Product Review of Hugo Naturals Handcrafted Vegan Soaps

Written by: Jennifer Claerr • Edited by: Niki Fears
Updated Jun 2, 2011

Hugo Naturals handmade vegan soaps are luxurious. Made from all-natural botanicals, they smell like a garden of pleasures. They are also cruelty-free. However, they are a bit expensive. Whether or not Hugo Naturals soaps are right for you will depend on your priorities and your finances.

Browsing Hugo Naturals Handmade, Hand-Cut Natural Soaps

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Recently, when my family and I were at Whole Foods Market, we happened upon some wonderful-smelling handmade soaps made by Hugo Naturals. The soaps are made from natural oils and botanical extracts and are cruelty-free. They had been hand cut into wavy little decorative blocks of varying shapes and sizes. We breathed in the aroma of each of the different varieties of handcrafted, vegan Hugo Naturals soap that Whole Foods had on display, and it was hard to make a decision. A wide array of scents wafted up, such as vanilla, orange, African rose, French lavender, Mexican lime and lemon verbena. Finally, I decided to get the oatmeal and shea butter Hugo Naturals soap to soothe my dry, parched hands. My 12 year old son decided that he liked the spearmint Hugo Naturals soap the best. The soaps seemed a little pricey at $19.95 per pound. However, when we went through the check-out, each small bar only came out to about $2.00.

Hugo Naturals Handmade Oatmeal and Shea Butter Soap

I placed each bar of Hugo Naturals soap in a small soap dish, one in my bathroom and the other in the bathroom my sons use. The oatmeal and shea butter soap was very pleasant smelling and very creamy and smooth to the touch. It was very soothing, and I enjoyed washing my hands with it. However, it really didn't help to solve the dry skin problem that I have with my hands. I get another brand of glycerine soap from my local dollar store which is just as effective and gentle. It's called Pears Transparent Soap, which is an all-natural hypoallergenic soap made with rosemary and thyme extracts. This soap only cost me $1, and yet I got more than twice as much soap as I did with Hugo Naturals. Like Hugo Naturals soaps, it contains no animal fats and isn't tested on animals.

Hugo Naturals Handmade Spearmint Soap

My son's Hugo Naturals handmade soap was just as pleasant as mine. A wonderful scent of spearmint would rise up every time I used it. The scent was almost therapeutic. I tried to save the soap for my son as much as possible, but he used it infrequently. One problem I ran into was that there were actual pieces of spearmint worked into the upper third of the piece of soap. The more we washed our hands with it, the more these bits of spearmint were freed from the soap base. Though they smelled nice at first, when the soap was gone they just left a mess in the soap dish. In addition, my son's wedge of Hugo Naturals soap was so small it was more like a sample than an honest to goodness soap bar.

Is Hugo Naturals Handmade Soap Right for You?

Since I'm a vegetarian, I loved the fact that Hugo Naturals handmade soaps were vegan and that they were cruelty-free. I loved the sensual quality of the soaps and the wide selection of scents and ingredients. However, on my next trip to Whole Foods I didn't feel that I could justify the expense of buying Hugo Naturals soaps again. Perhaps someday when I'm feeling a little richer, I'll indulge again. I definitely feel that Hugo Naturals soaps are an extravagant luxury item, but when used frugally and in small quantities could be affordable. If having an all natural, vegan soap made with fragrant botanicals is very important to you, then paying the price for Hugo Naturals soaps will be worth your while. If saving money is more important, then there are other all-natural vegetarian and vegan cruelty-free soaps on the market that might be more appropriate. However, if you're undecided, getting the hand-cut soaps is an excellent way to take home an inexpensive sample of Hugo Naturals.

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Image Credit: SXC.HU, Alman1962

Hugo Naturals: Handcrafted Soaps http://hugonaturals.com/organic_vegan_care_products/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178&Itemid=120