Picking up a random bar of soap I can see that the list of ingredients contains a fair few chemicals. For example, this basic soap contains: sodium palmate, sodium palm kernelate, aqua, glycerin, parfum, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, tetrasodium EDTA, tetrasodium etidronate, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, cl77891. Wowser.
Now, the first few ingredients are essentials in order to make soap and are in fact plant derived and not considered to be harmful.
However, as you move along the list, you encounter some more dubious ingredients.
Sodium hydroxide is a manufactured chemical that is present in several domestic cleaning products. Very low levels can produce irritation of the skin and eyes.
Tetrasodium EDTA is a synthetic preservative which can be irritating to the eyes and other mucous membranes.
Tetrasodium etidronate is used as a water softener in soaps to prevent soap scums and bathtub rings by locking up the calcium and magnesium in the water. This can be a skin irritant and eczema sufferers are advised to avoid this chemical.
Cl 77891 is actually titanium dioxide. Information is hard to come by but this chemical has been linked to reduced fertility and a reduced chance for a full term healthy pregnancy.
This obviously is very worrying reading material but we must remember that the levels of each of these ingredients will be very low in any one bar of soap so please don't have any sleepless nights over this matter. It is worth taking on board though, the fact that many of us use soap on a daily basis as we like to be clean and look our best so there will be an accumulative effect of exposure to these chemicals. It is for this reason that we at Green Beginnings like to recommend that a switch over to handmade, more natural soaps is the way forward.
A natural calendula and lavender soap. Let's look at the ingredients list for this bar and see the difference from that listed earlier:
Water, Saponified oils of Olive, Coconut, Sunflower and Palm, Lavender essential oil, Organic Calendula petals. Notice how much shorter this list is. This bar is made by hand in the wild woods in Norfolk and has no harsh synthetics or man-made chemicals. You can use this soap with confidence that it won't dry your skin or act as an irritant. Calendula is one of the most soothing and healing oils around, it is used in a lot of organic skin care products for adults with sensitive skin and even babies too. It is often used in healing creams and has been good for eczema sufferers. Lavender is slightly antiseptic and thus is marvellous for use in soaps.
Out of the 2 types of soap mentioned above, which would you rather use on yourself and your family? Always try and look for a natural soap but do ensure to check the ingredients first.
Not only are Simply Soap soap bars better for your skin but the company also has a completely Green work ethic:
Simply Soaps philosophy is:
+ all our products are free from harsh synthetics, colours, preservatives and petroleum based products
+ we use organic ingredients where possible
+ we are committed to fair trade
+ We test our products on Humans
+ our electricity is green
+we are a carbon neutral company
What other reasons would you need to give this lovely soap a try?