Soaps made with vegetable oils and other natural substances do not cause dryness and respect the balance of the skin. There are many to choose from and they can even be made at home.
From wood ashes and vegetable fats, our ancestors made soap to clean and wash clothes. Today the process for making a natural soap has hardly changed and is available to anyone who wants to experiment with oils, scents, and textures. You just have to dare to try.
Soap is made through a chemical reaction called saponification. This is caused by mixing an animal or vegetable fat with a solution of water and alkali (soda), which produces soap and glycerin as a result.
In the artisan manufacturing process, the glycerin formed remains in the soap, which gives it emollient properties, while in industrial manufacturing, the glycerin is separated and sold separately as a raw material for other uses.
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Hence, industrial soaps tend to cause more dry skin. It is therefore important to choose natural or handmade soaps to care for the skin. Industrial soaps not only do not contain glycerin but are usually made with mainly animal, beef, or pork fats.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE SOAP AT HOME
- To make soap, dissolve the soda in the water and then mix with vegetable oils while stirring, until the rennet forms. It is that moment, when the soap thickens, incorporates essential oils, natural colorants, or herbal infusions.
- You must pay special attention when handling the soda since when it comes into contact with water, it causes a chemical reaction that burns on contact and emits irritating gases, so you have to wear gloves and a mask.
- Then pour it into the molds to finish solidifying: in 24 hours it is usually hard and ready to cut. Then you have to let it dry for 3 or 4 weeks to remove the remaining soda. The final product that you will obtain is a solid bar of soap, with a slightly basic pH (around 9), ready to use.
CHOOSE A GOOD VEGETABLE OIL
The most suitable soaps to treat the skin are made with vegetable oils instead of animal fats. Among these, the most used are:
- Olive oil: provides nutrients to the skin; It can be used as a base for macerating plants and produces a light and creamy soap with small bubbles. The famous Aleppo soap is one of the first known soaps and has been made for centuries with olive oil and bay leaves - which provide their antiseptic properties - in the Syrian city of the same name.
- Coconut oil: produces a harsh soap with large, creamy bubbles.
- Almond oil: useful also for marinating plants. Makes a very softening, creamy, mild soap.
- Palm oil: produces a creamy soap with small bubbles, which cleans very well, sets quickly, and with which you get a hard bar that can be kept for a long time.
ADD ACTIVE PLANT INGREDIENTS
They are added in the last stage of production and give unique properties:
- Aloe vera gel: you can substitute part of the water with it or add it at the time of setting; ideal for chapped skin, eczema, and burns. Are you interested in the properties of aloe vera? You can read this article: The 4 aloes: great friends of your skin.
- Beeswax: it is mixed with the fat before adding it to the alkali solution; gives a sweet aroma and a touch of wax.
- Cocoa butter: excellent emollient and softener; makes soap hard.
- Clay: it is added in the setting and gives a smooth finish; useful for deep cleaning, especially oily skin.
- Essential oils: they are added when the soap curdles and they give a pleasant smell.
- You can also add other vegetable oils: jojoba, wheat germ, rosehip, argan, avocado ... to enrich the formula.
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY - FITNESS YODHA
