A Spoonful of Wonder
A Dash of Ponder
Frequently asked questions
Many of them are — but not all.
Most Hugging Bubbles soaps are fully plant-based, crafted with organic oils, botanical infusions, and mineral colorants. However, some specialty bars include local honey, fresh dairy, or pasture-raised tallow, duck fat and wild deer tallow— ingredients chosen with great care from nearby farmers who share our values of kindness, stewardship, and respect for life.
We believe in working with the earth, not against it — whether plant or animal — and honoring every gift with integrity and gratitude.
🌿 If you're looking for fully vegan options, we're happy to guide you — and if you're ever curious about a specific bar, just ask. Because here, your choices are always respected — and your trust is always earned.
They were made for it.
Hugging Bubbles was born from a need for real gentleness — for skin that flares, reddens, reacts without warning. Every recipe is crafted with sensitive skin in mind:
Organic, food-grade oils
No synthetic fragrances or dyes
Botanical infusions chosen for their calming, soothing properties
Balanced, superfatted formulas to protect the skin’s natural barrier
Still, every skin speaks its own language. We encourage patch testing with any new product — and trusting how your skin feels, not just what a label claims.
🌿 Because real care doesn’t overpower — it listens, it learns, and it heals softly.
We grow many of our herbs ourselves, tucked away in our small Montana garden — lavender, calendula, mint, and other botanicals nurtured by mountain air and steady hands. For the ingredients we cannot grow, we partner with trusted organic farmers and distributors around the world, choosing quality, seasonality, and integrity over convenience every time.
We seek oils, butters, and herbs that are:
Organic whenever possible
Wild-harvested with care
Sourced from healthy soils and clean environments
Harvested traditionally, with respect for the land
Because where it grows matters — not just for the ingredient, but for the story and soul it carries into your skin.
Yes — and we'd be delighted to create something just for you. At Hugging Bubbles, we love crafting special bars for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, or any moment that calls for a little more magic.
Custom orders can include:
Personalized scents (essential oil blends)
Special botanical infusions
Unique designs (like landscape pours, flower-embedded soaps, or simple rustic cuts)
Optional hand-stamped messages (for special occasions)
Because everything is handmade and cured with care, custom soaps do take time — usually 6 to 8 weeks from start to finish. But the result is something heartfelt, rooted, and made just for you.
You can start your custom journey by visiting our Custom Orders page, or simply sending us a note — we'd love to dream it with you.
Every true soap is born from lye — that’s not a lie. But when crafted with care and strict precision (as we do), no lye remains in the finished bar — only pure, gentle soap, rich in natural glycerin.
At Hugging Bubbles, we take lye calculation seriously — with exact formulations, careful testing, and patient curing. No shortcuts. No guesswork. No lye burns — guaranteed.
Where others may leave a sting, we leave only balm, bubbles, and quiet trust. Because the truth is: good soap isn’t just made — it’s carefully become.
If kept dry between uses, a Hugging Bubbles bar can last many weeks, even months. A simple draining soap dish** makes all the difference — keeping your bar firm, fresh, and ready to lather, day after day.
Because we craft with natural oils and butters, our soaps are designed to mature gracefully. Over time, their scent may soften and their edges may round — not signs of fading, but the quiet poetry of something handmade, living, and loved.
For shampoo bars especially, Hugging Bubbles takes a gentler path. Instead of masking scalp issues with heavy coatings, our bars work to bring your scalp and hair back to their natural balance — nourishing the roots, calming the skin, and restoring softness. With time, many people find they no longer need to wash their hair as often — because that's how healthy hair is meant to be: self-balancing, not overworked.
(**A quiet note — we also carry a few handmade soap dishes, crafted by artisans in South Asia and carried back by hand. They're available only if you visit us in person — a small treasure for those who find us face-to-face. Quantities are always limited.)
No two flowers are alike — and neither are our bars.
Because they're real — and because nature, not machines, shapes them. At Hugging Bubbles, every bar is poured, cut, and trimmed by hand. We use clays, herbs, plant extracts, and mineral pigments — never artificial dyes or rigid molds. Colors may shift with the seasons. Swirls may wander. Each bar carries the fingerprint of its ingredients, the quiet work of hands, and the breath of time.
These small variations are not flaws — they are the signature of something alive, something true and unique.
Not quite — though both matter deeply to us.
Natural means the ingredient comes from nature and is minimally processed — no synthetic additives, no lab-born imitations. Organic means the ingredient was grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers — respecting both the soil and the spirit of the plant.
At Hugging Bubbles, we seek both wherever possible:
We choose organic when available, especially for delicate herbs, flowers, and oils.
When organic certification isn’t available (especially for rare ingredients), we choose wild-harvested, traditionally grown, or small-farm sources we trust.
Because to us, "natural" isn’t just a label — it’s a promise to honor the land, the skin, and the hands that bring them together.
Because true gentleness whispers — it doesn’t shout.
At Hugging Bubbles, we scent our soaps using only essential oils, botanical extracts, hydrosols, or thoughtfully chosen natural materials. No hormone-disrupting synthetic fragrances. No artificial perfumes designed to overpower.
Our scents are meant to be soft, clean, and kind — inviting your skin and senses to breathe freely, not be overwhelmed.
Fragrance should delight the senses, not disrupt the body. That’s why we use only nature’s quietest gifts — blending them carefully so that what touches your skin lifts you up, not weighs you down.
Our soaps are crafted with the gentlest possible ingredients — organic oils, herbs, and natural extracts — with sensitive skin always in mind. Many parents have lovingly chosen Hugging Bubbles bars for their little ones.
However, every baby is different, and true soap — even handmade — can still sting if it gets into tiny eyes. For newborns or extra-delicate skin, we recommend starting with a patch test first. And as always: less is more. A soft cloth, a light touch, and nature's simplest gifts go a long way.
Because babies deserve a world of gentle beginnings — and honest care that doesn’t hide behind harsh chemicals.
No — and that’s actually a good thing.
In true soapmaking, we don't add synthetic "no-tear" chemicals, which are often used to numb the eyes or alter the natural pH. Our soaps stay true to their roots:
Crafted with natural oils and botanical extracts
Balanced for skin, not for the inside of delicate eyes
Like any real soap, ours can cause a mild sting if it gets into the eyes. We recommend washing with gentle care — the same way we treat the land, the water, and the hands that make our bars.
Because good soap isn't built to fool the senses — it's built to honor them.
Not really — but they do grow, mellow, and soften with time, much like we do.
At Hugging Bubbles, we superfat every batch — meaning we intentionally leave a little extra nourishing oil in each bar. This makes our soaps richer, creamier, and far kinder to your skin than commercial soaps stripped for shelf life. It’s a small act of care built into every bar.
Over many seasons, those natural oils may gently fade, and their scent may soften into a whisper. This isn’t spoilage — it’s a quiet flowering. Unlike factory-made soaps, which are hardened for sterile endurance, our soaps live a little. They breathe. They age.
Soap doesn’t expire — it matures. And like all good things touched by time, it becomes softer, wiser, and more beautiful in its own quiet way.
We do not chase forever — we honor the beautiful passing of seasons.
Because real care doesn’t need to put on a show.
Many commercial soaps use synthetic additives — like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and other sulfonated acids — to create big, flashy bubbles. These chemicals break down oils aggressively to generate lather — but they also strip your skin’s natural barrier, often leaving it dry, tight, or irritated.
At Hugging Bubbles, we trust nature’s own lather:
Gentle, creamy bubbles created from pure oils through traditional cold-process soapmaking.
No synthetic acids. No harsh boosters. Just what real ingredients naturally offer.
Big foam doesn't always mean better clean — it often just means harsher surfactants. Our bubbles are softer, silkier, and kinder — enough to lift away what you don't want, and leave behind the nourishment your skin needs.
True cleansing should feel like breathing in a wild meadow — not fighting a chemical storm.
Because we choose ingredients — and practices — that most others don’t.
At Hugging Bubbles, we use:
Food-grade, organic oils — often cold-pressed, extra-virgin, and sourced from trusted farmers.
Rare and precious botanicals — like camellia oil from Japan’s Goto Islands, or green thorn fruit oils hand-harvested in the Yunnan Highlands.
Fresh herbal infusions, hydrosols, and small-batch distillations — not bulk powders or premixed blends.
Artisan methods — slow cold-processing, long natural curing, hand-trimming, hand-wrapping.
We never chase cost-cutting shortcuts — no refined cheap oils, no filler fats, no synthetic lather boosters. Instead, we choose depth, nourishment, and lasting quality — not just for today, but for the skin you’ll wear for a lifetime.
Because good soap isn't just about getting clean — it's about honoring the skin you're in.
Every Hugging Bubbles bar carries years of study, seasons of planting, weeks of curing, and hours of careful hands — and we think your skin deserves nothing less.
✨ Your skin and hair are the best answer.
Because we make real things by hand, not endless things by machine.
Our batches are small, seasonal, and sometimes botanical harvests (like calendula, mint, or camellia) take time. If something you love is out of stock, it’s not gone forever — it's simply growing, curing, or waiting for its right season.
🌸 Good things take their time — and so do we.
It’s true — real soap (the kind made without synthetic detergents) can react with minerals in hard water and leave some residue behind. But Hugging Bubbles soaps are crafted a little differently.
Where we live, we use natural well water — and yes, it’s fairly hard (around pH 7–7.5). Because of that, we know firsthand what hard water can do — and we've crafted our recipes carefully around it:
We use a natural water softener at our source.
We choose organic, plant-based chelators to gently reduce mineral buildup — no synthetic chemicals, ever.
We run extensive experiments to balance oils, herbs, and natural additives to create a cleaner rinse.
We even take advantage of naturally occurring fermentation processes within certain ingredients — a quiet secret that helps soften the final soap without adding anything artificial.
✨ The result? A bar that rinses more cleanly, feels softer on the skin, and leaves less residue — even in hard water homes.
You may still notice a little mineral trace here and there (nature always leaves its footprints), but it’s minor, harmless, and easy to wipe away with a little vinegar or a cloth.
We believe it’s a small and beautiful exchange — for a soap made with real hands, real herbs, and real respect for your skin.
🌿"Where water runs from the earth, and care runs through the hands."
Because to us, soap isn’t just chemistry — it’s care.
Most soaps start with plain distilled water, chosen for cost and convenience. At Hugging Bubbles, we chose a different path:
Aloe juice, rice milk, fresh hydrosols, and herbal teas
Carefully brewed, infused, and blended to bring real nourishment into every bar
Layered with fresh herbs we grow ourselves or source from trusted organic farms
Balanced with rare oils and quietly powerful botanicals, often carried home by hand
Each ingredient tells a story — of a farm, a season, a hand, a heart. And every step we take — from field to infusion to final bar — takes longer, costs more, and asks more patience than shortcuts could ever allow.
We don't rush. We don't dilute. We don't choose cheap because we never wanted to make cheap.
✨ We chose to make something living. And living things are worth more — because they give more.
That's why Hugging Bubbles soaps cost more than ordinary bars. Because they carry not just ingredients, but intention, care, tradition, and time — poured gently into your hands.
And in the end, your skin and hair are the best answer.
Not perfect — just honest.
Every skin is different: dry, oily, sensitive, ever-changing with season, stress, and life. We don't promise miracles. We promise gentle, studied care — soaps made to support your skin’s own intelligence, not override it.
Sometimes the best match comes from feeling, trying, adjusting — and we’re always happy to help you find your best fit.
It’s easier (and lovelier) than you might think.
Here’s how to start:
Wet your hair thoroughly — roots to ends.
Wet the shampoo bar too.
Either:
Rub the bar gently between your hands to create a soft lather, then massage the lather into your scalp, or
Glide the bar directly over your scalp in small circles, then set it down and lather with your fingers.
Focus on cleansing the scalp — the lather will naturally run through the rest of your hair. Rinse well, and follow with a light conditioner or acidic rinse (like diluted apple cider vinegar) if your hair prefers extra smoothing.
A gentle note: If you're new to natural shampoo bars, your scalp may take a little time to adjust — especially if you've been using commercial shampoos filled with silicones and heavy detergents. Give it a few washes. Breathe. Trust the process. Nature knows how to bring your hair back to balance.
✨ Long before bottled shampoos existed, people in ancient China cared for their hair with nothing more than Cha Ku (camellia seed powder) and Zao Jiao (honey locust pods). Crushed into pastes or brewed into gentle cleansing waters, these plants offered the perfect balance: cleansing without stripping, nurturing without coating. The philosophy was simple — to wash away what you don't need, and leave behind what you do.
At Hugging Bubbles, our shampoo bars carry that same spirit: Simple. Respectful. True.
Your hair knows how to heal — sometimes it just needs a gentler hand.
No — because true nourishment sinks in, not sticks on.
Hugging Bubbles soaps are superfatted for richness, but carefully balanced. The creamy oils soak into your skin lightly, leaving you clean, soft, and comfortable — never greasy, never heavy.
Nature knows how to moisturize without overwhelming — we just listened.
Our shampoo bars are gentle — but they are real soap, made with true oils, herbs, and patience.
Because we don’t use synthetic sealants, Hugging Bubbles bars cleanse more honestly, not by coating, but by balancing the scalp and strands. For naturally dyed or low-chemical-treated hair, most customers find our bars very kind — helping hair stay soft and healthy, with minimal color fading over time.
🌿 However, if your hair is freshly colored, highly porous (like after bleaching), or dyed with intense synthetic pigments, a little color bleeding is natural at first — no matter what you wash with, even plain water.
If color does bleed slightly during your first few washes:
It won’t harm the soap bar.
It doesn’t mean the soap is "pulling" the color.
It’s simply excess dye shedding from the hair surface — a normal process as color settles.
✨ In short:
Hugging Bubbles shampoo bars cleanse gently and won’t "strip" healthy color.
They may allow a little excess dye to rinse away — because we don’t trap it under synthetic coatings.
With time, as your hair settles into its new balance, most customers find the color lasts more naturally and more gracefully.
🌸 Healthy hair holds beauty longer — because real care sinks deeper than the surface.
Not if you give your scalp time to breathe again.
Sometimes, when people switch from synthetic shampoos to real soaps, their hair needs a little adjustment period — shedding buildup, rebalancing oil production.
Once that clears, our shampoo bars will leave your hair feeling clean, soft, fuller, and fresher, not waxy or heavy. Patience, and a few gentle rinses, lead the way.
Yes — and in many cases, your hair will feel better than ever.
Our shampoo bars are crafted to cleanse gently and nourish the scalp without weighing hair down. Because we don’t use synthetic silicones or heavy residues, your strands are free to breathe, move, and hold their own natural volume.
🌿 Fine hair often looks weighed down not because it’s weak — but because conventional shampoos coat it with synthetic films that flatten and smother. Hugging Bubbles bars cleanse cleanly and lightly, allowing your natural texture to return.
✨ If you're switching from commercial products, you might notice a small adjustment period:
At first, your hair may feel a little different as it sheds old buildup.
After a few washes, many find their hair feels lighter, fuller, and softer — naturally.
🌸 Fine hair needs care, not coating. We simply help it remember how strong it already is.
Yes — we’re happy to ship wherever you are in the world! Since shipping costs vary by location, we ask that you reach out to us first. We’ll find the best shipping rate we can and let you know before we send your order on its way.
Because sometimes, a little bar of soap is meant to travel — and we’re always honored to help it find its way home.