Why use Natural Soap?

What is it that makes someone want to use natural products?
Our own health? The health of someone we love? Are natural products really better?

I wanted to share a few ideas I have about some of the products we use in our house every day.

1. Organic food is more nutritious.  A study at Rutger’s University which compared organic and conventional grown produce to see which is more nutritious.  Essential trace minerals were at a very low level in conventional grown produce but much higher in the organic produce.  New research at Copenhagen University proves that organic produce is better at protecting us from cancer because of significantly higher levels of antioxidants.  Many other studies have proven that organically grown crops have higher levels of vitamin C and lower levels of nitrates.  There have been more than 300 studies worldwide comparing this subject.  

2. Scientists link our obsession with antibacterial products to asthma, allergies and compromised immune systems because these cleaners kill off germs that help children build up healthy immunity. Dousing everything in our homes including ourselves with antibacterial soaps can upset the natural balance of microorganisms in and around us, leaving only the superbugs to cause havoc on our health.  Everyday household germs give a baby’s immune system the exercise it needs to develop normally. Exposure to germs during the first year of life is vital for developing antibodies that will fight off infections later in life.  Our bodies need the bacteria to grow our immune systems.   

3. Victoria Schomer, an eco-interior designer states, “Don’t think that if it doesn’t go into our bodies it’s ok, if you smell something, its molecules are in your nose and therefore in your body.”  Air fresheners don’t actually freshen the air, they just add more chemicals to mask odors and release irritating and toxic chemicals into our houses.  

4. Conventional laundry products contain optical brighteners to give clothes a super white appearance without actually making them any cleaner.  They contain chemicals that can be toxic to wildlife in rivers and streams.  They contain artificial colors to make them look pretty pink or soft blue.  They are full of petroleum based surfactants.  Natural laundry cleaners use soap which quickly becomes harmless in rivers and degrades completely within a week.  Natural surfactants are based on sugars or vegetable oils both of which biodegrade much faster than petroleum based ones.  Natural laundry products contain baking soda to make the water softer rather than dangerous and harmful phosphates which cause toxic algal blooms in waterways.  

6. There are more than 5,000 fragrances used liberally in beauty products and they cause most of the adverse reactions that people have to cosmetics.  Perfumes are particularly offensive.  Artificial  fragrances can accumulate in our bodies contaminating breast milk, blood and fat, according to Friends of the Earth.  Perfumes are tricky business because many scents are combined to get the fragrance, you can’t create perfume with a few essential oils.  Some perfumes use up to 100 chemical compounds to make one scented perfume.  Other offensive ingredients lurking in our cosmetics are parabens, which are preservatives derived from a petroleum oil base can cause rashes and even mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen.  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) are commonly used detergents because they are cheap.  They strip the hair and scalp of natural oils that protect it causing irritation and dryness.

7. The most natural and cheap beauty boost you can do is get plenty of sleep, exercise, water and a balanced healthy diet.  Cutting out smoking and cutting back on alcohol help and manage stress.  

8.  If you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your body.

9. Avoid these:
    SLS, SLES
    propylene glycol
    aluminum chlorohydrate
    petrolatum (baby oil, petroleum jelly parafin)
    talc
    alpha hydroxy acids
    artificial fragrances
    artificial colors
    paraben  (butyl, ethyl, methyl, propyl)
    tallow
    tolune
    formaldehyde

10. Our hair is a dead give away to our internal health, the environment surrounding us and the products we use on it.

11. Synthetic hair dyes get their ingredients from petroleum sources and studies have linked hair dye with an increased risk of cancer.  They can irritate the skin.  A popular and healthier alternative is henna.

12. Bacteria causes body odor, sweat itself has no odor.  When the bacteria on the skin break the sweat down, that is when the smell occurs.  Aluminum is used in antiperspirant deodorants.  Aluminum chlorohydrate stops perspiration by blocking pores which plugs up one of the body’s natural elimination points for toxins.  This is a problem, our bodies were created to sweat and release toxins from our bodies, when we block this we effectively hold the toxins inside our bodies.  


I hope you enjoy learning more about natural health related issues. Natural soap is just one simple way that we can make sure we are taking care of our bodies.

Diane

My Soaps are Obsessively Pure and Natural

PS. My latest product is Obsessively Natural Orange Soap. It smells delicious! I use only essential oils to make my Obsessively Natural Orange Soap smell so good.