Zogezeept

Zogezeept is a one-woman show! Sonja makes all the soaps herself by hand, using the ​“cold process” technique. Here, liquid and fats are mixed together with an alkaline base and poured into a mold, after which the saponification process starts. Sonja makes all soaps by hand and with minimal tools. To avoid hours and hours of stirring, she uses a stick blender. ​“Other than that, it is handwork of pure craft and love,” says the founder. 

When choosing ingredients, Sonja always considers whether it can be more local and whether the crop grower receives fair compensation. She chooses her suppliers based on these factors. For example, the honey comes from a local beekeeper in Antwerp, the beer from breweries in Antwerp and Bergen op Zoom, and the Green Clay comes from France. 

Zogezeept is a member of the ​‘Guild of soap crafters and toiletry makers’. You can only be a member of this guild if your products comply with European cosmetics legislation, which is quite strict. This means that the brand’s recipes have been tested and approved by a recognized body and that the registration of the processes is in order.

Soap does not grow on a tree. Some processing is therefore necessary to get from raw ingredients to a bar of soap. However, Zogezeept keeps this processing to a minimum. In addition, the brand uses only natural ingredients, from shea butter and coconut oil to goat’s milk and beer! Even the coloring of the soaps is done with natural means, such as clay, honey and carrot juice. Good to know: the coconut oil Sonja uses does not come from coconuts picked by monkeys!

There are no synthetic fragrances, dyes, perfume oils or parabens in the soaps. Because of the controversiality of palm oil and mica, Sonja also avoids these ingredients. If the soap is scented, it is done with pure essential oils. Good to know is that because Zogezeept is a member of the Guild of soap crafters and toiletry makers, it can be guaranteed that the proportions of the essential oils are within safety standards. 

The only processed raw material in Zogezeept’s soaps is sodium hydroxide (lye). This is known as a caustic used in sink plunger, among other things. But the lye the brand uses is cosmetic/​food grade quality and therefore safe. Fortunately, because lye is just what is needed to make soap. The lye allows the saponification to start. Otherwise, you would have a pile of grease with liquid in your shower instead of a soap block. After saponification, fortunately nothing remains, so you can use it safely!

Packaging

The soaps are wrapped in paper made from agricultural waste. No single-use items are used in production. In this way, Zogezeept contributes to a sustainable future. We like to see that! Sonja is, however, honest about the fact that she uses latex gloves. Household gloves have less grip on the pots she uses, which can be unsafe. By the way, she does use the latex gloves as often as possible, so they fortunately do not go into the trash after one use.

All soaps are made in Antwerp. Although the brand states that it obtains the ingredients as locally as possible, it is not clear exactly which suppliers are involved. But it does say that the clay comes from France, and the coffee, beer and honey from Antwerp. The brand is zero-waste and uses only paper for its packaging.

Zogezeept is not a vegan brand, due in part to the addition of goat’s milk and honey. But the brand does have some vegan products in their range! Vegans can find their likes in, for example, ZoVeggie or ZoKoko. Currently, there are eleven vegan soaps. And the brand says there are more to come! 

Both the products themselves and the ingredients in them are not tested on animals. This is an additional reason for Sonja to choose local, since animal testing is banned in the EU.

Making soap is something that requires patience. Sonja says that the soap is not ready to be sent to consumers until at least 4 weeks have passed. The soap needs that time to cure. Because Sonja takes so much time to make the soap, you will enjoy your block much longer. After all, soap does not like too much water. Sonja’s tip is therefore not to leave your soap on the floor of your shower, as it can melt away into a mushy layer. So make sure you have a water-permeable soap dish to put your soap block in!

Because the founder makes all the products herself, she knows exactly what is in the soaps. Therefore, the brand is very transparent about the ingredients used and the method of soap production. The brand also provided information to COSH! about the suppliers of the ingredients. Great!