A compact, biodegradable soap designed for life outdoors. Scented with a balanced blend of woodsy essential oils and made with nourishing plant oils, oat flour, and cocoa butter, this gentle bar cleanses comfortably while being mindful of the environment — a practical companion for camping, hiking, and travel.
Camping & Trail Bar was created for people who feel most at home outside. Simple, dependable, and thoughtfully made, it’s a soap you can rely on whether you’re heading into the woods, packing light for a backpacking trip, or just washing up after a long day outdoors.
The lather is creamy and gentle, spreading easily over the skin. Oat flour adds a soft, calming touch, while cocoa butter and plant oils help keep skin feeling comfortable after washing — especially welcome when you’re exposed to sun, wind, and dry air.
But what truly defines this bar is its aroma. The essential oil blend is the heart of this bar. Bright notes of citronella and lemongrass open the scent with a fresh, clean sharpness, while cedarwood and rosemary bring grounding, woodsy depth. The aroma feels crisp, outdoorsy, and energizing — the kind of scent that belongs around campfires, forest trails, and open air.
Compact and versatile, this bar is easy to pack and designed for mindful use outdoors. When used properly, it’s biodegradable and appropriate for campsite use away from direct water sources, making it a thoughtful choice for those who want to enjoy nature while respecting it.
Every ingredient in this soap is chosen for a reason. Thoughtfully combined, they work together to create something more purposeful than a basic cleanse — a carefully crafted bar made for life outdoors that goes beyond ordinary soap.
Highlights of this recipe:
Essential Oil Blend — A bold, well-balanced blend of citronella, lemongrass, cedarwood, and rosemary creates a fresh, woodsy aroma that feels clean, bright, and unmistakably outdoorsy — a defining part of what makes this soap feel at home outside.
Oat Flour — Adds a soft, calming touch to the lather, helping make outdoor cleansing more comfortable.
Cocoa Butter — Adds depth and density to the lather, providing a rich, velvety feel and contributing to the bar’s smooth, moisturizing feel on the skin.
👉 Learn more about our Aroma, Texture & Lather notes
Fresh lather. Woodsy aroma. A thoughtful soap for life out
👉 Learn More about Biodegradable Soap
Camping, Hiking, Gardening, etc:
Poison Ivy: Old-fashioned lye soap has been used for years to help with poison ivy exposure. The rash from poison ivy is due to a naturally occurring oil and invisible oil called urushiol that can be found in every part of the poison ivy plant, from leaves to sap, to stems, to roots. Urushiol is the same substance that causes a rash from poison sumac and poison oak.
Promptly removing the oily resin (urushiol) from poison ivy, oak, or sumac within the first hour or two, ideally within 30 minutes, significantly reduces your chances of getting a rash or lessens its severity, as washing quickly prevents the oil from penetrating the skin. While washing later can still help, timely removal offers the best prevention.
Use cool water, soap, and the friction of a washcloth, if possible, to thoroughly clean the exposed area.
If a water source is not available, sprinkle a few drops of water from your water bottle onto the bar and rub it over the exposed area—just be sure to rinse off the bar so that you do not spread the irritating Urushiol oil of the poison ivy plant.
You can also mash a small amount of the soap with cool water and apply the paste to the exposed area until it can be washed.
Bring a bar along on your next camping or backpacking trip to use as a body soap, shave soap, and shampoo so the scent will linger in your hair. There are many soap makers out there with good intentions who claim that their biodegradable soap or shampoo is safe to use in rivers and streams. However, even biodegradable soap can eventually pollute lakes and streams if it is not used sparingly.
The bacteria that break down natural soap are present mostly in the soil. That means that when you wash, please be sure that your soapy rinse water ends up in the soil away from freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, and streams.
Learn More Blog: Biodegradable Soap? Are Chagrin Valley Natural Soaps and Shampoo Bars Biodegradable?
There’s no substitute for nature. Together we can protect it from impacts like overuse, trash, and harming endangered wildlife by following the principles of "Leave No Trace."
The goal is simple: to Harness the Power & Simplicity of Nature® to cleanse, soothe, heal, and protect your skin and hair!
Our unique formulas rely on moisturizing oils and butters, healing botanicals, and pure essential oils. We choose every ingredient with one end-result in mind….the BEST possible natural skin care for YOU!
Organic Cedarwood Essential Oil
Organic Citronella Essential Oil
Organic Thyme Essential Oil
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*Ingredient is Fair Trade Certified ^Used in the saponification process to turn oil into soap and glycerin. None remains in the finished product.
Made with Organic Sunflower Oil, Cocoa Butter & Oats
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Overall rating: 4.85 / 5 from 20 reviews.
Review topics: ["feels","skin","smells","soap","bites","mosquitoes"].
"I have no complaints but to keep making these amazzing products they are well worth it and the price i appreciate the time and idea to come up with such helpful smelling good soaps and that are healthier option then the plastic container ones and less harmful for health thank you great products as always will continue buying more thank you!"
— Lee L. (5/5)
"This will be great for hiking as this smells really strongly of citronella."
— Susan (5/5)
"My husband and I used a bar from about three years ago, and it made a big difference with both mosquitos and ticks. Significant decrease in bites, buzzing, and only a few, very shallow tick bites. We got three NEW bars, and since the oils are fresher, it works even better. We love it. We still use sprays, because we are out here really sweating. We use far less, though, and we're pleased and relieved. Hubby and I are both very sensitive to smells, and this does not bother us at all. To me it smells faintly of Murphy's Oil Soap, reminding me of leather and horses, which I love. He also uses this as shampoo for hair and beard - still soft! So: effective, smells fine, lasts well (year to year), lasts all day (unless we wash with different soaps throughout the day), skin not dried out, and bugs seem to avoid it unless they literally fall on you. Love CVSS products!"
— Julianna C. (5/5)
"This stuff is so good!!! My family and I went deep woods backpacking in boundary waters Minnesota and we were having a horrible time keeping the mosquitos away even with constant deep woods bug spray. We used this soap to wash once and had hours of peace from the mosquitos! We started using it just straight rubbing it on our clothes and skin because it was the only thing that worked!! Amazing!"
— Als (5/5)
"Smells great and keeps mosquitoes way"
— sophia t. (5/5)
"Keeps the bugs at bay! Love the way it smells"
— Alison G. (5/5)
"Did not help with bugs. I guess it works as soap still. It no luck on avoiding bug bites"
— Chelsie L. (2/5)
"My husband love this,mosquitoes stay away now!!"
— Tammy (5/5)
"Beautiful, user-friendly website with a great variety of products - my daughter who camps and attracts mosquitoes LOVED the soap. The prices, shipping and customer service were first rate. Thanks so much, folks!"
— Karen F. (5/5)
"I have a grandson the Wisconsin mosquitoes think is a buffet and this really helped no bites after a shower with it!"
— Susanne F. (5/5)
Yes, they are!
Chagrin Valley natural soap and shampoo bars are made with natural and organic ingredients and are biodegradable when used properly.
They’re thoughtfully crafted to break down naturally in the environment, which makes them a responsible choice for everyday use and for outdoor adventures when used with care.
By definition, biodegradable means capable of being broken down by living organisms, such as naturally occurring bacteria, into simpler substances that are not harmful to the environment.
Natural soap made with plant oils, butters, and clays can biodegrade efficiently — but where and how it’s used matters.
Bringing a biodegradable soap on a camping or backpacking trip is a wonderful way to stay comfortable and refreshed outdoors. However, even biodegradable soap should never be used directly in lakes, rivers, or streams.
You may see claims online suggesting that biodegradable soap or shampoo is safe to use directly in rivers and streams.
While these claims are often made with good intentions, they overlook an important part of how biodegradation actually works.
The bacteria responsible for breaking down natural soap live primarily in soil, not water.
That means soap — even biodegradable soap — breaks down most effectively when it comes into contact with organic soil, not freshwater sources.
Even biodegradable soap will pollute lakes and streams if it is not used properly.
So while our soaps are biodegradable, they are designed for mindful outdoor use, not for bathing, washing dishes, or cleansing directly in natural water sources.
A few simple practices help protect waterways and support natural breakdown:
These methods help surround the soap with organic matter, speed up decomposition, and reduce runoff.
Yes — when used responsibly.
Many commercial soaps, body washes, shampoos, and dish detergents contain synthetic surfactants, artificial fragrances and colors, and chemical preservatives.
Since these ingredients do not break down quickly, traces can persist in the environment for many, many years and can have a potential negative impact on plants and animals.
A biodegradable natural soap made with plant-based ingredients breaks down more readily when exposed to soil bacteria, making it a far better choice for outdoor use — as long as it’s used thoughtfully and away from waterways.
Biodegradable doesn’t mean anywhere.
It means used with intention and respect for nature.
That philosophy is at the heart of how we make our soaps — and how we encourage them to be used.
There’s no substitute for nature. Together, we can protect it from impacts like overuse, trash, and harming endangered wildlife by following the principles of "Leave No Trace."
Saying a soap is "handmade" says nothing about quality of the ingredients or the knowledge and skill of the soapmaker!
Chagrin Valley is not just another soap and skincare company. We are committed to healthy skin, healthy people and a healthy planet.
We are a USDA Certified Organic Company specializing in luxurious, organic, handmade natural soaps and shampoo bars rich in natural glycerin for healthier skin and hair.
It's all about the ingredients! Inspired by our love of nature, we use organic herbs, seeds, flowers, vegetables, fragrant spices, fruits, pure essential oils and purifying clays for their exceptional skincare benefits and to provide natural color, aromatherapy, texture, or gentle exfoliation. Nothing artificial, nothing synthetic, no GMO’s, just natural wholesome ingredients.
Our soap making process uses only natural and organic ingredients. Why add artificial ingredients to a handmade product?
"Are All Handmade Soaps The Same?"
"12 Reasons to Use Natural Soap"
We sometimes receive emails that go like this:
The good news is that when you purchase natural soap from an organic skincare company, it is scented with only pure essential oils.
The bad news is that when you purchase natural soap from an organic skincare company, it is scented with only pure essential oil.
The scent of an essential in any totally natural product can and will change over time and from batch to batch.
Essential oils come from nature. The quality and scent of essential oils are affected by yearly weather conditions and varies from crop to crop and region to region.
This makes it very difficult to produce finished products in which the scents are always exactly the same.
Most commercial soaps (and skincare products), even some of the "natural" ones that contain some essential oils, are made with at least some synthetic fragrances oils, nature identical oil, or natural fragrance oil. Using any synthetic fragrance ensures a more consistent scent.
Essential oils are temperamental to work under any circumstance. But while a natural essential oil scent blend may change a bit in a cream or oil, these blends are especially unpredictable when making cold processed natural soap.
After all my years of soap making in never ceases to amaze me just how much the actual soap making process changes the scent of an essential oil blend.
Natural Soap and Essential Oils
Why We Use Only Real Plant Essential Oils?
Natural Fragrance Oil? . . . Really?
Why Are Synthetic Fragrance Oils So Popular?
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