Why natural soap?

When we started using our own handmade natural soaps, I went and did a bit of research online regarding the harmful effects of regular commercial soap.  I wanted to be able to explain to people more sufficiently what we had come to understand in a haphazard sort of way. This post gives a slightly more technical viewpoint for those of you who are not merely satisfied with "Your skin will feel better in the long run."

Commercially-sold cleansers, including common soaps and 'syndets' (synthetic detergents), have complex compositions of emollients (moisturiser), preservatives, fragrances, lather enhancers, chelating agents and, worst of all, surface-active substances (surfactants). Surfactants work by lowering the surface tension on the skin and removing dirt in an emulsified form. In short they strip the skin of its natural oils. Surfactants also induce irritant dermatitis. Some examples of surfactants that occur in commercial soap are sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB). It may be cheeper to use commercial soaps, but the effect on your skin and hair is damaging.

I have since made an even more shocking discovery. The damaging effects stretch beyond the health of your skin and hair. Many of the chemicals listed in the ingredients of commercial soaps are known carcinogens. They are absorbed through your skin and reek havoc in your body. Go check out 10 Toxic Beauty Ingredients to Avoid. It is a really worthwhile read.

Natural soap has a much simpler composition. Soap is chemically defined as the alkali salt of fatty acids. The natural soap-making process involves a chemical reaction between oils and lye (sodium hydroxide). The process, called saponification, converts the oils to soap. All our hand-made soaps and shampoos are made using lye, but there is no lye in the finished product.

Glycerin, a natural byproduct of the saponification process, is a humectant. It attracts moisture and gives it back to your skin. In commercially sold soaps the glycerin is usually extracted and sold to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. In natural soap the glycerin, and all its nourishing properties, remain intact.

In the Mein Herr natural soaps we make use of vegetable oils as carrier oils. The specific composition results in soap which is both cleansing and moisturising. Various essential oils are then added for their respective properties and fragrance.