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…