Natural Soaps Are The Next Best Thing For Your Health and Beauty

They said to wash your hands, but the most common type out there contained triclosan (banned in 2016, but there are still products out there with it), which alter hormones. They told you to wash your clothes, but most detergents have artificial scents that can irritate your lungs. They told you to clean your floors, sinks, and other surfaces, but the alcohol, bleach, and other chemicals destroy the surfaces and make you cough.

So, what are you going to do?

You don't need all of those harsh chemicals to have a good soap. In fact, throughout the history of soap, harsh chemicals didn't exist. It's only when we wanted things to go bigger, faster, and more industrial that we ended up with chemicals in our soaps.

Maybe it's time to get back to basics.

The Big Difference Between Natural And Chemical Based Soaps

 

The modern natural soap movement started with small crafters making soap how they did for thousands of years. A mixture of lye and fats created a blend that produced the substance that made cleaning easier when it hardens. Then, they mixed in oils, flowers, herbs, and other natural items that help make it smell very nice.

Modern soaps rely on the chemicals that produce bubbles. Many contain some variation of sodium lauryl sulfate that helps break down fats and oils to wash away easier. These types of soaps and chemicals do work very well, cleaning things very thoroughly. But, what are they doing to our skin?

In the case of shampoos, these harsher chemicals are breaking down the oils and sapping our skin, scalp, and hair follicles of their natural moisture. It's making them brittle, dry, and cracked. That's why you need the additional conditioner to put some back in.

The natural soaps and their fat base restore some of the fats and oils stripped from your skin. It helps leave your natural protective layer on you that supports healthy skin.

What's even more critical is the bacterial killing ability of the soap. Natural soaps are not antibacterial. In fact, they support the natural probiotic bacteria on your skin. This probiotic layer helps prevent many bacteria and viruses from entering wounds and preventing infection.

What Natural Soaps Do For Your Skin and Beauty Regimen

 

Most people should be washing their hands several times a day because your hands often contact the world during the day. Most dermatologists and aestheticians recommend washing your face in the morning after you sleep and before you go to bed. Washing your body is essential to get sweat and dirt off you.

What the natural soaps will help you do is take the harshness out of those washes. They can leave behind the oils that help nourish your skin and protect it. In some cases, you can get natural soaps that have essential oils or herbs in them that can calm you (lavender), invigorate you (peppermint), help clear your mind (sage), or relieve irritation (oatmeal).

When you turn to cleaning the rest of your house, look more natural. A mixture of baking soda and vinegar is excellent for cleaning most surfaces. It helps remove dirt and debris. Vinegar is also very effective at destroying bacteria, such as E. coli, and breaking down viruses.

The best part about these natural products is their gentleness on all surfaces. So, if your pet walks across a wet floor cleaned with baking soda and vinegar, the worst they're going to experience is a bad taste in their mouth.

How To Find Good Natural Soaps

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It's not that hard to find natural soaps. As we're getting back to seeing fairs, festivals, and celebrations occurring this summer, we're going to find more local vendors out selling their wares. Many times, you will find at least one small business owner who makes their own soap. They're often made in small batches and by hand.

Many smaller, local shops will carry these same soaps. By supporting the local businesses, you're supporting the local economy.

You can find some natural soaps in larger big box stores, but we recommend using caution here. Some of them carry the natural soap label but were made by companies that produce chemical soaps. They may have slipped in chemicals that you don't want.

We do want to warn you that you may be surprised by the price. If you're used to buying the chemical base soap in the store, where you can get three bars for a dollar, you're going to be shocked paying $3-5 per bar. But, think about what you're getting.

Most of the time, the natural soaps will last longer. They often weigh more and are bigger than the commercial soaps, and are much denser. You get more washes out of each bar of soap. Additionally, you don't have all those extra chemicals. Your skin will be healthier and your body healthier by avoiding those chemicals. The higher price is an investment in your health.

We hope you take the time to start exploring different options of using natural soaps. They're healthier for you, better for the economy, and are lovely to use. Take a chance, and we're sure you'll enjoy some of the new and exciting things you'll find using natural soap.