LAFCO founder Jon Bresler can opine for hours about the qualities of a fantastic bar of soap. “Properly made bar soap can be used as an all-in-one to clean the body and face, and to shave,” he says. When some companies stopped using animal-derived tallow, he adds, they moved into mass-produced soap bases that cleansed skin so well it was left feeling stripped – which is why many of us might think bar soaps too harsh for daily use. LAFCO’s oval bars, in scents like Champagne and Feu de Bois, have gained a devoted following for their nourishing formulation of 75 percent olive oil and 25 percent coconut oil, a combination that Bresler says yields just the right amount of lather and holds just the right amount of scent. A hefty quantity of argan oil is also superfatted into the bars during the hours-long milling process so skin is moisturized, and a 30-day aging process allows water to naturally evaporate, hardening the bars.
