FAQs

Our soaps are multifunctional and can be used on the body, face, or as a hand wash.  

Yes. Our soaps are formulated to work for both face and body. However, please note that the face is generally more sensitive than the skin on your body. Essential oils, plant butters, and oils that may do wonders for your body could irritate your face and eyes.

When using our soaps for facial cleansing, wet your hands and face first before wetting the bar of soap. Rub the bar between your hands for 5 to 10 seconds, creating a nice lather for cleansing. 

How long a bar of soap lasts normally depends on how many people use it. We typically say that one bar of soap can last one person six weeks, on average.

To keep your soap in its best, most long-lasting condition, be sure to keep it out of water whenever you can. It's essential to feed your soap plenty of fresh air between uses. For best results, store your soap on a well-drained soap dish away from constant running water. 

Soap is a common chemical compound composed of oils, alkali, and water—so what makes them natural compared to other cosmetic products?

Our soaps are 100% natural. Meaning that they are safe and non-toxic, readily biodegradable, environmentally sensitive, and free from any artificial colours, fragrances, plastics, hardeners, latherers, preservatives, silicones, mineral oils, animal-derived ingredients, detergents, and alcohols.

All our soaps are made with pure essential oils and are coloured with natural mineral powders and clays. 

Yes. We choose only to use the finest natural essential oils and avoid synthetic fragrance oils in our soaps. These essential oils are derived from plant parts (like flowers, leaves, stems, and bark) and have valuable skin and aromatherapy benefits. Whereas fragrance oils are blended with synthetic compounds or essential oils that may have been diluted with a carrier.

As all of our scents are naturally derived, they might not be as strong when in use and can fade over time.

Note: We advise people with seriously sensitive skin to avoid essential oils as they contain allergens and could be sensitizing for some. If you are pregnant, are nursing, or under the age of 5, you should check with your healthcare provider before using any product with essential oils

No. Because we are a sustainable brand, we strongly avoid the use of palm oil due to its sustainability and environmental concerns. 

If you didn't know, palm oil manufacturing has led to clearing millions of acres of rainforest, endangering natural wildlife and playing a role in climate change. You can learn more about palm oil and its contribution to deforestation here. 

Yes! All of our natural soap bars are 100% vegan and free from animal derived ingredients.

To learn more about sustainability, current trends and topics, and how Little Danube strives to make sustainability cool again: you can go to our blog for the latest posts and updates.  

We take pride in our sustainable, plastic free packaging. We use some of the best plastic alternatives (like corn-based packaging from noissue) to keep our products safe during transportation to ensure successful delivery.

Here's the breakdown of our sustainable packaging: Our soapboxes are recyclable, and our delivery bags are fully compostable. We use beautifully branded eco-friendly tissue paper made from acid-free paper (that doesn't leave behind any chemicals) and soy based ink instead of petroleum based ink.

Yes, we're certified! Here's what that means:

All of our handmade soaps fully comply with all legislation governing the manufacture of cosmetics in the UK and Europe.

Our soap recipes are independently lab tested and certified for safe use. Our labels use the appropriate Latin-style INCI naming standards for all ingredients. And our weighing system is carried out on trading standards approved and inspected stamped scales.

This is something we are proud to offer customers of Little Danube. Remember, not all handmade soaps sold in the UK (and elsewhere) meet these legal requirements, and it's always worth checking when choosing where to buy your soap.

Yes! We are passionate about keeping Britain manufacturing and partnering with other UK-owned companies and local businesses.

The short answer is yes. Our soap bars are made with lye even though the words “sodium hydroxide” or “lye” do not appear on the labels. And here's why:

All REAL soap is made with lye—also known as NaOH, sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda—and mixed with fat or oils (such as coconut, olive, palm, etc.) This chemical reaction is known as saponification. Once it's complete, the lye and oil molecules have combined and chemically changed into soap, and the magical hydrating ingredient glycerin appears.

Providing all the ingredients have been measured correctly, all of the lye is used up in the saponification process to turn oil into soap, meaning there is no lye present in the finished bars of soap. All of our recipes have been assessed and tested for safety and stability for this quality assurance. 

Once saponified, the ingredients are listed as which oils have been used in the process:

- Sodium Olivate: the mixture of Olive Oil with sodium hydroxide (lye).

  - Sodium Cocoate: the mixture of Coconut Oil with sodium hydroxide (lye).

      - Sodium Shea Butterate: the mixture of Shea Butter with sodium hydroxide (lye).

- Sodium Cocoa Butterate: the mixture of Cocoa Butter with sodium hydroxide (lye).

- Sodium Castorate: the mixture of Castor oil with sodium hydroxide (lye).

Remember, if a soap claims to be made without lye, it's not soap—it's a detergent! And that's a huge difference. Real soap (made with lye) nourishes and gently cleanses the skin, while detergent strips skin and gives you that not-so-nice tight feeling afterwards. 

All orders made in the UK are processed shipped within 2-3 business days. Orders are not shipped or delivered on weekends or holidays.​

We currently offer only standard delivery at £3.70 per order which can take between 3-5 businesses days with our courier Royal Mail.

If we are experiencing a high volume of orders, shipments may be delayed by a few days. Please allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there will be a significant delay in shipment of your order, we will contact you via email or telephone.

All orders are processed shipped within 2-3 business days. Please allow up to 3 weeks to receive your order.

In order to be eligible for a refund, you have to return the product within 30 calendar days of your purchase. The product must be in the same condition that you receive it and undamaged in any way.

If the product is damaged in any way, or you have initiated the return after 30 calendar days have passed, you will not be eligible for a refund.

​After we receive your item, we will inspect the product and process your refund. The money will be refunded to the original payment method you’ve used during the purchase. For credit card payments it may take 5 to 10 business days for a refund to show up on your credit card statement.