Clean & Smart
The “clean” beauty movement started out as a great idea but has fallen prey to the cult of misinformation. It’s true that our modern lives are heavily reliant on many fast, cheap, and harmful synthetic ingredients. On the other hand, just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it’s good. At Rub, we want to be clean and smart. We prefer natural ingredients but sometimes natural is not the smart choice. Sandalwood, for example, has been harvested to near extinction for its precious oil and all-natural mica is often mined by children as young as four. When natural ingredients do more harm than good, or simply don’t exist, we turn to responsible synthetic options.
Palm-Free
At Rub, we are proud to say that all Rub products are completely palm-free. Palm oil isn’t bad. It’s a much better choice for soaps and cosmetics than petroleum-based ingredients and better for food than saturated fats. Problems arise when the billion-dollar cosmetic/personal care industry and the trillion-dollar processed food industry both descend on the same natural resource at the same time. Palm oil is everywhere – from granola bars to lipstick - and the palm oil industry is one of the leading causes of deforestation and habitat destruction. The oil is now often called, “Conflict Palm Oil”, as palm oil companies forcefully remove indigenous peoples and local communities from their land for new palm oil plantation development. Rub Soap is a tiny company and our refusal to use palm oil has no impact on these huge conglomerates. Many have asked us, why we bother since it won’t make a difference either way. We answer that it makes a difference to us. We are part of a growing movement of people unwilling to accept the status quo and supporting the budding market of palm-free alternatives.
Environmental Sustainability
At Rub, we believe that you shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in your products or be concerned about how they were made. That’s our job. We source natural, organic, and fair-trade materials whenever possible. Our packaging is made from glass, metal, or paper materials, with as little plastic as possible. We are always evaluating our environmental impact and strive to make improvements in our sustainability practices. Finally, we are fiercely vigilant against greenwashed suppliers and producers, constantly researching ingredients and investigating the supply chain to give you confidence that Rub soap products are good for you, good for the planet, and good for the communities and people in between.
Vegan, Except for the Beeswax
Nearly everything made at Rub is completely plant-based. All rub soaps and body butters are entirely vegan but when it comes to lip balms, nothing beats beeswax. We are always looking for substitutes that perform just as well and when we find a winning formula we will make the switch.
