The truth about white soaps: myth or marketing reality?

Every time we walk through the beauty aisles, we can’t help but be drawn to the elegant and pure white soaps . But behind this divine appearance, is there a different reality? Are white soaps as effective and beneficial for our skin as they claim? In this article, we bust the myth surrounding white soaps and uncover the truth behind their marketing. White soaps are often touted as being gentle, moisturizing, and ideal for all skin types. But is this really the case? Surprisingly, there is a lot of false pretense in this industry. Some brands use a range of harsh chemical ingredients to achieve that desirable color, which can actually cause irritation and allergic reactions. So why do we continue to buy these alluring white soaps? 

The answer lies in the power of marketing. Brands invest heavily in promoting white soaps, creating a perception that they are synonymous with purity and superior quality. But before you get seduced by their pristine appearance, take a moment to uncover the real truth about white soaps. Let’s explore how they affect our consumer choices. Are you ready to debunk the myth?

Historically, white has been associated with purity, innocence, and cleanliness. In many cultures, white is the color of religious ceremonies and purification rituals. This cultural association has been exploited by companies to sell cleaning products, especially soaps. By showing us immaculate soaps in advertisements, these companies play on our subconscious perception that white is necessarily clean and pure. White is perceived as calming and reassuring, it inspires confidence, and gives an impression of freshness and purity.

The color of a soap is determined by the natural ingredients used in its making. Contrary to popular belief, a natural soap is not necessarily white. Vegetable oils, butters, clays, herbs, and other natural ingredients can give the soap a wide range of colors. For example, a soap made with olive oil will have a green tint, while a soap containing turmeric will be yellow or orange. The addition of vanillin always makes a soap darker, especially when it is saponified cold; the reactions with NaOH are always surprising. Even a soap with no additions other than oils and butters will necessarily be a brownish cream color. To obtain white products, many natural ingredients must be bleached, which often involves chemical treatments . For example, vegetable oils, which generally have yellowish or greenish tints, are often bleached to achieve a more neutral appearance. This practice goes against the trend toward more natural and less processed ingredients, but it persists because of consumer expectations.

Commercial soap companies use marketing to influence our perceptions and consumer choices. By making us believe that white soap is synonymous with purity and cleanliness, they entice us to buy their products. However, this perception is far from the truth. Natural and handmade soaps, although often colored, are just as, if not more, beneficial for the skin. As previously noted, the color white has a long history of being associated with purity, cleanliness, and health. This cultural perception has been cleverly exploited by cosmetic companies to influence consumer choices. Here is how white color marketing works in the cosmetic industry:

• Luxury and sophistication : The color white is often associated with purity, cleanliness, and luxury in consumer products, but it is not necessarily a direct synonym for wealth. However, in some contexts, white can evoke high-end or elegance, particularly in products such as fashion, cosmetics, or technology. This association can be reinforced by minimalist design and neat presentation, which are often seen as signs of sophistication and high quality.
• Purity and Innocence: The color white is universally perceived as a symbol of purity and innocence. By using white packaging and products, brands send an implicit message that their products are pure, without any unwanted additives or contaminants. This is especially relevant for skincare products and creams, where the purity of ingredients is essential.
• Simplicity and elegance: White is often associated with simplicity and elegance. In a market saturated with colorful and flashy products, white packaging can stand out as sophisticated and high-quality. Luxury brands often exploit this perception to attract a high-end clientele who associate simplicity with elegance.
• Science and Sterility: The color white is also linked to science and sterility. Laboratories, hospitals, and clinical environments widely use white to evoke cleanliness and asepsis. By adopting a white aesthetic, cosmetic brands suggest that their products are scientifically proven, safe, and hygienic.
• Trust and health: White is often used to inspire trust and evoke connotations of health and well-being. White products can appear cleaner and safer, which is particularly important to health and hygiene-conscious consumers. This perception is often exploited by cosmetic brands to reassure consumers about the quality and safety of their products.

We’re in the age of the informed consumer, where consumers need to know more about what they’re buying than just its function and cost. A 2018 survey found that 65% of consumers expect a brand to transparently disclose ingredient sources, and 54% are concerned about environmental impact. A more recent study found that 45% of Gen Z consumers surveyed prioritize sustainability over price. People want to know what the ingredients are, where they come from, and their environmental impact. Hence the growing popularity of “natural beauty” or “green beauty”: skincare and cosmetics made with naturally derived ingredients that aren’t harmful to people or the planet.

As sustainability has evolved from a niche selling point to a necessity, major industry leaders have looked for ways to make their formulas more natural. Rituals has committed to making all of its products at least 90% natural by 2023, L’Oréal has committed to being nearly 100% natural by 2030, and P&G (Procter & Gamble) is working to provide more products with naturally derived ingredients.

At the same time, product developers, formulators, and marketing teams in the industry insist on sticking to the age-old standard of white or clear formulations. What a contradiction! Natural ingredients are often bleached to achieve that color. So why do they continue to manufacture natural products this way? Nature is rarely white or clear. Bleaching is therefore a common but completely unnecessary practice. The white soaps often found on store shelves have often been bleached or contain additives to give them that color. This process does not provide any benefit to the skin and can even introduce potentially irritating chemicals. In contrast, handmade and natural soaps, like ours, are made without these additives, preserving the benefits of the natural ingredients. Here are some of the methods used to whiten cosmetics:

• Use of white colorants: dyes, white or mineral pigments. Some cosmetic products may contain white pigments or colorants to improve the appearance of the product, making it brighter or whiter.
• Chemical treatments: peroxides and optical brightening agents; used in some products to give a whiter or brighter appearance by reflecting UV light as visible light. These agents are most common in detergents but can sometimes be found in cosmetics.
  
  It is important to note that all of these procedures are not without risks and can have side effects, especially if used excessively or inappropriately. It is therefore recommended to fully understand the ingredients of a product before using it and, if necessary, consult a healthcare professional.