Soap is one of the essentials to maintain one’s health and hygiene. With about 10 million global supply of soap, you can make out that the demand for soap all over the world is tremendous. An essential part of our healthcare routine, soap is therefore produced in various ways in 2020. 

Germs and microbes are ever-present in the environment. No matter where you go, what you do, they are literally everywhere. Water, air, hands, tables, you cannot escape them. While some of these microbes are healthy for human health, most of them are also harmful and adversely affect the health of human beings. That is where soap comes into play. It keeps these harmful germs out of our bodies. It acts as the first line of defense against harmful germs and bacterias.

What is Soap?

In simple terms, soap is a mixture of fat, water, and an alkali or basic salt. They are water-soluble components that are produced by saponification. The reaction occurs between caustic soda or caustic potash and any fatty acid produced from animals or vegetables.

History has it that the Babylonians are credited for producing the first recipe of soap. The ancient Egyptians, too, came up with similar recipes, usually for treating sores, skin diseases, and personal washing.

For centuries now, the basic combination of producing soap has not changed. It is the same basic salt, water, and fat. However, the proportional quality and processes have changed over the years. Today, there are two methods to make soap- cold process and hot process.

In the cold process, the lye solution is mixed with animal or vegetable fat at room temperature. As the reaction takes place, the solution heats up and thickens. Before it thickens completely, it is poured into a mold to give it a solid shape. 

The hot process is what has been used traditionally. This ancient procedure requires an external source of heat to produce soap. Here, the ingredients are heated to speed up the saponification process. The soap is purely liquid when poured in a mold and solidifies slowly. Once the solidification is over, the soap is ready to use. 

The Mechanics of Soap

Soap is used to remove dirt, germs, and dead cells from our hands and body. Every day new cells are generated in our body to replace millions of dead cells. These dead cells, however, sometimes stick to the outer layer of the skin. Soap assists in removing these dead cells from our bodies.

Soap molecules are a type of surfactant that easily mixes with both oil and water. This quality of soap mediates between oil and water. The oil from the body sticks to the suds and is then rinsed off by the water. 

Commercial Soap

Although commercial soap uses the same ingredients for making soap, it also contains synthetic and chemical products that cause skin irritation. Such as surfactants are often linked with toxicity, endocrine disruption, and often cancer.

Most of the commercially manufactured soaps also contain parabens. It produces too much estrogen in the body. It often causes breast cancer and damages the reproductive tissue in the body.  

Artificial fragrance present in these soaps often causes skin irritation and removes all the natural oil from the skin. They are one of the reasons why the skin loses its soft texture and turns flaky. They are derived from petroleum and are also not very good for the environment.

Organic Handmade Soap 

Natural organic soap is made out of fat or oil, lye water, and all-natural substances such as natural dyes and essential oils. The added benefit of handmade and organic soap is that the ingredients are all produced through organic farming i.e., the farming does not use any pesticide or fertilizers for production. 

Organic Soap– Why is it Better?

Organic is always better and healthy for the skin and body. Although our body adapts to the chemicals that are present in commercially manufactured soap, it acts as a slow poison for the skin that slowly damages the outer layer of skin, leaving it completely dry and irritated. 

Whereas, the organic ingredients present in handmade organic soap is gentle on the skin. It soothes the burn and irritation of dry skin and balances the natural pH level. 

Base Oils

In most of the soap production, base oils become an essential ingredient. Base oils are mostly the cooking oils that can be eaten and hence also prove better for the external health of the skin. Base oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, and other edible oils keep the skin hydrated and glowing. 

Although base oils are also used in commercial products, the chemical alkali and surfactant have an overpowering presence in these soaps.

Essential oil

It is usually warned that one should not directly use essential oils directly on the body because of its volatile nature. A strong concentration may cause irritation. However, the fragrant compound is most plants have a significant effect on soaps. Hence, the essential oils are diluted when mixed with base oils. It makes the essential oil a safe product to add fragrance to organic soap.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a necessity for organic soaps. It is a natural ingredient of soap production. The commercial companies usually take the glycerin out to make the soap last longer. However, glycerin is a substance that attracts moisture from the air to the skin. Two such substances are honey and aloe vera, which are naturally beneficial for the skin.

The Bottom Line

While commercial soaps are often inexpensive, they cause severe damage to the environment. The detergent and suds are non-biodegradable and cause water and soil pollution. The process itself uses several synthetic products that are extracted by causing severe damage to the environment. 

Organic soaps are safe both for the body and the environment. The natural means of production makes it healthier and better for the body. If you’re looking for more organic handmade soaps, check out Les Creme.