Pricing: The good and the bad news

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Jessie Yoh | 0 Comments

Because everyone loves good news first, we're thrilled to announce that we're now able to offer free shipping for orders above $10! Understanding that the shipping cost relative to a bar of soap is high at really any price, we wanted to do everything that we could to minimize shipping costs. We started out with a flat shipping rate of $5.99 and cut that price down to $2.99 a couple of months after. While many were happy to see this lower price tag, it also meant that we were absorbing the balance of this cost. We had hoped for larger soap orders to offset this balance, but honestly, there were still quite a few one bar purchases. As a result, this made us rethink our strategy.

Throughout numerous encounters with folks at craft fairs and reviews from our online purchasers, many of our customers were surprised to see the relatively low price of our bars compared to other all natural, handmade bars. Our goal was to always provide an affordable luxury, all natural soap bar for any middle class American, but sadly, the time has come for us to raise our prices. So here comes the bad news- starting tonight, we've raised our prices. To ensure complete transparency, here are the three main reasons that we factored into this long decision.

1. The cost of oils has significantly shot up in the past year. One of our primary ingredients is coconut oil. Since we started the bare soaps concept in August 2012, the cost of coconut oil has increased by nearly 60%! Yes, 60%!! Other oils, such as olive, palm, and shea butter, have also increased. Given the recent hype for coconut oils (ahem oil pulling), we expect this price to continue to rise, and this makes it difficult for us to continue to price our bars at the $4.99 price point. Furthermore, our costs are slightly more elevated than other soap companies, given that we've chosen to use plantable packaging.
2. Because of the rising costs in oils, the portion of proceeds that we invest in Kaberamaido, Uganda has fallen from our initial estimates. By raising our prices, your impact is magnified as we have more to invest. Our sole intention for starting bare soaps was grounded in our desire to help Kaberamaido become self sustainable through the trade of soapmaking. Clare and I both have full time jobs, so neither of us take any compensation from this venture.
3. This price increase is now able to support our promise of free shipping for orders $10 and above. Effectively, we have built in the cost of shipping as well as the cost of rising ingredients into the new prices. This free shipping still includes the 2-3 day priority shipping from USPS and a tracking number. As we typically ship our orders the next business day, you should still receive your soap quite quickly.

For many of you, this price increase may seem natural (and even expected) but for others, it may hit you like sticker shock. While our intent is to use this business as a means to accomplish a non-profit mission, our first and foremost focus is you. Our customers are the drivers of impactful change in Kaberamaido, and we sincerely welcome any feedback you may have. If you plan on ordering in bulk (ie 10 bars and above), please feel free to contact us at for wholesale pricing.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us should you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Happy washings,
Clare & Jessie

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