My friend was visiting last summer, and we happened to go into a store that sold handmade soap.
“Have you ever tried handmade soap?” he asked me. When I told him no, he said “I’m telling you… you need to try it. You’ll never use anything else again.”
I decided that it was worth a try, and purchased a 7$ bar of soap. Since then, I haven’t used anything else.
Do you know that most bars of “soap” in the store are actually called beauty bars, body bars, or moisturizing bars? This is because they are detergents, not soap. Legally, they cannot be sold as “soap” when the good ingredients have been replaced with harsh chemicals and synthetic lathering agents.
What Are The Benefits of Handmade Soap, You Ask?
Better Ingredients
Handmade soaps are usually made from vegetable oils and butters that are full of antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins. These good ingredients are essential for healthy skin. The rule of thumb is that if you can’t pronounce the ingredient, you shouldn’t be consuming it (or rubbing your naked body with it.)
The ingredients of a Dove White Beauty Bar are Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide. How many of those ingredients do you recognize, besides water?
Many of the ingredients in beauty bars are cancer-causing or toxic. Skin is very porous and will eventually absorb everything you put on it. Your body will store these toxins in your fat cells, of even your brain, which can eventually result in illness.
Better Skin
The chemicals found in the “beauty bars” at the store are known to dehydrate the skin and cause aging. On the other hand, many people swear that handmade soap can clear up problems with eczema, acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions. Most say that the switch to natural soap will almost instantly stop itchiness and dryness associated with the detergents in beauty bars.
Natural Glycerin
The companies that make the “beauty bars” typically remove the glycerin that is produced in the soap-making process. Then, they sell it to other moisturizer/lotion-manufacturing companies. This is a good thing since your skin is probably really dry from using the beauty bars. Handmade soap naturally contains glycerin, therefore it will keep your skin feeling nice and hydrated. Glycerin also produces a way better lather than those commercial “soaps.”
Cruelty-Free
It’s no secret that most big commercial companies test their products on animals. While it may not seem like a big deal to some people, it doesn’t feel good for the poor animals. The good thing with handmade soap is that you pretty much know you are supporting a business that doesn’t hurt animals. Beyond that, you are also not supporting a company underpaying kids in a sweatshop. It’s always better to spend a little more for a local company.
It Saves The Planet
Now that you know how bad the chemicals in beauty bars are for us individually, imagine how they affect the planet on a large-scale. Every time you use unnatural products in the shower, the toxins go down the drain with them. Some of these chemicals may cause cancer and reproduction disorders. Furthermore, they have been found in water purification plants.
If you are curious about the switch, the best thing you can do is give the natural soap a try. There is no commitment, but I’d be willing to bet that you wouldn’t want to go back.
Your Turn: Have you tried handmade soap? Do you use it regularly? What are your thoughts? I’d love to read your feedback in the comments section below…