The product: Godai Soap Bar Complete Gift Set
↳ Water (moisturizing), Earth (cleansing), Fire (rejuvenating), Wind (nourishing), and Sky/Void (calming)
Do you ever have months where everything just feels like a struggle? That’s this month, for me. (And, honestly, last month, too.) I’ve been meaning to get this Godai soap review up for months (you may have already seen the bars in a flatlay here or there on theNotice), but I’m just not getting it right.
I honestly just like soap
Soap bars are pretty basic, but I love using the “natural” ones. I always find them to be a little less stripping than basic bars of Dove or Olay, and while I do like both Dove and Olay soap bars, it makes me happy to be able to support a small company instead. I go through bar soap so slowly that it doesn’t even come close to impacting my budget: sure, 6 bars of vegan soap may cost $40 instead of $10, but when you’re only going through two bars a year… it’s a difference of literally less than a dollar a month.
It’s a small, frivolous way to justify getting to use eco-friendly soap, but I’m comfortable with it.
Especially if it lets me element-type
As an air type (Godai’s Wind), I can be incredibly flighty. Commitment can be tough for me. I tend to live in fear of the knowledge that I’m unlikely to un-commit from things once I’ve wholeheartedly committed.
But bar soap is easy. These ones are cruelty-free and vegan; certified organic in the US. My one apprehension comes from the fact that they’re designed around the Japanese element types, but the brand is based in Salt Lake City. I’m about as enthusiastic about elemental typing (read: very!) as I am about making sure we don’t culturally appropriate things, so… Tread carefully. If you want to pay your respects to Japanese culture, there are quite literally hundreds of Japanese brands that will help you do so!
Godai Bar Soap & Shampoo for travelling
Worry aside, I was drawn to these soap bars for one big reason: they’re dual-marketed as shampoo bars. I’ve only used them as shampoo bars a few times (I just keep forgetting!), but they have a beautiful lather. Like the shampoo bars I’ve tried from companies like Lush, it’s dense with a tightly-packed foam. I use the direct wash method that the brand describes on their site, and I’ve honestly never struggled with it or been left waiting on an adjustment time.
I prefer the saponified oils of Godai’s soap and shampoo bars over the Lush ones because of their convenience. They leave my hair and scalp in about the same condition (tight; squeaky-clean), but are easier to work with. Soap bars are always a joy to slice, and I think it would make them perfect for travelling: separately pack one small slice per location and you’ll never have to deal with soap goop or liquid storage.
Unlike compressed shampoo bars (again, see: Lush), Godai’s soap bars are actually designed to function as body soap. They’re smoother and richer, and they don’t scrape against your legs as you desperately try to remove your week-old stubble in a tepid Airbnb bath. I’ve kept the nourishing Wind bar at my sink side for a consistent half year, and it performs on par with other organic bar soap: a little stripping, leaving your hands clean and smooth.
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Disclaimer: These soap bars were gifted for editorial consideration… many, many moons ago. I have yet to travel with them, as I didn’t figure out that I could until much too late in the season!
