Choose Your Soap Wisely

With Covid-19, soap is even more of a necessity. Handwashing for 20 seconds or longer is not an easy feat. One trick is to sing Happy Birthday to yourself twice while enjoying the lather. Choosing what soap to wash with should be a huge consideration. I have taken excerpts from an article I wrote last year.  Soap or detergent? Liquid or Bar?  It is a good time to highlight the pertinent points

Real soap is natural.  Detergent is synthetic

Detergents became popular during and after the world wars, when animal and vegetable fats were in short supply and chemists were forced to use substances that were not all natural. Like sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide (soap) versus sodium laurel sulfate (detergent).

Detergents pollute. They may be powerful, clean easier and need less water to work. Commercial establishments, businesses, institutions, public washrooms use liquid detergents, not real soap. 

The confusion about the word ‘soap’

We toss the word ‘soap’ at everything that cleans, whether bar or liquid. Natural soap can be liquid. It is ‘latherless’. A real soap BAR is the best choice and it does lather!

But do not buy a detergent bar by mistake. Detergents can be made into a bar looking like real soap. A clever disguise. The manufacturers use terms like: ‘moisturizing bar’, ‘beauty bar’, ‘anti-aging bar’, ‘cleansing bar’, ‘deodorant bar’.  Beware. They are laden with chemicals, fragranced, or even scent free. Not good for the skin or the environment.

If you are concerned about the marketing claim that bar soaps are not sanitary, don’t be. Studies have shown there is no detectable amount of bacteria on people’s skin when soap sharing. Soap kills bacteria.  

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Good advice is to clean well. But what you chose to clean with is just as important, especially now. If you are using a commercial sanitizer as recommended, you can soften the impact of the chemical bombardment on your hands by handwashing with a real soap when possible.  Have a bar at every sink. If you must venture out, tote a small bar (Bars can be cut in half) to use instead.  

Lots of great soap makers out there. Since our craft shows have been cancelled, you may have to search for us online. Support your local soap maker. Our craft is unsurpassed. 

Earth to Body soaps avoid synthetic colours and fragrances.  We have a wide variety of soaps to choose from and if you have special issues and are not sure what is best for you, please write or call for a consult. 

natural.ca

info@natural.ca
1-877-414-1300 (local 514-694-0705)