13 September 2010- With all types of health problems and deteriorating condition of our environment, we have come to know that natural is good for both – ourselves and our planet. This rule also applies to soaps we use for body cleansing purposes. All natural soaps- including organic soaps or herbal soaps and even handmade soaps- have many benefits that the commercial soaps do not have. In this article, we are going to discuss not only benefits of natural soaps but also the reasons for these advantages. Apart from knowing these natural soap benefits, you will also know what type of natural soaps to look for when you go shopping for them!
There are many benefits of natural soaps which mainly result from the natural soap ingredients used for making them like olive, coconut, palm, sunflower, rice bran, castor and soya bean oils. The soap manufacturing process used for making natural soaps also decide how far they will prove to be beneficial.
It is known to all that 'all natural soaps' do not contain synthetic lathering agents, artificial colors and other harsh chemicals and therefore do not strip our skin of its natural oils. This leaves our skin softer and smoother compared to dry and itchy when using commercial bar soaps. The commercial soaps, on the other hand, have such ingredients as animal fats, alcohols, esthers (which are known carcinogenics), low grade oils, wax and fillers which are not only bad for our skin, but they also have adverse environmental implications on the planet. Many medicated soaps like antibacterial and antimicrobial soaps even contain triclosan which is a toxic chemical known to cause cancer.
Commercial soap manufacturers make their soaps through saponification which is the common soap manufacturing process. However, all glycerine is removed from these soaps while they are going through the saponification process. The soap making companies sell the removed glycerin in the market. Glycerin is highly profitable and 'much in demand' substance for making lotions and moisturizers. Natural soaps are not made to loose glycerin and thus they are soft and soothing to our skin.
As mentioned earlier also, the commercial soaps contain chemicals and toxins that have much wider environmental implications than can be thought by us. These chemicals not only go deep down our skin (our skin is porous and absorbent and thus absorbs whatever it comes in contact leading to toxin accumulation in our bodies), but are also finding their way into our eco-system. When the soap scum goes down the drain, they pollute everything. Some of such environment destroyers include phthalates and parabens that have been linked to reproductive disorders and cancer respectively.
No! After reading the above mentioned benefits of natural soaps, you might be thinking that every soap labeled natural is beneficial. It is not so! There are many factors that go to make a natural soap beneficial including its ingredients and soap making process. We'll tell you how to select the best natural soap to get all its advantages.
There are three common soap making processes- "melt and pour," "hot process" and "cold process." Natural soaps made with "melt and pour" process are usually glycerine based transparent soaps. They are not as harmful as the commercial soap bars but they can not be called "all natural soap." The hot process method uses heat after saponification is over which again takes away some of the benefits of the natural soaps. Cold process method uses such ingredients as oils or fats and lye. Although lye gives an impression that the natural soap doesn't remain good, its all caustic properties are removed during the saponification process. In fact, when lye interacts with oils or fats, it creates glycerine. By far, natural soaps made with cold process methods are best as far as benefits are concerned.
The type of oils and fats used for making natural soaps will decide the quality of the soap. Thus read the labels carefully and just don't go by the bold lettered "organic soap" or "handmade soap" logos. We have already discussed the ingredients of cold process soap. You must buy natural soaps that use only pure, organic oils or fats. If the labels inform about using herbal ingredients like plants, seeds and petals, ensure that they are certified organic. Bars using artificial colors or fragrances are not what you should look for. If anyhow looking for a colored or scented natural soap, select the one that uses organic essential oils and natural, organic colorants.
So, you get the best benefits of natural soaps when you buy a handmade, organic, all natural cold process soap!
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