Difference Between Natural Soap and Commercial Soap

Ever wondered why your skin itches or felt itchy after your shower or bath? Before becoming conscious of what I used on my body…my skin would always itch or felt extremely dry after taking a shower with commercial soaps, but always dismiss it without giving it much thought. I constantly changed soaps and tried different brands thinking that would help with the itchiness and even apply lotions to help combat the dryness or itchy feeling. 

Well…not even the lotions helped! 

 

Instead it actually dried my skin out even more because of the wide range of chemical ingredients in commercial lotions and in majority of commercial brand soaps today. Majority of the so-called soaps that are sold commercially or in your local grocery stores are not even soaps but detergents, beauty bars, moisturizing bars or some other nonsense.  By law they cannot use the term "soap" (more on this in another post). Anyway...some of the chemical ingredients in these beauty bars are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and its close relative Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)... these as well as other chemical compounds are commonly used in many beauty bars, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up".

Most commercial so-called soaps on the market today are really detergents and not soaps… these detergents have synthetic foaming agents such as SLS and/or SLES… added to form lots of lather when mixed with water…adding these chemicals eliminates the ability to moisturize your skin…because the glycerin has been removed during the process of making the soap itself.

 

Commercial soaps is made in vast quantities, using heat processing methods… this is the faster way to make soap. 

 

The glycerin in the soap is then isolated and removed as a by-product of the heat process, and sold separately as a highly expensive beauty product. When this happens, the result is soap…really a detergent! that is without any glycerin in it. Fillers and synthetic fragrances are then added to the soap to make it smell nice. Even though some commercial soap may contain essential oils…these are ruined and add no skin benefit, because of the chemicals that are added to make the scent stronger. 

The chemicals and synthetic ingredients that are added to the soap (detergent) often cause allergic reactions to the skin, ranging from mild itchiness to severe dermatitis, psoriasis or eczema in sensitive skin…some soaps have concentrations of up to 30% of SLS and SLES. According to The American College of Toxicology…concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation…so a concentration of 30% is "highly irritating and dangerous".

So long term usage and constant exposure to these chemicals and detergent could sensitize your skin and destroy the natural protective layer of the skin, making your skin even more vulnerable to environmental stress.

 

Natural handmade soaps keep all the good stuff in…including glycerin and non-saponified oils to moisturize your skin naturally… they are made in smaller batches using the cold-process method, which retains the natural glycerin inside the soap itself.

 

There are also no other harsh chemicals or chemical preservatives added to create colors, smell and longevity. No parabens (linked to Breast cancer) or sodium lauryl sulfate (skin irritant) is added to natural handmade soaps.

 

When you use handmade soap made with natural essential oils and free from harmful chemicals, you will find that your skin texture will improve with regular use. The protective layer of your skin will be strengthened as it is nourished daily with essential oils. People who suffer from sensitive skin will find that their skin will be able to better endure environmental heat, cold and pollution. The natural essential oils would also strengthen and restore their immune system over time. 

So try a bar of SANDE Handmade Natural "soaps" and feel the difference compared to commercial brand soap detergent.

Here are a few of my handmade soaps…

 

 

Back to school: Healthy lunch box ideas (with links) - NaturalNews Article

As summer quickly comes to and end and the new school year will soon begin, I start to think of creative lunch box meals for my children. This would be the first year for my second daughter who is also a very picky eater....so I decide to research some creative and tasty but nutritious meals to pack. I came across this article below that gave me some ideas and thought I would share with the other moms out there.

By Julie Hurley
Posted Monday, August 19, 2013 at 05:18pm EDT
Keywords: lunch, lunch box, recipes, school, school kids

Summer is coming to an end, which means that parents like myself need to begin thinking of healthy and fast lunchbox ideas for their children. My poor daughter got burned out on her peanut butter and honey sandwiches last year so I’m taking to the Internet this year to get inspiration and ideas that won’t cause any more stress than necessary in the morning or a meltdown in the cafeteria. It goes without saying that all of these items should be GMO-free, organic and free range whenever possible.
Here is a round-up of lunch box ideas from the web:

• Homemade Dutch Apple Pie – Not necessarily lunch-box specific (the mom’s kids aren’t in school yet), this site has many recipes for common foods that are made from scratch (think gluten-free Oreos, graham crackers, ice cream). It’s a great resource!
• What The Girls Are Having – If you’ve been toying with the idea of a Bento Box this year, make sure to bookmark this blog. The creator is on day 419 of different Bento Box lunches for her girls.
• Healthy Ideas Place – This post is specifically about brainstorming and prepping school lunches to minimize the stress and potential anguish that can go with it.
• Childhood 101 – Do you have a picky eater who does not like sandwiches? You will love this post with links to dozens of sandwich-less recipes. Here’s a link to the original sandwich-less post with even more ideas.
• Inhabitots – Is your child a vegetarian? Here’s a link to seven vegetarian lunch box ideas.
• Organized Chaos Online – Claiming to be “easy peasy” here are 28 Bento Box lunch ideas, some requiring a little more time and effort than others.
• Completely Nourished – A compilation of recipes and meal ideas for additive-free lunches. This is definitely a resource to check out!

What do you pack your kids?
By Julie Hurley, Founder of Hurley Health and Wellness and Director of Public Relations for Principia Media

http://blogs.naturalnews.com/back-to-school-healthy-lunch-box-ideas-with-links/

Ginger Lime! Just in Time for Spring/Summer!

I made this new scent just in time for Spring and Summer. I really love the scent of this soap...Its a clean, fresh, tangy smell with intense ginger oil, balanced with sweet-sharp lime that makes it a great combination. I also added detoxifying seaweed and ground sea kelp that will give the skin that extra nourishment and a whole lot of extra healing benefits.

Dead Sea Mud & Sea Salt Soap

I wanted the best of both worlds so I decided to try a new and unique soap bar and so came up the this beauty...but seriously it may not be the prettiest soap but it’s a super great soap bar. I made this with half Dead Sea Mineral Mud and the other half with Sea Salt for a really unique spa-like experience right in the conform of your home. I love this new soap and I am sure my customers will love it too!

Ackee Fruit & Green Bananas Dish

Ok, here is a dish that’s different for those who want to try. This is a staple dish for breakfast in the island of Jamaica which includes salted fish, green bananas, a steamed green vegetable and dumplings. My husband is an excellent cook so he made this without any meat or the extra stuff.

It’s normally eaten for breakfast but here in my house we have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s delicious and full of calcium, proteins and omega 6 fatty acids.  We are constantly asked by family members and friends, how we get our proteins and calcium if we don’t eat meat or drink cow’s milk…..so these amongst other plant base foods is how we maintain a healthy diet. 

Health benefits of the Ackee Fruit
Ackee Fruit is a bright red berry that grows all over in the tropics, Caribbean, and also in Florida. The fruit must be fully ripe and split open to be edible, otherwise it’s toxic. It’s loaded with fatty acids; in fact over 50% of the fatty acids are linoleic, stearic, and palmitic acids. It’s full of Omega 6 oils and do not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats. It looks and tastes similar to scrambled eggs. The Ackee Fruit is high in protein, full of good energy producing carbs, and great B and C Vitamins, Zinc, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Calcium. Ackee Fruit is low in calories, high in fiber, and low in carbs too!

The pods of the Ackee Fruit can be used instead of soap for washing clothes, used in cosmetics, and the seeds can be made into natural pesticides.

Benefits of Green Bananas
The green banana is really an unripened yellow banana but has different uses. While you can eat the yellow banana immediately after peeling, the green banana is best eaten cooked, either boiled or fried. Nutritionally, the green banana is a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and contains a starch that may help control blood sugar, manage weight and lower blood cholesterol levels.

It’s also a good source of resistant starch which is a type of starch that cannot be broken down by enzymes in your digestive system and, therefore, acts more like a fiber than a starch. Green bananas contain a high amount of resistant starch which may reduce the risk of diabetes by aiding in blood sugar control and heart disease by helping to lower blood cholesterol levels.

In addition to the resistant starch, green bananas are also a good source of fiber, high in potassium and vitamin B-6. A 1-cup serving of boiled green bananas contains 3.6 g of fiber. Fiber can also reduce risk of diabetes and heart disease. In addition, fiber in food slows digestion, helping you feel full longer, aiding in weight control. A 1-cup serving of boiled green bananas contains 531 mg of potassium. Including more high-potassium foods in your diet may aid in blood pressure control.

Here is my version…well actually my hubby version of the recipe!

Ingredients

·         Green Bananas with skin on (1 pack)

·         Olive oil for sautéing

·         ½ Onion

·         Green Onions (sprinkle on top)

·         2 Tomatoes

·         5 Cloves Garlic

·         ½ a Stick of Leek

·         Sea Salt

·         Black Pepper

Wash green bananas with the skin still on, place in a pot of boiling water until tender about 15 minutes. Green bananas are fully cooked when you are able to stick a fork into the skin of the bananas. Next in a pan, add a little olive oil and fry the tomatoes for about 3 minutes add the onions, garlic and leek. Add your salt and black pepper for taste. Saute for about 2 minutes then you add the *Ackee Fruit, stir and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until you reach the desire taste. Sprinkle a little green onions on top and you are finish.    

*You can purchase Ackee Fruit at any international or Caribbean market. I used the Linstead Market Jamaica brand.

Serving Amount: 3 

Natural Fiber Washcloth

With all of the specialized cosmetics designed to improve women's complexions, why would anyone exfoliate with a washcloth? Well using a natural Ayate Washcloth made from natural agave fibers can yield great results when it comes to skin care. The natural fiber texture serves as an excellent exfoliant; it performs the same task as those specialized cleansers, at a fraction of the cost and without any of the chemicals that may be in those cleansers. 

It is soft, mildew resistant and yet durable enough for one year of daily use. Hand woven and made from 100% dried Agave fiber. When soaked in water, its natural fibers soften, expand, and the weave tightens back to improve its strength and pliability. Its quick drying and helps to restores and stimulates skin to leave it feeling invigorated and fresh without the harsh feel sometimes associated with other washcloths. The only facial grade exfoliation cloth for even fair skin types.

 Try one today!

Steamed Veggies

Today’s lunch was simple, easy, healthy and so tasty. 

Started by steamed some cabbage leaves, pop-choy, broccoli and sweet yellow peppers for about 2 minutes. 

On low heat add about a teaspoon and a half of vegan butter with minced garlic, lemon pepper, a little cyan pepper and a pinch of sea salt. 

Next add the vegetables and stir for a few seconds so it can absorb the flavor of the dish and that’s all to it. Tenderizing the vegetables avoid losing any of the healthy benefits.   

This dish was very simple, easy and did I say delicious.