If you’ve ever stood in front of a shelf of natural soaps and thought, “They all look the same. How do I know which one to choose?” ... you’re definitely not alone.
Many natural soaps may look similar at first glance, but once you look closer at the ingredients and how they’re made, the differences can be huge. Not sure what to look for? Start with how to check a "natural" label.
Some soaps rely on cheap fillers. Others focus heavily on fragrance. And some can leave your skin feeling dry or tight after a shower.
Viva La Body soaps were created with a different philosophy.
Our bars are built around a nourishing base of plant oils and butters, then customised with clays, essential oils and natural exfoliants to create different experiences in the shower.
If you’re new to Viva La Body, this guide will help you understand:
- What makes these soaps different
- Why the ingredients matter
- How to choose the right bar for your skin
What Makes Viva La Body Soap Different
1. A Skin-Loving Oil Base
Every Viva La Body soap starts with the same nourishing blend of plant oils and butters:
- High oleic safflower oil
- Coconut oil
- Shea butter
- Macadamia oil
- Cocoa butter
- Castor oil
Each ingredient plays a specific role.
Coconut oil helps create cleansing bubbles. Shea butter and macadamia oil help soften and moisturise the skin. Cocoa butter adds hardness so the bar lasts longer, while castor oil boosts the creamy lather, and high oleic safflower oil adds a silky, lightweight conditioning feel while keeping the formula gentle and deeply moisturising.
The result is a soap that cleans effectively without stripping your skin. If you want the full story on why some soaps leave skin tight, read why regular soap feels tight.
Many mass-produced soaps rely heavily on palm oil or inexpensive fillers. Viva La Body instead focuses on skin-supportive oils rich in natural fatty acids, creating a gentler and more nourishing bar.
2. Palm Oil Free
Palm oil is extremely common in soap because it creates a hard, inexpensive bar. However, palm oil production has been linked to deforestation and biodiversity loss in some regions of the world. A big no for us!
Viva La Body soaps skip palm oil entirely and instead rely on cocoa butter and plant oils to create a creamy, long-lasting bar.
It’s a small ingredient choice that reflects a bigger philosophy.
3. Naturally Coloured with Mineral Clays
The soft colours you see in Viva La Body soaps don’t come from artificial dyes.
They come from mineral-rich clays such as:
- Red Brazilian clay
- Pink French clay
- Purple Brazilian clay
Clays have long been used in natural skincare, and here they give the soap its natural colour. Not every bar uses clay, so some stay a simple, creamy neutral.
4. Scented with Essential Oils
Many soaps rely on synthetic fragrance oils to create strong scents. Viva La Body soaps instead use essential oils such as:
- Lavender
- Lemon myrtle
- Spearmint
- Sweet orange
- Patchouli
- Rose geranium
Essential oils create more natural scent profiles that feel fresh and botanical rather than overpowering.
5. Plastic-Free Exfoliation
Some Viva La Body bars include exfoliation using ground walnut shell. It is a strong exfoliant, so if your skin is sensitive, use those bars with a washer or loofah.
Unlike the plastic micro-beads that were once common in exfoliating products, walnut shell is a plant-based, naturally derived ingredient. The scrub is named right there on the ingredient list.
6. Australian Botanical Ingredients
Some bars also feature beautiful Australian botanicals such as lemon myrtle and macadamia oil.
These ingredients are known for their refreshing properties and add a subtle native botanical element to the soaps.
How Natural Soap Is Made
Viva La Body soaps are made using a traditional process called saponification. They come from over 25 years of soap-making heritage, and The Lucky 7 Story tells it properly.
During this process, plant oils react with sodium hydroxide to create soap and naturally occurring glycerin. The sodium hydroxide is used up in the reaction, leaving behind the finished soap bar. It is still named on the ingredient list, because that is how honest soap labels work.
One of the benefits of traditional soap making is the glycerin created during the process.
Glycerin helps draw moisture to the skin, which is one of the reasons handmade soaps often feel gentler than many commercial soap bars.
How to Choose the Right Viva La Body Soap
Because all Viva La Body soaps share the same nourishing base, the biggest differences come from the botanicals, essential oils and textures added to each bar.
Here’s a quick guide to the Viva La Body soap range and how to choose the right bar for your skin.
Here is the whole range at a glance:
| Bar | Scent (essential oils) | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hydrator | Patchouli, rose geranium | Smooth, no scrub | Soft, earthy everyday cleansing |
| Tone & Smooth | Lavender | Walnut shell scrub | Refreshing, smoothing showers |
| Balance Bar | Rose geranium | Smooth, no scrub | Simple, calming everyday use |
| Daily Detox | Lemon myrtle, lemon-scented eucalyptus | Smooth, no scrub | A crisp, energising shower |
| The Athlete | Citronella | Walnut shell scrub | Post-workout and active days |
| Wake Up Bar | Cinnamon bark, sweet orange, patchouli | Smooth, no scrub | Warm citrus morning energy |
| Super Fresh | Spearmint | Smooth, no scrub | That ultra-fresh, cooling feeling |
1. The Hydrator: Soft, earthy and nourishing
The Hydrator combines patchouli and rose geranium essential oils with red Brazilian clay.
It’s a beautiful everyday bar if you’re looking for something gentle and nourishing for normal to dry skin.
2. Tone & Smooth: Exfoliating and refreshing
Tone & Smooth includes ground walnut shell, making it one of the exfoliating bars in the range.
Lavender essential oil and mineral clays help refresh and smooth the skin.
3. Balance Bar: Gentle and calming
The Balance Bar blends rose geranium essential oil with pink French clay.
It’s a lovely everyday option if you prefer something simple and calming.
4. Daily Detox: Fresh and uplifting
Daily Detox combines lemon myrtle and lemon-scented eucalyptus, creating a bright and refreshing scent.
Perfect if you enjoy a crisp, energising shower.
5. The Athlete: Scrubby and invigorating
The Athlete pairs citronella essential oil with ground walnut shell to create a deep-cleansing exfoliating bar.
Great for post-workout showers or active days.
6. Wake Up Bar: Warm citrus energy
Wake Up Bar blends cinnamon bark, sweet orange and patchouli to create a warm citrus scent that feels energising.
A great way to start the day.
7. Super Fresh: Cooling and minty
Super Fresh contains spearmint essential oil, giving the soap a crisp and cooling scent.
Perfect if you love that ultra-fresh feeling after a shower.
Finding Your Favourite
If you’re new to Viva La Body soaps, the best way to discover your favourite is simply to start with the scent or experience that appeals most to you.
Some people prefer a gentle everyday bar. Others love scrubby exfoliating soaps. And some gravitate towards bright citrus or cooling mint scents.
The good news is that whichever bar you choose, they all share the same nourishing base of plant oils and butters designed to give you a creamy cleanse without unnecessary additives. Still weighing up bar against bottle? Here is bar soap versus liquid soap.
Sometimes the biggest difference in a natural soap isn’t what you see on the shelf, it’s how your skin feels when you step out of the shower.
Found Your Bar? Here’s How to Save
Four ways to save once you know what you like. No code needed, but the saving lives in the options below, so add to cart there. They don’t stack, so pick whichever suits you.
- 3-packs. Every bar in the Lucky 7 soap collection comes as a 3-pack, and a 3-pack saves you 15%.
- The full collection. The full Lucky 7 collection has one of each bar and saves you 20%.
- Subscription. Subscribe to any bar and save 15% on every delivery, for as long as you stay subscribed. Choose every one, two or three months and never run out.
- Bundle & Save. Build your own bundle and save 15% on three or four products, or 20% on five or more. Soap, deodorant, perfume, whatever suits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right natural soap bar for my skin?
All seven Lucky 7 bars share the same plant oil base, so you choose by scent and texture. For a gentle everyday bar, try The Hydrator or Balance Bar. For a scrub, try Tone & Smooth or The Athlete, and use a washer or loofah if your skin is sensitive. For something fresh, try Daily Detox, Super Fresh or Wake Up Bar. Every bar is scented with essential oils, so if your skin is reactive, test a small patch first.
Why is Viva La Body soap palm oil free?
Palm oil is extremely common in soap because it creates a hard, inexpensive bar. Its production has been linked to deforestation and biodiversity loss. Viva La Body soap is completely palm oil free. Cocoa butter and a blend of plant oils make a hard, long-lasting bar instead.
What gives Viva La Body soaps their colour?
Where a bar has colour, it comes from mineral-rich clays rather than artificial dyes. The Hydrator uses red Brazilian clay, Balance Bar uses pink French clay, and Tone & Smooth uses pink French and purple Brazilian clay. Not every bar uses clay. No synthetic dyes.
Are Viva La Body soaps scented with synthetic fragrance?
No. Viva La Body soaps are scented with essential oils, not synthetic fragrance. Each bar uses its own essential oil or blend, so the scent on the front is what is actually in the bar.
How long does a natural soap bar last?
With proper care, a natural soap bar can last several weeks, depending on how often you use it. Store it on a dish with drainage so it dries between uses, and avoid leaving it sitting in water.
What oils are in Viva La Body soap and what do they do?
Every bar is built on high oleic safflower oil (lightweight conditioning), coconut oil (cleansing bubbles), shea butter (softening and moisturising), macadamia oil (nourishing), cocoa butter (hardness and longevity) and castor oil (creamy lather). Each ingredient plays a specific role. No palm oil.
Are natural soaps better for your skin?
Natural soaps are typically made with plant oils and keep the glycerin created during soapmaking. Many people find they leave skin feeling softer and less tight than detergent-based soap bars.
Do natural soaps still lather?
Yes. Oils like coconut oil and castor oil create a rich, creamy lather while still cleansing the skin effectively.
Can I save on Lucky 7 soaps?
Yes. Every bar comes in a 3-pack that saves 15%, the full Lucky 7 collection pack saves 20%, subscribing to a bar saves 15% for as long as you stay subscribed, and Bundle & Save takes 15% off three or four products and 20% off five or more. Savings don't stack, so pick the one that suits you.
Real talk.
Natural soaps only look the same from the shelf. Read the label and the differences show up fast: the same plant oil base, no palm oil, scent from essential oils, colour from clay. Everything left is a decision about how you want to smell and how scrubby you want to be.
Can’t choose? The full Lucky 7 collection has one of each bar, and it saves you 20%.
We hope you love them as much as we do!
Lots of love,
Ellie (Chief Smell Officer) x