Cetyl Alcohol is Not Rubbing Alcohol (here's how THAT works...)
Cetyl alcohol can throw people off when they are first starting to read ingredient lists. And I have people ask about it at markets too. And I totally get that because whyyyy does it say alcohol if it’s not. . .traditional alcohol??
Ok so real talk, there are actually different families of ingredients that are called alcohol and behave nothing at all alike!
The alcohol people are (rightfully) avoiding
Short-chain alcohols are the drying ones on skin. These include isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and denatured alcohol are the ones that evaporate fast, feel drying, and can strip your skin barrier with repeated use. These are the alcohols in hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol. They have their place but they definitely don’t belong in your moisturizer.
Cetyl alcohol is something else entirely
Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with lovely long chains and it’s derived from vegetable oils. The longer chains in it’s structure make it so it’s waxy and solid at room temperature. It doesn’t evaporate. It doesn’t dry your skin. It does the opposite.
In a conditioner bar or lotion, cetyl alcohol acts as an emollient and thickener. It gives the product its smooth, creamy texture and helps it feel luxurious on your skin and hair. It’s incredibly skin barrier friendly.
The same name but a totally different molecule.
The quick test
If an alcohol is listed near the top of an ingredient list and the product feels drying (like hand sanitizer), that’s probably a short chain alcohol. If cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, or stearyl alcohol appears? Those are fatty alcohols that are helping your skin.
Make sure you keep on reading the whole ingredient list! Learning more about the ingredients like these that are actually good for the skin and hair is the best way to do it.
You’ll find cetyl alcohol in our conditioner bars, where it contributes to that smooth, detangling texture your hair actually feels (and now you know what it is!).
A note from the formulator :
Cetyl alcohol shows up in our conditioner bar because of exactly what this post describes - it gives that smooth, creamy texture that detangles and thankfully, has nothing to do with drying alcohols! Easy to work with and actually works well as a co-emulsifier if you need extra stability in your recipe.
Why I Put Citric Acid in My Dish Soap Block Formulation (most formulas leave it out!)
If you’ve made the switch to a solid dish soap block, you already know the benefits : no plastic, lasts for months. But if you've ever stumbled across a bar that left... residue (eww) - that's a formulation issue.
It's all about this one little ingredient called : citric acid.
What is citric acid?
Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits. In cleaning formulations it acts as a "chelating agent", which is a fancy way of saying it binds to minerals in hard water and stops them from reacting with your soap.
Why does that matter?
Tap water has minerals and hard water especially is full of calcium and magnesium ions. When those minerals hit a soap bar, they react and form soap scum - that white filmy residue that ends up on your dishes, your sink, and your soap itself. It's chemistry gone wild.
Citric acid intercepts that reaction. It grabs onto the minerals before they can start soap scumming (that should be the technical term!), which means your dishes rinse cleaner, your sink stays cleaner, and your bar lasts longer.
So why doesn’t every dish soap block have it?
It really should be! It truly makes a difference in the quality of clean you can get from your soap bar. It is an extra ingredient, and a bit more complex to work with.
We’re a small batch formulation-first operation though. Every ingredient earns its place. And citric acid really does earn a spot in a dish soap bar.
The short version
Soap scum is hard water minerals reacting with soap. Citric acid stops that reaction before it starts. Your dishes are cleaner and your sink will be thanking you.
You’ll find citric acid in both scents of our solid dish soap block : Lemon, and Orange Tangerine. Available as a single bar or in a starter kit with a Canadian pine soap tray and bamboo brush.
A note from the formulator :
Citric acid is one of those ingredients that is a great addition but you have to work a little harder to make sure your calculations are spot on in bar soap. The citric acid will react with the lye during saponification, so you have to adjust your lye calculation to account for it, otherwise your bar will have too much unreacted (superfat) oils and can make a greasier/soap scum-prone bar. I formulate this bar to 0% superfat, which means every gram of citric acid gets accounted for, there’s no extra fats being left on dishes, and the bar is truly effective.
The Two Ingredients That Made Me Ditch Baking Soda Deodorant For Good.
You’re not alone if you gave up on natural deodorant. Most of the early natural formulas on the market leaned big on using baking soda, ripping up armpits across the nation. But sodium bicarbonate does work at first and it seems to do a good job. It works by making the skin alkaline enough to create a hostile environment for odour-causing bacteria. Which is awesome in theory but is obviously pretty rough on skin with repeated use.
The problem wasn’t natural deodorant, it was the ingredient they were relying on completely to fight odour.
Magnesium Hydroxide
This one is a superstar in natural deodorant. It has a pH of 8, which is mildly alkaline but juuust enough to create an environment where odour-causing bacteria are going to struggle. It’s a similar idea to sodium bicarbonate but at a fraction of the alkalinity and way gentler on skin.
Zinc Ricineolate
This ingredient is talked about less but it really shouldn’t be! I absolutely nerd out on this one (LOL). It’s derived from castor oil and works by (wait for it!) actually absorbing the odour molecules. Actually capturing that stink and neutralizing them. It’s one of the most odour-neutralizing ingredients in a natural formulation.
Together - The Perfect Couple
Magnesium Hydroxide and Zinc Ricineolate work through different ways because one stops the bacteria from the odour foolishness to start and one absorbs the odour. That’s why they work so well together - you’re covered in two directions.
Ready to try it? Our magnesium + zinc deodorant comes in a selection of awesome scents and ship across Canada in a fully compostable tube.
A note from the formulator :
This combination of ingredients is so effective that it made me truly fall in love with natural deodorant. Magnesium hydroxide and Zinc ricineolate are for so many more skin types and genuinely a great option for odour control. I’ve been formulating natural deodorants for long enough and this one still gets me so excited seeing this combination.
Let’s Talk About Those New Ingredient Names on Your Labels
You might notice something different on our product labels starting this spring: ingredients like “Limonene,” “Linalool,” and “Citral” showing up, sometimes in a separate section, sometimes with an asterisk and a footnote.
No, we didn’t change our formulas. We’re still using the same essential oils we’ve always used. But Health Canada’s new allergen disclosure rules mean we now have to list the naturally-occurring components within those essential oils.
Here’s what’s happening: when you see “Limonene” listed, that’s the compound that makes lemons smell like lemons. It’s not an added chemical - it’s a natural part of lemon essential oil. Same with Linalool in lavender, or Citral in lemongrass. These components have always been there. We’re just required to name them now.
The threshold that triggers disclosure? 0.001% in a leave-on product, 0.01% in a rinse-off. That is a genuinely tiny amount - trace-level compounds that exist naturally inside ingredients we’ve always used. The goal is transparency for people with severe contact allergies who need to avoid specific compounds even in small amounts. And honestly? Transparency is kind of our whole thing. So we’re not mad about the intent.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
Ever notice how big commercial brands just list “parfum” or “fragrance” on their labels? That single word can contain dozens of undisclosed compounds. They don’t have to tell you what’s actually in there.
Full disclosure: we do use fragrance oils in a small number of our products - roughly 10% of our line, always clearly marked.
Here’s my honest reasoning: I want everyone to have access to the skin-loving benefits of ingredients like shea butter, argan, and all the plant- and mineral-based ingredients that makes our product line. If a familiar, comforting scent is what makes someone reach for a product with 99% of the good stuff in it - I’m not going to gatekeep that. We also offer fragrance-free options across the line, because choices matter.
And who knows? Maybe the person who starts with a familiar scent eventually gets curious about a Pink Lotus essential oil face oil. That’s the hope. Meet people where they are, show them what’s possible, keep it kind.
What I won’t do is use fragrance carelessly. Every fragrance oil we use gets vetted. I read every MSDS and run the allergen components through the same calculations I use for essential oils. When it’s in one of our products, it earned its place.
So yes, even our fragrance-containing products will list every disclosed allergen component. No hiding behind “parfum.” Not here.
A note for the formulators in the room.
Here’s something worth talking about, because it caught even my eye at first.
The current common format looks like this:
Ingredients: … Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil … Linalool*, Limonene*
*naturally occurring in essential oils
The problem? To a trained eye (and honestly to a lot of consumers) that reads like linalool was added separately. Like it was refined and put back in for fragrance impact. That’s not what’s happening. It’s the compound that exists naturally inside the lavender oil already listed. But the format makes it look like an extra ingredient.
We’re currently working toward a nested format instead:
Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil (contains Linalool, Limonene)
Same information. Way clearer. The compound lives inside the ingredient it came from, right there where it makes sense.
I’ve reached out to Health Canada to confirm this format meets compliance requirements and are waiting to hear back. Once confirmed, that’s the direction we’re going - because how a label reads matters as much as what it says.
So when you see a longer ingredient list on our products this spring, don’t panic. Nothing changed in our formulas. We’re just showing you more - including the molecular compounds that exist naturally in the plants we use.
I’d rather you know exactly what’s on your skin than hide it under a vague term.
Full disclosure, always.🌿
Fall Into Winter Skin Care: Your Seasonal Transition Guide
The air changes fast here in Canada. One minute you’re crunching through autumn leaves, the next your skin is begging for mercy against cold winds and cranked-up heaters. Fall is beautiful, but it’s also the warning bell that winter skin season is coming. This is the perfect time to swap a few routines so you glide into the colder months feeling nourished, not dried out.
Why the Transition Matters
Your skin doesn’t just react to products, it also reacts to the environment. In fall, the humidity drops, the air dries, and suddenly your light summer moisturizer isn’t cutting it. Instead of waiting until your knuckles are cracked and your lips are chapped, make small adjustments now.
Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
This is the season to reach for shea butter in all its forms. Our Triple Whipped Shea Butter is like a cozy sweater for your skin - rich, fluffy, and ready to keep dryness at bay. For everyday wear, our argan rich hand & body lotions give lightweight hydration you can layer without feeling greasy.
Don’t Forget the Night Shift
Night is when your skin does its repair work. A richer cream, like our Frankincense Night Cream, helps seal in hydration while you sleep. Waking up with skin that feels soft instead of tight? Absolute game-changer.
Lip + Cuticle Heroes
These are the spots we forget until they start to hurt. Keep a lip balm handy (compostable tube, of course) and tuck a cuticle balm tin into your bag. It’s a five-second step that makes winter mornings so much easier.
Final Thoughts
Fall is your friendly nudge to get ahead of winter skin struggles. Switch to richer hydration, stock up on targeted care, and treat your nighttime routine like the cozy ritual it deserves to be. By the time the snow flies, you’ll already be two steps ahead.
👉 Explore our Winter Skin Heroes lineup — from shea butters to night creams — and give your skin the smoothest seasonal transition yet.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Conditioner Bar 💧🌱
If shampoo bars are the powerhouse cleaners, conditioner bars are the smooth operators. They’re designed to give your hair that silky slip, reduce frizz, and lock in moisture and all without a single plastic bottle. Once you figure out the technique, you’ll never look back.
Why Conditioner Bars Rock
One conditioner bar can last just as long (most often longer) than its shampoo partner. They’re concentrated, easy to travel with, and free from the watered-down fillers you often find in liquid conditioners. Plus, they leave your hair feeling soft, totally detangled and light instead of weighed down.
How to Use It
Here’s the golden rule: conditioner bars love warmth. Warm water helps soften the bar so it glides smoothly through your hair.
Wet your hair thoroughly.
Hold the bar under warm running water for a second or two.
Glide it gently along the lengths of your hair (no need for the scalp — your natural oils have that covered).
Massage through with your fingers to distribute evenly.
Rinse well and enjoy that silky finish.
Pro Tips
For fine hair: just a quick pass or two does the trick.
For thick or curly hair: spend a bit more time gliding and massaging, especially through the ends.
Store it just like your shampoo bar : somewhere dry, not sitting in the shower spray (and if you are travelling, make sure it’s totally dry before storing in the tin or it will turn into a mooshy mess).
Final Thoughts
Conditioner bars might take a minute to get used to, but once you’ve mastered the technique, they’re unbeatable. They detangle, hydrate, and smooth - all while keeping plastic out of your routine.
👉 Pair with our shampoo bar for the full planet-friendly hair care duo.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Shampoo Bar 🧼✨
Switching from bottles to shampoo bars feels like a big leap — but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. They’re concentrated, eco-friendly, and last way longer than liquid shampoo when treated right. Think of them like the solid gold version of hair care: small but mighty.
Why Choose a Shampoo Bar?
Shampoo bars skip the plastic, save space, and cut back on water waste during production. One bar can last dozens of washes, replacing two to three bottles of liquid shampoo. Plus, they travel like a dream. No leaks, no liquid limits, just toss it in a tin and go.
How to Use It
Wet your hair thoroughly.
Rub the bar either directly on scalp (you don’t need much!) or between your hands to create lather.
Massage the lather into your scalp with your fingertips, just like you would with liquid shampoo.
This method gives your scalp the gentle cleanse it actually needs.
Keep It Dry
The biggest tip for bar longevity? Keep it dry between uses. A soap dish with drainage holes or a bamboo rack is perfect. If your bar sits in a puddle, it’ll melt down before its time. If you’re travelling with it in one of our travel tins, make sure it’s dry all the way before storing.
Final Thoughts
Shampoo bars are more than just a trend - they’re a smarter, cleaner way to wash. With a little care, one bar will give you dozens of washes, save plastic bottles, and leave your hair feeling fresh and clean.
👉 Pair it with our conditioner bar (coming up next week!) for the perfect plastic-free hair care duo.
Linoleic Acid : The Skincare Superhero You Didn’t Know You Needed
If you’ve ever wondered why some oil feels heavy and cloggy while others melt in like they were made for your skin - the answer often comes down to one little fatty acid : linoleic acid.
What is Linoleic Acid?
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 essential fatty acid. “Essential” means our bodies can’t make it on their own, so we need to get it through diet and skincare. In skin, it helps keep the barrier strong, hydrated, and calm.
Why does your skin love it?
✨ Balances sebum -> Acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid. Adding it back through lightweight oils can help unclog pores and reduce breakouts.
✨ Supports barrier repair -> It reinforces the natural “mortar” between skin cells, helping you hold on to hydration.
✨Soothes irritation -> It has anti-inflammatory benefits, making it great for redness, sensitivity, and stressed-out skin.
Not all oils bring the same fatty acids to the table.
If you’re looking for linoleic-rich ingredients (aka Omega 6 heros), here are the standouts we love :
Hemp Seed Oil 🌿
Our Canadian-grown powerhouse. Hemp is packed with linoleic acid plus a touch of omega-3 for calm, balanced skin. Perfect for redness, sensitivity, or acne-prone types.Red Raspberry Seed Oil 🍓
A luxury oil that’s naturally high in both omega-6 and omega-3. It’s light, silky, and antioxidant-rich — great for restoring glow and resilience.Rice Bran Oil 🌾
A gentle multitasker. Balanced in omega-6 and omega-9 with extra antioxidants (γ-oryzanol) that help soothe and protect the skin barrier.Argan Oil 🌰
Famous for a reason — this mid-weight oil has a near 1:1 balance of omega-6 and omega-9, leaving skin soft without feeling heavy.
How we use it at Lavish Earth
We love pairing linoleic-rich oils with barrier-boosting ingredients like niacinamide and plant-extracts. That way, you’re not just putting moisture on the skin but also supporting strength and radiance.
Pro-tip : If you’re acne-prone, check the first ingredient on face oils. Look for “linoleic-rich” oils near the top - your skin will thank you.