Natural soap is made from natural ingredients. Natural soap cleansers do not contain harsh ingredients or detergents that can irritate sensitive skin.
An Effective Personal And Household Cleanser
Natural soap is a green cleaning alternative to detergent based cleansers. Natural soap has been used for centuries as an effective natural cleanser. Natural soap that is handcrafted can be enhanced with ingredients that benefit the skin and clean the home.
Soap's History Lost To The Ages
Natural soap has been made and used throughout history. The origin of soap is unknown though writings from ancient Babylonia do contain references to a soap like substance. Different cultures used soap and it became a precious commodity during the Middle Ages when the secret of making soap was not widely known.
By the colonial period, women were making soap every fall. This soap was a gel like substance that was kept in barrels. When soap became mass-produced, people began to buy it instead of making soap themselves. In recent years, handcrafted soap has become valued again. When you buy natural soap, you can even use it to make liquid soap or bubble bath.
Free From Detergent Cleansers And Harsh Chemicals
Natural soap does not contain any harsh ingredients or detergents so it is okay for the environment. Detergents and the harsh ingredients contained in many commercial soaps can irritate the skin. It only takes a little bit of detergent to cause a fish kill. Switching to natural soap can be healthier for you and the environment.
A Chemical Change
Natural soap is made from oil, lye and water. By mixing these ingredients, a reaction occurs and a change happens to the mixture. This change is called saponification. The oil neutralizes the lye as the mixture blends thoroughly. The water evaporates off the soap to provide bars of soap through a curing or cooking process after the oil, lye and water are blended to the trace stage. Natural soap may be made into a liquid soap through the soap making process or by melting a natural cleansing bar in hot water.
Digital Measuring Scales For Accurate Measurement
To produce mild soaps that are suitable as face, hand and body cleansers, a precise measure of lye must be added to the oil to enable the saponification of all the oil in the natural soap recipe. Too much lye can result in a harsh and crumbly soap.
The lye is carefully measured so that just enough lye is added to saponify the oils or fats. Soap is a salty fat and is considered a surfactant because it cleans surfaces. Soap can be used for personal and household purposes including fine washables and laundry.
To Saponify Or Not To Saponify
Handcrafted soaps can be super-fatted during the soap making process. A super-fatted soap has been made with extra oil that is not saponified and remains in the soap to soften and protect the skin. Herbs, essential oils, fruits, exotic vegetable butters, oils, baking soda, pine tar, vegetables, clay and other natural ingredients can be added to a handcrafted soap for many nutritious and soothing benefits to the skin.
Glycerin, A Skin Softening By-Product
When natural soap is handcrafted, it retains a natural skin softening ingredient called glycerin. Glycerin is a natural by-products of the soap making process. In some commercial soaps, the glycerin is removed from the mixture and used in the manufacture of glycerin soap. You can see the glycerin as a colorless gel on a wet bar of soap.
Natural soap is an effective and natural alternative to detergents. Natural soap is less harmful to the environment. The fact that natural soap has been used for many centuries points to the fact that quality natural soap is mild to the skin. By choosing a handcrafted natural soap, you can pamper your skin and the environment.
