🧼 Why More Filipino Americans Are Switching to Handmade Soaps
By One Down
In a skincare market crowded with trends, buzzwords, and 15-step routines, it’s easy to forget what soap is even supposed to do. Clean you. Nourish you. And ideally, not poison a waterway along the way.
That’s what sisters Vanessa and Ivy were thinking in 2020, when they started making soap in small batches, blending plant-based oils, Filipino scents, and a minimalist, anti-toxic mindset.
What began as a passion project has grown into Ives & Bees, a Filipina-owned brand crafting soaps and candles that are clean, conscious, and rooted in culture. But unlike many “natural” brands on the shelf, they’re doing it without the fluff. No long-winded origin myth. No overstated claims.
Just bars of soap made with intention and a clear purpose: to make better skincare more accessible for more people.
🌿 Why Sustainable Soap Actually Matters
Most of us grew up grabbing whatever bar or bottle was on sale. But conventional soap often contains synthetic detergents, fragrance stabilizers, and petroleum-based additives—ingredients that don’t always break down after use.
That’s a problem for both your skin and the planet. According to studies on natural soapmaking and biodegradable skincare:
Many commercial soaps release chemical runoff that lingers in waterways and harms aquatic life
The packaging is often plastic-based, contributing to long-term waste
And synthetics like SLS and parabens can irritate skin or disrupt moisture retention
Handmade, natural soaps like those from Ives & Bees flip the script:
Made with olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter
Packaged with minimal, compostable or recyclable materials
Retain glycerin, a natural skin hydrator that’s often removed in mass-produced bars
It’s not just skincare. It’s a cleaner supply chain from formula to disposal.
✨ A Skincare Philosophy Rooted in Filipino Values
The deeper you look into Ives & Bees, the more it resembles a lola’s kitchen: resourceful, efficient, lovingly made.
Nothing is wasted. Everything is multi-use. Even their candles are hand-poured into ceramic vessels designed to be reused, as coasters, planters, or small storage. It’s a modern expression of a very old value: make do, and make it beautiful.
Their Filipino heritage shows up in other ways too:
Scent profiles like Sampaguita, Calamansi, and Narra are now core to their collections
Every product is developed with a small-batch approach, not just to reduce waste, but to maintain quality
Their origin story is deeply personal—driven by skin sensitivity, family wellness, and cultural connection
🧪 What’s Inside (And Why It’s Transparent)
Ives & Bees soaps are made with a traditional saponification method (natural oils + lye), resulting in “true soap” as defined by the FDA. They don’t use synthetic detergents, and they clearly label when they include:
Essential oils
Small amounts of CleanScents-certified fragrance oils
(These are tested to be free of known/suspected carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and organ toxins.)
The result is a low-intervention product that balances safety with sensory beauty. It smells great. It looks good on your sink. And it won’t leave your skin tight or stripped.
đź’¬ Why Filipino Buyers Are Choosing Small-Batch Over Big-Box
For many Filipino American millennials, supporting a brand like Ives & Bees is about more than skincare. It’s a vote:
For more representation in clean beauty
For ethical production over convenience
For Filipino-owned businesses that do more than just “celebrate culture,” they build with it
And in a time when clean beauty has been co-opted by massive conglomerates, it feels good to know that “natural” can still mean handmade, local, and actually thoughtful.
đź“Ł Want to Try It?
🧼 Explore soaps, candles, and gift sets from
👉 Ives & Bees
✨ Support Filipina makers. Choose skincare that’s as intentional as you are.
đź“š Sources
[1] https://community.triblive.com/articles/Why-Choosing-Handmade-Soaps-Is-Environmentally-Important
[2] https://www.soaplicity.com/blogs/news/should-i-buy-handmade-or-store-bought-soaps
[3] https://www.soapyroads.us/blog
[4] https://theblackstuff.com/blogs/news/natural-soap-benefits
[5] https://prohibitionsoap.com/blogs/the-soap-blog/why-natural-soap-is-better-than-commercial-soap
[6] https://littlebullfallssoapworks.com/blogs/little-bull-falls-soap-works/how-handmade-soaps-compare-to-store-bought-the-truth-revealed
[7] https://www.thegoodboutique.com/inspiration/the-eco-friendly-benefits-of-natural-soap-making
[8] https://purelymaxwell.com/blogs/news/the-incredible-benefits-of-natural-handmade-soap
[9] https://soapyard.com/blogs/soap-facts-and-myths/eco-friendly-soaps-how-soap-can-be-sustainable
