Soap Ingredients

Every Sea Spray Soap formula is coconut-free. Below is every oil, butter, and additive currently in use across the lineup, what it does, and which products contain it. For the complete ingredient list and INCI on a specific product, see that product's page, this is the map, not the label.

Looking for coconut-free products specifically? Start with the coconut-free collection, or read why we went coconut-free.

A Note on Allergies

If you have a severe (anaphylactic-type) reaction to any ingredient, please do not buy or use our products. Sea Spray Soap is a small, home-based workshop, and we work with coconut, tree nut-adjacent, and other allergen ingredients across our product line. We cannot guarantee against cross-contamination between batches. If you have a known allergy or sensitivity, always patch test a small area of skin 24 to 48 hours before full use, and stop use right away if you notice any irritation.


Oils & Fats

The base of every bar. Each oil is saponified (turned into soap) and contributes something different: hardness, lather texture, or how the bar feels on skin afterward.

Ingredient Why We Use It Where You'll Find It
Tallow (Beef) Hardens the bar and builds a stable, long-lasting lather. Our main coconut oil replacement in body bars. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal, Coconut-Free Solid Dish Soap, Coconut-Free Natural Laundry Soap, Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug)
Babassu Oil Coconut-adjacent cleansing power without coconut oil itself. Chemically similar to coconut oil (also high in lauric acid), so we disclose it separately, see the babassu note below. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, Chamomile & Aloe Facial, Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug), Soap Club Lard Bar (Sep)
Lard (Pig Tallow) Similar hardness and lather to beef tallow, with a slightly more conditioning fatty acid profile. Soap Club Lard Bar (Sep only; not a standing lineup ingredient)
Olive Oil Conditions and moisturizes; produces a milder, gentler lather than tallow or babassu alone. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon (rosemary-infused), Charcoal & Clay Clarifying (calendula-infused), Chamomile & Aloe Facial (chamomile-infused), The Naked Bar, Soap Club Lard Bar (Sep), Standard Solid Dish Soap, Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap
Castor Oil Boosts and stabilizes lather. Does extra work in our formulas since we don't have coconut oil's lauric acid to lean on. Every current bar soap, both dish soap formulas, Coconut-Free Natural Laundry Soap, Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap
Coconut Oil Rich lather and hardness. The one formula in our current lineup that still uses it. Standard Solid Dish Soap
Rice Bran Oil Mild, conditioning oil that contributes a gentle, creamy lather. Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, The Naked Bar, Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug)
Avocado Oil Nourishing oil that adds a creamy lather. Chamomile & Aloe Facial, Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug)
Safflower Oil Light, conditioning oil. Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal
Sunflower Oil Conditions hands, standing in for olive oil's role in the standard dish soap formula. Coconut-Free Solid Dish Soap
Stearic Acid Hardens the bar so it holds up at the sink for months, not weeks. Standard Solid Dish Soap
Hemp Seed Oil Conditioning, lightweight feel. Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap
Jojoba Oil Light, non-greasy finish. Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap

Butters

Add creaminess and hardness without changing how cleansing a bar is.

Ingredient Why We Use It Where You'll Find It
Shea Butter Creaminess, hardness, and deep conditioning. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, Chamomile & Aloe Facial, Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal, The Naked Bar, Soap Club Lard Bar (Sep)
Kokum Butter A hard, non-greasy butter with no lauric-acid cleansing power of its own. That's what makes it a fit for our lowest-lauric, most sensitive formulas. Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, The Naked Bar
Cocoa Butter Adds hardness and a rich, dense feel. Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug)

Additives & Botanicals

Texture, mild color, and specific skin-feel qualities, without changing the base cleansing chemistry of the bar.

Ingredient Why We Use It Where You'll Find It
Sodium Lactate Hardens the bar and helps it release cleanly from the mold. Most current bar soaps
Sodium Citrate Mineral-balancing additive that helps a batch behave predictably and resist soda ash. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, The Naked Bar, Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug), Coconut-Free Natural Laundry Soap
Sucrose (Sugar) Boosts lather and bubbles. Most current bar soaps
Tussah Silk Melts into the lather for a smooth, silky feel. Most current bar soaps
Aloe Juice Soothing, adds mildness. Calamine & Lavender, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, The Naked Bar, Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal
Atlantic Sea Water Mineral-rich, used in place of plain water. Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal
Goat Milk Powder Creamy lather, extra moisturizing. Coastal Rosemary & Lemon
Buttermilk Softens the lather and adds mild lactic acid. Driftwood & Red Clay
Colloidal Oats / Oatmeal Soothing texture, good for reactive or irritated skin. Calamine & Lavender, Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying
Calamine Powder Calming, traditionally used on irritated skin. Calamine & Lavender
Titanium Dioxide Whitens the contrasting swirl portion of the bar. Calamine & Lavender
Charcoal Powder (Bamboo) Clarifying, light texture. Not a cleansing agent on its own. Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal
Spirulina Natural green tint for the swirl design. Coastal Rosemary & Lemon
Turmeric Natural gold accent tint. Coastal Rosemary & Lemon
Dried Lemon Peel Texture and visual fleck. Coastal Rosemary & Lemon
Fine Sea Salt Mineral, spa-bar texture and added hardness. The defining ingredient in our salt bar; only fine-grain salt goes in, coarse salt feels sharp on skin. Soap Club Salt Bar (Aug)
Glycerin Humectant, draws moisture to skin. Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap
Preservative (Phenoxyethanol + Caprylyl Glycol) Keeps a water-based liquid soap shelf-stable. Coconut-Free Liquid Castile Soap
Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, Sodium Percarbonate Cleaning boosters blended with grated soap to make the laundry powder. Coconut-Free Natural Laundry Soap

Colorants & Clays

Color and light texture only, none of these affect how the bar cleans.

Ingredient Why We Use It Where You'll Find It
Kaolin Clay Gentle, adds a silky quality to lather. Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon
Yellow Brazilian Clay Soft yellow tint. Coastal Lavender & Cedar
French Green Clay (Montmorillonite) Green tint, mild clarifying texture. Charcoal & Clay Clarifying
Australian Red Clay Warm, red-brown tint. Driftwood & Red Clay
Sandalwood Powder Texture and a light tan tint. Driftwood & Red Clay

Essential Oils

Scent, and nothing but essential oils, always. We don't use fragrance oil in any current product. Exact blends and percentages vary by product and scent option, see each product's page for its specific blend. Oils that show up across multiple products:

Essential Oil Common In
Lavender Bar soaps, dish soap, laundry soap
Lemongrass Dish soap, laundry soap, Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal, Soap Club Salt Bar
Tea Tree Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying
Rosemary Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, dish soap, laundry soap
Lemon Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, dish soap, laundry soap
Eucalyptus & Mint Dish soap, laundry soap
Citrus (Sweet Orange, Bergamot, Litsea) Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Driftwood & Red Clay, dish soap, laundry soap
Cedarwood Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying
Frankincense Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, Driftwood & Red Clay
Petitgrain Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying

A Note on Babassu Oil

Most of our body and facial bars, Coastal Lavender & Cedar, Calamine & Lavender Comfort Bar, Driftwood & Red Clay, Coastal Rosemary & Lemon, Charcoal & Clay Clarifying, and Chamomile & Aloe Facial, use babassu oil alongside tallow. Babassu is a palm-family oil, and it's chemically similar to coconut oil because it's also high in lauric acid. Most people with a coconut sensitivity tolerate babassu fine, but not everyone does. The Naked Bar and the Tallow Facial Bar with Charcoal are the two bars in the lineup that contain no babassu at all. Contains babassu oil, a palm-family oil. If you have a coconut or tree nut allergy, patch test before use.


Questions We Actually Get Asked

Is everything Sea Spray Soap makes coconut-free?

The bar soap, dish soap, laundry soap, and liquid castile lines each have a coconut-free formula. A few legacy bars being phased out still contain coconut oil or coconut milk; those are clearly marked on their product pages, with a link to the coconut-free alternative.

What replaces coconut oil in Sea Spray Soap's formulas?

Mainly tallow, with babassu oil, castor oil, olive oil, and shea butter filling in supporting roles depending on the product. Each oil is chosen for a specific job: hardness, lather, or conditioning.

Where do I find the full ingredient list for a specific product?

Every product page lists its complete INCI ingredient list. This page is a cross-reference for what each ingredient does and which products use it, not a replacement for the product-specific list.

Browse the coconut-free collection or read why we went coconut-free.