The Benefits of Natural Soap Your Skin will Observe the Change

Soap has changed a lot from what it used to be. Many soaps sold on shelves at supermarkets have more in common than soap that contains washing powder. Disagree? We disagree? Today there are very few true soaps that are available. The majority of body wash products both solid and liquid, are synthetic detergent products. This was something we found to be quite surprising. Let's find out if you agree.

Two very different soaps

The process of making soap is mixing together oils or fats and the chemical lye. The process is called saponification and the result is a combination of Moisturizing Body Butter and glycerin. The use of olive oil leaves elements of olives, using coconut oil leaves components of coconut, and the list goes on. You can add other natural ingredients such as Shea butter to nourish your skin or oatmeal to provide exfoliating properties. Nothing should be removed and no synthetic chemicals have to be added. This pure soap is fine just as it is.

On the other side we can find the mass-produced detergents. Let's call these synthetic soaps. They're stripped of their most important ingredient, glycerin. It is removed following the saponification process. Glycerin is a natural humectant that draws water to the skin and is recognized as a soothing emollient. Unscrupulous soap manufacturers remove the glycerin from their soap to sell or for use in more expensive products. They often then include synthetic ingredients, detergents foaming agents, chemical fragrances to the glycerin lacking soap to mimic the properties of the ingredients that were removed.

From trash to traditional

There was an era when soap was handmade. The traditional way to create soap was, and is called the cold process. After the soap mix has been prepared it's placed in molds to saponify for one day, then taken out to dry for the duration of a day, and then cut into bars of soap and allowed to cure for up to a month. It's as pure as soap gets and this is the way we make our soap here at Hemp body butter. In the 19th century after it was realized that Glycerin could be extracted from soap everything changed.

The development of industrial manufacturing saw the elimination of small soap makers. Larger companies were able to extract substantial amounts of glycerin from soaps and sell it or utilize it in other products that were more lucrative. Glycerin, for instance, is an essential ingredient for nitroglycerin, the explosive used in dynamite, and there was much demand for it by the beginning of 20th century. The glycerin-free soap became a byproduct, blended with synthetic chemicals to imitate true soap, and was priced much lower than traditional handmade soap makers.

What you don't really need

Look over the ingredients list for an average bar of soap in your local store. It may contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) which is an anionic surfactant that is used in laundry detergents, which can dry out and cause irritation to your skin. It could also be a source of sodium laureth-sulfate which is a common foaming agent that can be contaminated with Dioxane.

If it's marked as antibacterial it is likely to contain triclosan. The chemical is classified as a pesticide by the Environmental Protection Agency. Triclosan is present in three quarters of all antibacterial liquid soaps, and one third of all antibacterial bar soaps. This chemical is believed to be responsible for the rise in resistance to bacterial around the globe. This chemical can get into our waterways and interfere with the photosynthesis of algae. It accumulates within the fat tissue of fish and moves throughout the food chain.

The Only Thing You Really Want Naturally

A variety of natural oils, butters and plant extracts can be used in genuine natural body soap products that will benefit your skin and overall health. Take coconut oil, with it's moisturizing and disinfectant properties, and vitamin E, which is vital for healthy skin. Shea butter is another alternative and has been used since the days of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. Eucalyptus is a natural source of antibacterial and antifungal qualities. The leaves of peppermint may be used to help with congestion, and can create an invigorating and fresh scent. Real soaps don't have to just clean you and improve your health and feel better as well.