Who doesn’t love to step into the shower, get that temperature just right and wash the day’s worries away by reaching for the detergent? Wait – what? Who put the dishwashing liquid in my shower?
Until my son’s allergy popped up (that sounds casual, doesn’t it? As if it dropped around for coffee), I had no idea that the oh-so-wonderfully-perfumed body wash I was using was really no better for my skin than dishwashing liquid. I mean, soap is soap is soap, right? Uh…apparently not, but now I know and I’m never going back.
Soap has been around for thousands of years in various forms, but modern versions are actually more akin to dishwashing detergents than true soap. Actually, they are detergents. Traditionally, soap was made by mixing fats/oils with wood ash and water. The mixture would heat up in a process called saponification and the result was fatty acid salts (soap) and glycerin. We like glycerin. Glycerin acts as a humectant which means it helps your skin to retain moisture and stay hydrated. It is also an emollient which means it helps to keep your skin soft as soft can be. That was then.
This is now. Modern, mass-produced soaps and body washes remove the glycerin to increase shelf life as well as adding synthetic lathering agents, stabilisers and fragrances. Does this improve the product for our use? No, it simply makes the product more robust for mass production, creates lots of bubbles, and means it can sit on the shelf for years. Does soap actually need these additives? Also no. Soap was working just fine before we added these synthetic chemicals.
Not only do detergent cleansers (a.k.a. synthetic soap bars and body washes) provide zero benefits to our largest organ, many also contain chemicals that are harmful to our bodies and we wash them down the drain, into our environment. Chemicals such as phthalates (linked to reproductive disorders in humans and animals), parabens (linked to cancer) and Sodium Laurel Sulphate which is a lathering agent and is also a known carcinogen.
Some people don’t like bar soap because they believe it will dry their skin. Bar soap sold in stores can dry the skin because it is not real soap and contains the aforementioned synthetic ingredients, and worse. Some of these synthetic ingredients can definitely irritate the skin and cause dryness and other issues. We all know it is a good idea to use gloves when washing dishes to protect the skin on our hands. Yet, we have all been more than happy to use synthetic body washes and soaps everyday all over our bodies. They are nothing more than synthetic detergent cleansers, but they make great bubbles and boy do they strip the dirt off! The problem is, they are drying and harsh on the skin and provide no benefits.
Buddhawood Body and Soul makes natural soap. Actual soap. It cleanses your skin beautifully, using natural ingredients to lift dirt and grime off the skin without the harshness of detergent cleansers. Our soap bars don’t need synthetic ingredients to create fantastic lather, we use just the right formulation of natural ingredients to achieve a lather to behold. If it’s bubbles you want, Buddhawood Body and Soul has you covered, naturally!
Natural soap is gentle on the skin because we use nourishing fats and oils that hydrate your skin. We also superfat. Sounds unhealthy, but it means that our formulations include extra fats/oils on top of those used in the saponification process. So the hydrating and nourishing nutrients, such as fatty acids, vitamin E and anti-oxidants that are found in the natural fats/oils remain in the soap…and don’t forget the glycerin.
The natural additives we incorporate in our natural soaps have benefits of their own. Clays are terrific for drawing out impurities and contain minerals to support healthy skin. Botanical-infused oils, essential oils with incredible scents (not synthetic fragrances) all contain nutrients that our skin loves. It all comes from nature. The simplicity is beautiful.
Did I mention the lather?
