We’ve all seen them: sleek bottles lined up on department store shelves, promising to erase wrinkles, calm inflammation, and make your skin glow like moonlight. But here’s the real question—what are you actually paying for in that $150 serum? And what’s really inside? The hidden costs of beauty products are usually in the branding, not in the products themselves.
This post isn’t just about the inflated cost of beauty products. It’s about uncovering the truth behind the price tag, the ingredients hiding in plain sight, and why we created Soap and Serum as a safer, more honest alternative.
It Started with an Itchy Scalp and a Book That Changed Everything
Before Soap and Serum existed, I was just a frustrated mum trying to solve a painful problem. I had an itchy, scabby scalp that no product could fix—and my son’s eczema was getting worse, not better.
I started digging and came across a book called The Safe Shopper’s Bible. It exposed the truth about the “trusted” products we were using daily. What I found shocked me: synthetic preservatives, hormone disruptors, petroleum derivatives, and ingredients banned in other countries—all hidden behind labels claiming to be “natural” or “gentle.”
That was the turning point.
I threw out everything. Changed our food. Switched our cleaning products. Started making my own skin and hair remedies. And when I looked at the prices we’d paid for those ineffective, chemical-laden products? I realized how broken the system really was.
What You’re Really Paying for in Conventional Beauty Products
Let’s strip back the label and break down the costs behind most mainstream skincare:
1. Marketing & Influencers
On average, 80% of the price goes into advertising. Glossy campaigns, influencer sponsorships, affiliate kickbacks, SEO budgets, and social media ads—it’s all baked into the cost of your product.
2. Fancy Packaging
That gold-foiled jar or dropper bottle? It might look luxe, but it doesn’t help your skin. Custom packaging runs up costs—and gets passed straight to the customer.
3. Retail Markups
If a product sells for $150, it’s often only cost a fraction of the retail to make. A bottle of $150 serum might cost $5 or $6 to produce. The rest goes to retail markups, licensing deals, and distributors.
4. Royalties & Licensing Fees
Celebrity collaborations and dermatologist endorsements aren’t free. You’re often paying a royalty fee per unit just for the name on the box.
5. Labelling, Legal, and Pharma Claims
Many brands add “clinically tested” or “dermatologist approved” labels that require expensive testing—not necessarily to prove efficacy, but to comply with marketing laws and claims regulation.
6. Fillers & Synthetic Ingredients
Water, silicones, petroleum derivatives, stabilizers—many products are bulked out with cheap base ingredients that offer little skin benefit but increase profit margins and shelf life.
Why We Created Soap and Serum: A Safer, Cleaner, More Honest Alternative
After years of making my own products out of necessity, I realized this could help more than just my family. That’s why Soap and Serum was born.
We don’t do fancy packaging or celebrity branding. What we do is invest in ingredients—real botanical ingredients that feed, heal, and nourish your skin. Our products are handcrafted in micro batches using slow infusions, cold-pressed oils, and zero fillers.
Here’s what makes us different:
1. We Grow or Source Botanicals With Intention
We use native and natural botanicals like kawakawa, calendula, rose, and chickweed—grown locally or wildcrafted with care. These take time, not shortcuts. No commercial extracts or watered-down powders—just whole plants, dried and prepared traditionally.
2. Slow Infusions, Not Chemical Extracts
Our oil infusions take weeks, not hours. We use time-honored methods like solar infusion and gentle maceration to preserve every drop of potency. This is the opposite of industrial processing.
3. No Water, No Filler
Every drop in our serums is active. You’re not paying for water or synthetic stabilizers. We use high-performance oils like rosehip, tomato seed, sacha inchi, and borage that deliver vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids to support skin health. We also use hydrosol instead of water where possible so you get maximum potency in your products.
4. Handmade in Micro Batches
Each product is poured, blended, and bottled by hand. That means fresher formulas, seasonal flexibility, and true quality control—not mass manufacturing.
5. Minimal, Earth-Conscious Packaging
No excess boxes. No plastic seals. Just glass packaging that can be reused or recycled. Because good skincare shouldn’t cost the earth.
Our labels are as cost effective as we can get them, so we can keep the cost of your product as low as possible, and provide the most potency and skin benefits.
The Cost Comparison: What You Pay For vs. What You Get
| Category | Conventional Skincare | Soap and Serum |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Filler oils, water, synthetics | Potent, active botanicals only |
| Cost Allocation | 60–1000% marketing and packaging | 60–80% ingredients and formulation |
| Production | Outsourced, bulk made | Handcrafted in small batches |
| Shelf Life | Stabilized for 3+ years | Naturally preserved through formulation |
| Results | Diluted actives, slow/short-term | Concentrated, visible, long-term support |
| Packaging | Glossy, non-recyclable | Minimal, recyclable |
So Why Do Clean Products Still Seem “Expensive”?
Because they’re actually made with real ingredients. Botanical oils like sea buckthorn, carrot seed, and sacha inchi cost exponentially more than water, glycerin, or paraffin. And we don’t buy in bulk from global labs—we support growers and producers who do it the right way.
We don’t dilute. We don’t cut corners. We don’t follow trends. We follow what works.
A Final Word
The beauty industry thrives on confusion. Mysterious ingredients, inflated claims, and $2 worth of content sold for $200. But the tide is turning—and you deserve better.
Soap and Serum is here to offer safer, more conscious alternatives. We know what it’s like to have your skin react to hidden chemicals. We’ve been there—itchy, inflamed, exhausted from trying to decode labels.
We built this brand out of necessity, but it’s grown into something much bigger. It’s skincare rooted in truth, not trends. It’s an investment in you—not in marketing fluff.
Ready to choose safer, simpler skincare?
Browse our handcrafted serums and salves—made with purpose, not preservatives.
Shea Butter Cleanser | Jasmine Shea Butter Cleanser
