Why natural soaps?
Mass-produced soaps have been linked to skin dryness, irritation and other health issues. Even soaps labeled natural soap or organic soap are often filled with harmful additives and ingredients. As we read and understand the list of ingredients on the label, we start to realize, that the product called “soap” in fact is not a soap but a chemical by-product.
However, natural handmade soap is made with whole, unprocessed ingredients, where the ingredients are easy to understand. Natural soap has a list of benefits for your skin and health, the absence of synthetic or harsh chemicals protects your skin and make it more resistant. And not the least it is much friendlier to the environment, too.
Naturals vs Chemicals
Handmade soap is a combination of fats and lye. These fats can be animal- or plant-based. Lye in other words is sodium hydroxide. Mixing the two together with water results in saponification, or the creation of soap. Soaps need to cure, by the end of curing time water evaporates and sodium hydroxide is no longer present in a finished bar of soap. Then one of the most important results of the mixture is glycerin, a product that smoothes skin and keeps it moist.
On the other hand, many synthetic soaps are made from highly processed ingredients and chemicals. The glycerin has been removed to sell on its own or is added to other, more expensive products. To compensate for the lack of this vital component, manufacturers add in detergents to clean skin, chemicals to create foam, unnatural fragrances, dyes and more.
Many of these are toxic. Two of the most common ingredients, even in “natural” soaps, are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which are inexpensive and very effective chemical foaming agents. They clean your skin so much, that they strip it of natural oils and protectants, opening your pores to soak up toxic ingredients of laboratory made cosmetic products, most often petrolatum, paraffin, etc. When your skin absorbs a significant amount of chemicals, it has the chance to be absorbed by the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
A Treat for Your Skin
When your skin is continually dried out, it begins to overproduce oil to compensate only to find, that your skin seems oilier than ever. This can lead to acne, flaking, rosacea and other conditions you want to avoid in the first place.
Removing this oil by chemical cosmetics diminishes the natural protective barrier created by your skin. It leaves your skin dry and irritated and you feel the urge to quickly apply other chemical cosmetic products to relieve the unpleasant feeling.
Handmade natural soap helps replenish natural oils, smooth your skin and strengthen this shield. It not only doesn’t contain toxins; it actively protects against such elements. Plus, the essential oils, herbs and other ingredients added to a natural soap bar have many other health benefits.
