicals promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria and an increased toxicity to animals. Triclosan, a molecule containing carbons and chlorine, was first patented in 1964 and has become the backbone of antibacterial cleaning products. This chemical compound works by microorganisms, like bacteria, rapidly and nonspecifically. Consequentially, this can result in “good” organisms to die in the process. Additionally, in many cases, antibacterial soap is not needed. For instance, the virus that causes COVID-19 has a lipid membrane which means COVID-19 is exquisitely sensitive to traditional soap when washed for thrity seconds. 

If you are still concerned about soaps environmental impact, look towards the packaging of bottled soap. The excessive use of plastic soap bottles results in up to five times more energy to produce liquid soap than a solid soap bar. Plus, these liquid soap bottles promote overconsumption, with the American person using seven times more liquid soap than solid soap. Switching to bar soap can be a great way to get a more natural and packaging-free alternative while maintaining proper hygiene and doing your part in combating COVID-19.

Hey there! Below you can find the sources we used to soap’s environmental impact. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these sources.

Our Sources

"Bar Soap vs. Liquid Soap - Conservation." Conservation, 29 May 2013, https://www.conservationmagazine.org/2013/05/bar-soap-vs-liquid-soap/.

"Down the Drain: Do Surfactants Harm the Environment? Not Likely, Report Finds." ScienceDaily, 3 Oct. 2014, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141003135742.htm.

Hills, Suzannah. "An Industrial-Sized Bubble Bath: River in India That Is so Polluted It’s Become a Sea of Foam (and Pilgrims Are STILL Swimming in It)." Daily Mail, 29 Nov. 2012, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240307/An-industrial-bubble-bath-Hindus-dive-foam-coated-polluted-Yamuna-River-pray-new-moon-ritual.html.

Jan. 21, 2014. "When Soap and Water Are Not a Good Thing." Department of Ecology - State of Washington Logo, 21 Jan. 2014, https://ecology.wa.gov/Blog/Posts/January-2014/When-soap-and-water-are-not-a-good-thing.

Laderer, Ashley. "The Differences between Bar Soap and Liquid Soap." Insider, 17 Apr. 2020, https://www.insider.com/is-bar-soap-better-than-liquid-soap.