Lemongrass Natural Soap Bar

A morning shower with this bar has a particular quality to it: the sharp, citrus-green hit of genuine lemongrass essential oil is immediate and properly invigorating, and the hemp seedcake powder works a mild exfoliation into the lather that leaves the skin noticeably smoother rather than merely clean. Handmade in Yorkshire by Friendly Soap, it is the kind of bar that turns a routine into something worth looking forward to.

Key Facts

• 95g bar
• Key ingredients: coconut oil, rapeseed oil, shea butter, lemongrass essential oil, hemp seedcake powder
• Cold-process method, made in Yorkshire by Friendly Soap
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• No SLS, parabens, palm oil, synthetic fragrances, or microplastic scrubbers
• No plastic packaging
• Available individually boxed, naked (unwrapped), or in multipacks

The Ingredients That Matter

Lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon Citratus) is steam-distilled from the leaves of the lemongrass plant, native to tropical Asia. The scent is fresh, citrus-green, and noticeably more complex than a synthetic lemon fragrance: there is a herbal sharpness to it that reads as genuinely botanical rather than approximated. Lemongrass has well-established antibacterial properties, attributed to its naturally occurring citral and geraniol content, which make it a practical as well as aromatic choice in a daily cleansing bar. In a warm shower the steam carries the oil well, and the effect on the senses is immediate and energising.

Hemp seedcake powder (Cannabis Sativa) is the by-product of pressing hemp seeds for oil. Finely milled and evenly distributed through the bar, it provides a gentle physical exfoliation with each wash, buffing away dead skin cells without the harshness of coarser scrub particles. The texture is subtle enough for daily use on the body and gives the bar a slightly different skin feel to a plain soap. As a rinse-off ingredient the omega fatty acid content of the hemp is not meaningfully absorbed, but the exfoliation itself is genuine and consistently effective.

Shea butter (Sodium Shea Butterate) balances the cleansing and exfoliating action of the bar. Its moisturising fatty acids ensure the skin feels comfortable and smooth after rinsing rather than stripped, which is particularly useful alongside the exfoliant for regular daily use.

Coconut oil and rapeseed oil (Sodium Cocoate and Sodium Rapeseedate) form the base. Coconut oil produces a firm, long-lasting bar with a dense, cleansing lather. Rapeseed oil adds a mild conditioning quality that makes the bar suitable for daily face and body use without tightness or residue.

What This Isn't

Lemongrass oil is photosensitising. This bar is best used in the shower and rinsed off thoroughly before sun exposure. This is worth bearing in mind for morning use before spending time outdoors.

The hemp seedcake provides gentle daily exfoliation suited to body use. It is not designed for intensive treatment of very rough or callused skin, where a pumice-based bar would be more appropriate. On the face, the exfoliation may be too much for sensitive skin types, though most normal skin tolerates it well.

The antibacterial properties of lemongrass oil are real and well documented, but this is a rinse-off soap. It supports clean, healthy skin as part of a regular routine rather than treating skin conditions or eliminating body odour as a standalone solution.

When It Works Best

This bar is at its best in a morning shower. The lemongrass scent is sharp and invigorating in a way that suits the start of a day rather than the end of one, and the hemp exfoliation adds a purposeful texture that makes the wash feel active rather than passive. It works well on the body for most skin types, particularly normal to oily skin where the mild astringent quality of the lemongrass and the regular exfoliation help keep the skin clear and balanced. Post-exercise use is also natural: the antibacterial properties of the oil and the exfoliation work together effectively after a workout.

How to Use

Wet the skin thoroughly before applying. Work the bar directly onto the body in circular motions, allowing the hemp seedcake to exfoliate gently as you lather. The lemongrass scent is most vivid in the steam of a warm shower and is worth taking a moment with before rinsing.

Rinse thoroughly, particularly if heading outdoors into strong sunlight, as lemongrass oil is photosensitising.

For face use, test on a small area first if your skin is sensitive. The exfoliation is gentle but daily use on reactive facial skin is worth approaching carefully.

Store on a draining soap dish between uses. A well-kept 95g bar lasts four to six weeks with daily use. The naked option performs identically to the boxed version and arrives without the cardboard sleeve.

For multipacks, store spare bars somewhere cool and dry. Cold-process soap hardens and improves with age, and the lemongrass scent mellows pleasantly over time.

Perfect For

• Morning showers when an invigorating, fresh scent is what the day needs
• Post-exercise cleansing where antibacterial properties and exfoliation both earn their place
• Normal to oily skin that benefits from regular gentle exfoliation
• Anyone who prefers genuine botanical citrus over synthetic lemon fragrance
• Daily body exfoliation without a separate scrub step
• Those moving away from synthetic fragrance shower gels with plastic microbeads
• A well-considered gift for someone who appreciates natural, handmade bodycare
• Stocking up with the multipack options for consistent daily use

What Makes This Different

Most lemongrass body washes use synthetic citrus fragrance that approximates the scent without the natural compound profile of the real oil. This bar uses genuine steam-distilled lemongrass essential oil with its naturally occurring citral and geraniol content, which gives the antibacterial properties their basis and the scent its authenticity. The hemp seedcake exfoliant is a considered alternative to synthetic microbeads or coarse mineral scrubs: gentle enough for daily use, biodegradable, and derived from a by-product of hemp oil pressing rather than a primary crop. Friendly Soap make it in small batches in Yorkshire with no palm oil and no synthetic additives, and the seven-ingredient formulation reflects their standard of including nothing that does not need to be there.

Realistic Expectations

The lemongrass scent is vivid and genuine from the first use and is one of the more immediately distinctive in the Friendly Soap range. The hemp exfoliation is subtle rather than dramatic but produces a noticeable improvement in skin smoothness with consistent use over one to two weeks. The antibacterial properties support healthy, balanced skin as part of a daily routine rather than delivering a dramatic one-off effect. The scent does not linger significantly on the skin after rinsing. A well-stored 95g bar lasts four to six weeks with daily use.

Buying Options

This bar is available in four configurations. A single bar in a cardboard box is the standard option and arrives presentation-ready. The naked option is the same bar without any outer packaging. A box of six boxed bars applies the buy-five-get-six saving automatically at checkout. A bundle of seven naked bars applies a buy-six-get-seven saving. All options contain the same 95g bar.

Additional Product Details

• Weight: 95g
• Made in: Yorkshire, England by Friendly Soap
• Ingredients: Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Rapeseedate, Aqua, Sodium Shea Butterate, Cymbopogon Citratus (Lemongrass) Leaf Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seedcake Powder, Citral*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool* (*naturally occurring in essential oils)
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• No SLS, parabens, palm oil, synthetic fragrances, or microplastic scrubbers
• No plastic packaging
• pH approximately 8 to 9, typical for cold-process soap

For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Contains lemongrass essential oil which is photosensitising. Avoid direct sun exposure on treated skin immediately after use. Contains naturally occurring Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, and Linalool. If irritation occurs, discontinue use. Store on a draining soap dish to extend bar life.