Why You Should Use Natural Soap
Why Use Natural Soap?
Most hygiene products found in shops and supermarkets rarely list their products as being soap or containing soap, yet many of these products we just assume or refer to them as soap. These body washes, hand washes, lotions, scrubs and gels cannot be sold as soaps. This is because they are detergents, why do they not use soap? They don't use soap because detergents are cheaper, then to imitate soap they add in other chemicals such as lathering agents. These chemicals tend to be bad for the environment and the truth is they are not too great for your skin either.
A few people on the extreme end of the spectrum when it comes to skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin and dermatitis, they know all too well the horrors caused by commonly sold hygiene products and are then recommended to buy moisturises. That is capitalism at work ladies and gentlemen, the people who know better with these conditions make the switch to natural soap and their conditions improve drastically.
In fact commercial manufacturers tend to purposely leave out moisturising ingredients such as vegetable glycerine, which is a main ingredient in natural soap bars, to boost sales of moisturising products. Many brands that you see on the shelves are actually owned by huge companies that give the illusion of competition and choice. If you did not know that already I recommend having a look at which companies own which brands, it is quite eye opening and it is the same across many different markets. These huge companies are structured in such a way that profit is priority, they do not care if their products give people skin conditions or ruin the environment or source child labour in third world countries as long as the money rolls in. So teach them a lesson and buy natural soap, hit them where it hurts and that for them is the bank.
Why Shop Bought Hygiene Products Cause Skin Conditions
Eczema, psoriasis, sensitive skin and dermatitis are all conditions which are created or made worse by the majority of shop bought shower and bathing products. One of the main culprits that these products contain is a cheap detergent and lathering agent called SLS or Sodium lauryl sulfate. It is common practice to put SLS in imitation soaps, shampoos and toothpaste. It is kind of a miracle ingredient if you have no ethics, as it does the job of multiple ingredients for a fraction of the cost. The detergent aspect of SLS means that is breaks down oils, the problem is that it breaks down oils a little too well. When I say a little too well I actually mean allot too well. Your skin has a natural layer of oil on the surface of the skin, which keeps the skin moisturised and protects you from infections and allergens. Remove too much of this natural oil on your skin and then you end up with dry skin and even allergic to things you would not normally have to worry about.
Recognise the terms fragrance or parfum from the ingredients list on some of your household products? Here is a little trick you can do if you want to manufacture cheap products with unsavoury ingredients, you can just say that those ingredients add fragrance to your product, then by law you do not have to list that ingredient and you can just include that and other ingredients as the phrase fragrance or parfum. How neat is that? Well it is awesome if you lack empathy or what tends to happen in big organisations is no one takes any responsibility for any immoral actions. Normally the ingredients that are hidden under these umbrella terms tend to be a mixture of esters, ketones and aldehydes to name just a few. Fragrances do not make the product clean any better but they can be a common allergen for many people that is why it is common advice for people with skin conditions to use unscented products, pssst... unscented products also cannot mask their nasty ingredients either.
Why is Natural Soap Better?
Your skin is not a thick hard shell, it is porous and absorbent, when you shower or bathe the stuff you put on your skin soaks into your body and actually ends up getting stored in your body fat. If you are putting harsh chemicals on your skin, guess what happens when your body burns fat for energy? Yes... you burn up some harsh chemicals and add them to your blood stream too. Natural soaps do not contain harsh chemicals and are completely harmless, you could probably eat some and feel perfectly fine though natural soap tastes notoriously bad and I would not recommend you do so!
Natural soap is so much better for the environment too, every time you use commercial showering and bathing products they pollute water supplies. The chemicals they contain go through the sewage system and water purification facilities yes, but not all the chemicals are actually removed in this process, harmful synthetic chemicals such are parabens make their way into or seas, rivers and reservoirs therefore polluting water supplies.
Why Is It That Everyone Does Not Use Natural Soap?
I use natural soap now, but I never used to. Before I started writing for knowledgeiskey I was not as educated on many of the environmental and health issues that I am now. Before I made the switch to natural soap the main thing that put me off was the prices. At the time the prices were allot higher than they are now in fairness, we have been lucky to find a great supplier for our store who offer a great product at a great price. But even then when prices were higher I did actually end up saving money which surprised me. As someone who had always bought whatever shower gel on offer at the supermarket which would last about a week I was shocked with how long my bar of natural soap lasted. It seemed to be never ending!
The point I am making, is what a lot of people forget to factor in, is how many uses the product has and I myself was guilty of that. But I think this move away from bars of soap has the result of successful marketing of the big corporations to be honest with you. Think about it, these companies used to sell a bar of soap every 3 months now they sell a bottle of shower gel and separate hand wash every week, you do not have to be an accountant to know that equals a large sum of money. I may write an article solely on this in the future but think about the last time you saw a bar of soap in the movies, or on an advert and or advertised in a glossy magazine then compare it to how many advertisements and how much product placement you see for shower gels and bottled shampoos.
It May Seem More Expensive To Buy Natural Soap And Shampoo But It Is Not
The point is IT MAY SEEM MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUY NATURAL SOAP AND SHAMPOO BUT IT IS NOT TRY IT FOR YOURSELF AND YOU WILL SEE. It is also better for the environment and your skin. So do not be a sheep. The marketing teams of big business laugh at the stupidity of people, give them the middle finger salute and buy natural.
If you do not currently have any natural soap or do not know where to buy it we have some available on our store in a wide variety of scents and they are cheap compare to many other natural soaps available online. We would appreciate the support more than you could imagine. All the soaps on our store are vegan, all natural, fragrance free, plastic free, cruelty free, parabens free and SLS free.
Sources
https://www.friendlysoap.co.uk/eczema-psoriasis-and-sensitive-skin/
https://www.friendlysoap.co.uk/how-commercial-soap-has-fooled-us-all/