★★★★★ 3
Go natural with Natural American!
Scent: SOLDIER COLLECTION, Size: 5 Ounce (Pack of 6), Scent: SOLDIER COLLECTION, Size: 5 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Hey, guys. About six months ago, I set out on a mission to find an economical, natural soap for men. I tried over 20 sets of soaps. If you’re interested in reading a comprehensive review of these soaps, look up my review under Crate 61-For Him. Then come back to this review to read more about Natural American.
The Basics
Natural American soaps come in 3 variety packs: Soldier, Elements, and Goddess. Soaps can also be purchased in select flavors in packs of one; however, buying the soaps singly is a lot more expensive. Thus, if you want to try this brand, I suggest that you buy a set so that you can try all the flavors. You can probably guess that Soldier is marketed to men, and Goddess is marketed to women. The Elements set is also marketed to men. For this study, I only tried the Soldier and Elements sets, and I will only provide limited information about the Goddess set.
Here's basic information about Natural American soap sets. All information is as of 1/5/23.
• Price/pack: $29.95
• Soaps/pack: 6
• Ounces/bar: 5
• Price/bar: $4.99 (Since soaps come in all sizes, you should really look at the price/ounce to compare different soap brands.)
• Price/ounce: $1.00
• Scents (my descriptors): masculine, feminine, earthy, fruity, and flowery (I give details below.)
• 4-5 Star Rating: 80% (Combines the percentage of people giving the soap a four- or five-star rating. I only considered soaps that rated over 80% on this criterion; thus, as you can see, Native American just made the cut.)
• # Ratings: 3164 (The total number of ratings received. I only considered soaps with hundreds of ratings.)
I have a couple of observations about the basic stats:
First, the price of these sets has changed dramatically since I bought them. At the time of purchase, the Soldier set was priced at $0.75/ounce, and the Elements set was priced at $0.83/ounce, making Natural American one of the more competitive brands that I tested. Currently, both sets cost $1.00/ounce, which is right at the limit of what I arbitrarily consider an “economical” soap. Thus, the brand has gone from being one of the cheapest to one of the most expensive of the soaps in my study.
Second, the three sets are sold under one listing, but all sets have the same price, so all the pricing information listed above holds for all three sets. However, the information on the percentage rating and the number of ratings can’t be disaggregated for each set. All I can tell you is that I eyeballed the reviews, and it seems like more men have purchased the Soldier set. I’ll talk about why the Soldier set is more popular later.
The Scents
Here’s a description of the flavors in each set to help you decide which set you might like. Again, I only tried the Soldier and Elements sets because the emphasis of my study was men’s soaps, so I only provide very basic details on the Goddess set.
Soldier
• Scents: Marine Shore, Space Force Galaxy, Coast Guard Sea, Army Battlefield, Navy Ocean, and Air Force Sky.
• Qualities of the scents: These soaps all have mild scents, and the scents are all “fresh.” When you smell these soaps, you won’t be able to say, for example, “Oh, yeah, this smells like pine.” The only comparison I can make is that these soaps have the same fresh scents that you have come to expect of commercial soaps labeled “fresh scent.”
• My observations: Whoever Natural American hired to market their soaps has earned their million dollars, for I firmly believe that Natural American-Soldier is their best-selling set because of its gimmicky names. With words like “marine,” “space,” “coast guard,” “army,” “navy,” and “air force” in the titles, you would think that the soaps ooze testosterone and hyper-masculinity. Truth be told, I didn’t find these scents to be overly masculine. They smell fresh. That’s it. That’s the big hype. It seems that a lot of men have been suckered into buying these soaps because of the names. Bottom line: If you like fresh-smelling soaps, you’ll like these.
Elements
• Scents: Charcoal Pine, Eucalyptus Aloe, Spring Falls, Citrus Bamboo, Lemon Sea Salt, and Desert Sage.
• Qualities of the scents: These soaps all have mild scents, and the scents are earthy, fruity, and fresh.
• My observations: I rank this set a little above the Soldier set because, in the Elements set, the names of the soaps are at least more descriptive of the actual scents of the soaps. For example, Charcoal Pine smells like pine, and Eucalyptus Aloe smells like eucalyptus. This isn’t true of the Soldier set because the names of the soaps tell you nothing about what the soap should smell like (e.g., Can you guess what Space Force Galaxy should smell like???). If you prefer earthy and fruity scents over fresh scents, you’ll prefer the Elements set. From what I’ve observed on Amazon, most men prefer the Soldier set.
Goddess (I didn’t try this set.)
• Scents: Flirt, Foxy, Divine, Tease, Glitz & Glam, and Perfect 10
• Qualities of the scents: As with the other two sets, I would expect the scents of this set to be mild. I might expect these soaps to have feminine, fresh, or flowery scents.
• My observations: As with the Soldier set, the soaps of the Goddess set all have gimmicky names. As such, you have no way of knowing what each soap should smell like. You can’t even guess from the ingredients because all Native American soaps just list “fragrance” on the ingredient list. I’ll have more to say about this below.
What is natural?
In my review for Crate 61-For Him, I explain in detail my definition of “natural.” In a nutshell, a natural soap should contain essential oils, other natural ingredients like shea butter, and no unnecessary ingredients such as the following: additives, fragrances, micas, colorants, and, of course, unpronounceable chemicals.
I evaluated over 10 brands of soap. If I were to strictly adhere to my definition of all-natural, Crate 61 is the only soap in my study that would qualify. Dr. Squatch also qualifies as all-natural, but it didn’t make my price cut (i.e., it is not economical). All other soaps fail my definition in one way or another.
All Natural American soaps have the same base ingredients: one or more of the following oils (olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil), organic shea butter, water, lye, fragrance, and colorant. Certain soaps may also have one or more of the following: sea salt, ground oatmeal, activated charcoal, peppermint leaves, or ground clove. What makes each soap bar different is the fragrance and the colorants added to it.
Be attentive and take the time to read the ingredients. Here’s what you may find on the ingredient list of a soap and what should/should not be of concern:
• Lye may be included in the ingredients under one of its many names. For example, Natural American lists lye as either “lye” or “sodium hydroxide lye.” Be aware that lye is used to make soap, but there is no lye in the final product.
• Glycerin*: I’m not an expert soap maker, but my understanding is that glycerin helps to preserve the moisture in your skin and prevents dryness. Natural American doesn’t list glycerin in its ingredients, so I don’t think it’s a glycerin-based soap (see note below).
• Oils: All soaps have one or more oils in them. Some form part of the base soap, and others are essential oils used to give the soap its scent. Natural American earns kudos for using a wide variety of oils in its soaps.
• Shea butter: This is often added to soaps to make them more moisturizing. Natural American earns bonus points for using “organic” shea butter.
• Additives: Sometimes this is listed with no further explanation. Demand to know what is added and for what purpose. Natural American earns points for not hiding ingredients under “additives.”
• Fragrance: In a natural soap, the scent should come from the essential oils in it. Thus, if only “fragrance” is listed, demand to know what was added to the soap. In this category, Natural American loses points, for it lists “fragrance” in its ingredients. Thus, we have no way of knowing what they added to the soaps to give them their scents.
• Micas: Micas are powders made of minerals. They add color and glimmer to soaps. This is an unnecessary ingredient. Natural American doesn’t use micas.
• Colorants: Demand to know exactly what is added to the soap to give it color. This, too, is an unnecessary ingredient. Natural American loses points for using colorants.
• Exfoliants: Exfoliants buff away dead skin and make skin softer, but they can also scratch, scrape, or cut the skin. For example, Natural American adds ground oatmeal to some of its soaps.
• Chemicals: These can vary from brand to brand. Natural American earns points for not using chemicals in its soaps.
*From what I read, all soaps contain glycerin, but some contain more than others. Glycerin is naturally produced as part of the soap-making process. In other words, all soaps have some glycerin. However, some soaps contain more glycerin than others. Those that have a high concentration of glycerin call themselves glycerin soaps. These are easily identifiable because they are translucent.
In the end, everyone’s definition of “natural” is different. What ingredients one is willing to live with are different. And how far one is willing to stray from one’s definition of “natural” is different. How far from YOUR definition of “all-natural” is Natural American given that it adds colorants and generic fragrances to its soaps? You’ll have to decide that for yourself.
My Favorite Scents in My Study
This is the last review that I’m posting for my six-month study of men’s soaps, so I wanted to pause for a second and give some awards for the best scents. Near the end of this review, I’ll comment on the best BRAND. That’s not what I’m doing in this section. Here I am recognizing my favorite SCENTS.
Here are my top honors. These are in no order. I would take any of these any day of the week!
• Citrus flavors
o Island Citrus by 360 Feel-Men’s
• Fruity flavors (excluding citrus)
o Papaya by Purelis-Aromatherapy
o Papaya & Mango by Purelis-Homemade
• Coconut
o Coconut by Purelis-Aromatherapy
o Coconut & Aloe Vera by Purelis-Men’s
• Eucalyptus
o Eucalyptus Aloe by Age of Sage-Masculine
o Eucalyptus Aloe by Natural American-Elements
o Eucamint (Eucalyptus & Mint) by Crate 61-For Him or Crate 61-Popular
• Mint
o Peppermint by Dr. Bronner’s
o Fresh Mint by Crate 61-Citrus
o Eucamint (Eucalyptus & Mint) by Crate 61-For Him or Crate 61-Popular
• Patchouli (men either love it or hate it)
o Patchouli by 360 Feel-Men’s
o Patchouli Lime by Crate 61-Citrus or Crate 61-For Him
• Pine Tar (men either love it or hate it)
o Pine Tar by 360 Feel-Men’s
• Tea Tree (great for deodorizing the body and keeping your skin clear)
o Tea Tree by Dr. Bronner’s
o Cedarwood & Tea Tree by Age of Sage-Masculine
• Lavender
o Lavender by Dr. Bronner’s
o Lavender by Crate 61-Dry Skin or Crate 61-Popular
Does this mean that you should immediately order these on Amazon? No! Your skin, your nose, and your preferences are different than mine. I tend to like soaps with very strong scents (e.g., pine tar and tea tree); you may prefer weaker scents. I tend to like soaps with earthy and fruity scents; you may prefer soaps with fresh scents. Furthermore, it’s funny to read how people can have completely opposite reactions to certain scents. For example, some men love the fresh, clean scent of pine tar; others detest it and say it smells too strong and stinks of pine cleaner. Some men love the earthy smell of patchouli; others can’t stand it and say it smells of rot. Same smell. Completely opposite reactions. You’ll have to discover for yourself what you like and don’t like.
Natural American Sets Versus Sets of Other Brands
Here is my list of my top 10 soaps. The percentages in parentheses are my own personal ratings.
1. Age of Sage-Masculine (85%)
2. 360 Feel-Men’s (84%)
3. Crate 61-Citrus (83%)
4. Crate 61-For Him (83%)
5. Age of Sage-Fruity (81%)
6. Crate 61-Popular (81%)
7. Crate 61-Dry Skin (80%)
8. Age of Sage-Galactic (79%)
9. Age of Sage-Macho (77%)
10. 360 Feel-Fresh (77%)
Natural American soap sets didn’t make my top ten, but they did rank in my top 25.
Here’s some general advice to help you pick the one(s) you might want to try:
1. Age of Sage-Masculine: strong earthy scents
2. 360 Feel-Men’s: moderate earthy and fruity scents
3. Crate 61-For Him: mild to moderate earthy and fruity scents
4. Age of Sage-Macho or 360 Feel-Fresh: mild to moderate fresh scents
5. Bali-Masculine: mild earthy and fruity scents
6. Purelis-Men’s: mild to moderate earthy scents
7. Natural American-Soldier: mild fresh scents
8. Natural American-Elements: mild earthy scents
I clearly prefer soaps with stronger scents, and I prefer earthy scents over fresh scents. However, your preferences might be different.
Natural American Versus Other Brands
Here’s how Natural American stacks up to other brands.
1. Crate 61 (82%)
2. Age of Sage (81%)
3. 360 Feel (80%)
4. Bali (74%)
5. Dr. Bronner’s (73%)
6. Purelis (73%)
7. Natural American (71%)
Natural American ranked in 7th place. I reiterate that these ratings reflect MY personal preferences. Your rankings could be different. In my review for Crate 61-For Him, I provide additional reflections on these brands. I think that Natural American ranked lower on my list for several reasons:
• I have very dry skin, and Natural American soaps didn’t do as good a job as others of moisturizing my skin. If dry skin isn’t a problem for you, you’d probably do quite well with Natural American soaps.
• I simply didn’t care for the scents of Natural American soaps. The Soldier set has “fresh” smells; and, as previously stated, I prefer earthy and fruity scents over fresh scents. However, if you like fresh scents, you may very well like this set, and it has plenty of positive reviews on Amazon. I preferred the Elements set because it has earthy and fruity scents; however, I felt that other brands (e.g., Crate 61, Age of Sage, and 360 Feel) had better scents.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Natural American
Here are the strengths of Natural American:
• They disclose the specific ingredients of each soap. I attached a snapshot of the ingredients of each soap for each set.
• They use organic shea butter. Most brands use regular shea butter.
• They list colorant as an ingredient. Although a natural soap shouldn’t have colorants, I’m giving Natural American credit for being honest about it. Most brands don’t list colorant as an ingredient although they use colorants in their soaps.
Here are the weaknesses of Natural American:
• They do not specify what they add as “fragrance,” and they add colorants to their soaps. (However, other brands do much worse things like add unnecessary chemicals to their soaps.)
• The scents are weak, and the scents are not as pleasing as those of other brands. On the other hand, plenty of people have given their scents favorable reviews.
• The soaps left my skin a little dry (though not as dry as other brands).
Recommendations for Natural American:
• Add a little more shea butter to your soaps to make them more moisturizing.
• Eliminate the colorants.
• Instead of using generic “fragrances” in your soaps, use and list essential oils.
• Eliminate the gimmicks and use honest names that tell you something about the scent of the soap.
Would I Buy Natural American Soaps Again?
Given that I found other options that I liked better, I probably wouldn’t buy Natural American soaps again. However, this shouldn’t dissuade you from trying it. On Amazon, plenty of people have reported being very satisfied with Natural American!
The Final Verdict
Now that I’ve completed my individual reviews of the brands in my study, I wanted to share one last list with you. My main goal in this study was to identify economical, all-natural soaps for men. All the soaps that I’ve reviewed (except for Dr. Squatch) qualify as economical. If you take a hard line on all-natural, here’s how you might rank the soaps.
1. 100% all-natural without exception: Crate 61 is the only one that would qualify without exception. (If you’re willing to pay 2-3 times more than Crate 61, Dr. Squatch would also qualify.)
2. Soaps that only add colorants: Bali is the only brand that would fall in this category. Furthermore, I believe that Bali uses natural botanicals to add color to its soaps; therefore, one might say that Bali is 95% natural. In the end, however, I would argue that colorants are an unnecessary and undesirable ingredient in an all-natural soap.
3. Soaps that add colorants and “fragrance”:
a. Age of Sage and Natural American rank about the same here. I would rank Natural American a little higher than Age of Sage because Natural American is transparent about the fact that it uses colorants. Age of Sage uses colorants but doesn’t list it in its ingredients. These two brands I might rank about 90% natural.
b. 360 Feel ranks a little lower because, in addition to using “fragrance” and colorants, it also uses “additives” that are unspecified in nature, as well as micas (minerals that add color and glimmer to soaps). 360 Feel we might rank about 80% natural.
4. Soaps that, in addition to possibly adding the above, also add chemicals or other unnecessary substances to their soaps.
a. Dr. Bronner’s adds citric acid (a preservative?) and tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) to its soaps. On the other hand, Dr. Bronner’s doesn’t add “fragrance” or colorants to its soap. Thus, I might rank Dr. Bronner’s as 75% natural.
b. Purelis adds propylene glycol (a chemical that helps the skin retain moisture) to its soaps. To me, the addition of this chemical to its soaps disqualifies Purelis as an “all-natural” soap. Thus, I might rank Purelis as 70% natural.
Here are my subjective rankings of how all-natural the soaps are:
1. Crate 61 (100%)
2. Bali (95%)
3. Age of Sage & Natural American (90%)
4. 360 Feel (80%)
5. Dr. Bronner’s (75%)
6. Purelis (70%)
Thus, if you want an economical, 100% all-natural soap, your clear choice is Crate 61. You can decide for yourself how far you’re willing to bend your definition of all-natural as you explore the other options on the list.
Of course, “all-natural” is only one of many criteria that I used to evaluate the soaps, and I’m sure that you will use other criteria as well. For example, do you like the scent of the soap? Does the soap moisturize or dry your skin? Does the soap lather well? Does it last? Etc.
Want More?
A comprehensive, overall review of these soaps is posted under Crate 61-For Him, and individual reviews are posted under each brand. You can access all the reviews in one place by looking in my profile.
• 360 Feel-Men’s (complete)
• Age of Sage-Masculine (complete)
• Bali-Men’s (complete)
• Crate 61-For Him (complete)
• Dr. Bronner (6-pack variety set) (complete)
• Dr. Squatch (10-bar, Set 2) (complete)
• Natural American-Soldier (this review)
• Purelis-Men’s (complete)
Now that my main reviews are complete, I’m going to write a few shorter reviews on other brands I tried. These brands include Soap Haven, Oliver Rocket, and Wavertree & London.
A Final Note
Now go out there and find the soap that’s right for you!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2023
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