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Making the Most of Your Natural Soaps

Natural SoapsWhen you invest in a bar of natural soap, you may pay more in the short run, but more than likely you will benefit in the long run with softer skin. Your overall health will benefit as well, since more than 60 percent of anything we put on our skin is absorbed into the body. (Chemicals found in personal care products are now being linked to breast cancer, birth defects, infertility, and more.)

If the soap is truly natural, chances are it is super-fatted. This means extra oils are included in the formula for moisturizing benefit. It also means the glycerin—the rich, moisturizing byproduct of soapmaking—is stirred back into the soap.

Chemically-derived, factory-made soaps take out the glycerin while including all sorts of harsh chemicals. Your skin pays a price, although many times we aren't aware until we try a more natural product.

The problem is that factory-made soap is cheaper and it lasts longer. It's cheaper because chemicals are less expensive than the naturally-derived ingredients found in natural soaps. It lasts longer because it is not super-fatted and the glycerin is removed.

The solution? Prolong the life of your natural soap. Here are three tips for making your soap last:

  1. Dry the soap out between uses.

    Because of the added moisturizing oils, natural soap dissolves more rapidly in water. For this reason, do not leave the soap sitting in a pool of water in the shower. Invest in a soap dish with a rack, or simply remove the soap from the shower and keep it in a place that it will dry completely before using again.

    Soap Dish

  2. Save the scraps.

    The scraps are awkward and unpleasant to use. It makes sense to toss them. Why not try collecting them in a soap bag and using the bag as an exfoliating and cleansing experience? You may want to keep a bag hanging in the shower and continually add the scraps. The bag and scraps foam up nicely and make for a nice cleansing experience. Wash the bag periodically to keep it fresh.

    Soap Bag with Scraps

  3. Dilute the soap.

    Your bar of soap will go much further if you dilute it. The directions are simple:

    • Grate your bar of soap.
    • Place 1 ounce of the grated soap in a glass jar.
    • Add 1-2 cups filtered water and leave overnight.
    • Stir the next day until well blended.

    This "gentled" soap stores indefinitely in a capped jar. Simply dab your washcloth into the mixture and apply to your skin. If there are herbs added to the soap, you may notice that it doesn't last quite as long. You can add 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil or an antiseptic essential oil like lavender or tea tree oil to prolong its shelf life.

    Gentled / Diluted Soap

Try any or all of these suggestions and make your investment last!

Quotes

"Both of my sons went downhill quickly and coughed for months... They both lost their ability to read, had profound vision disturbances, and had phenomenal gastric issues."

– Lee

"My daughter has had many blood samples taken to test for everything imaginable and her doctor just seems puzzled. Everything comes back normal."

– Anonymous

"Our family has been out of our home for 9 months due to mold... I am so scared and weak from all of this. We have lost friends; family members don't understand."

– Anonymous

"We were having a lot of health problems and had been to the doctor countless times... we had large circles of slimy greenish-black mold on the bathroom ceiling, where it had caved in a few months before."

– C.

"I knew it was mold, but doctors kept telling me I had anxiety. I was sitting in my office and could not remember who I was talking to, or what we were talking about."

– Brenda

"In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash... Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening."

– Anonymous

"The ERMI mold test as well as your helpful articles and Toxic Talk Tuesday programs have helped us avoid a terrible mistake in purchasing a new home."

– Angela

"I started finding myself sitting on the floor in rooms of my house and not remembering how I got there, what I was doing before, or how long I had been there."

– Brenda

"We had some water leaks in our home... we never thought we needed to clean out and remove the floor, the ceiling, or the drywall... my two small children and I have remained constantly sick for years in this home."

– Mia

"I have been sick for almost 6 months now and doctors were not able to figure out why. I finally put it all together after going away for vacation for a week and suddenly my symptoms were going away."

– Anonymous

"I was skeptical at first that these (natural cleaning) products would work, but they work better than the stuff I buy at the store! We will soon be moving to the personal care products as well!"

– Jennifer

"The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week."

– Anonymous

"I had been struggling with headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin."

– Anonymous

"...at age 35 or 36 I started to become allergic to everything, and I got asthma at age 36... I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and was desperate for help, but nobody could help me."

– Mia

"My daughter started having digestive problems... heart palpitations... coughing episodes... muscle/joint pain... asthma/allergies... Her doctor finally advised me to check for mold in our home."

– Anonymous

"I'm new at this, but today I cleaned my bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. It's much better not having those strong chemical smells afterwards."

– Anonymous

"I've been living in a mold-infested home for 13 months... I was going CRAZY! Finally figured it out... Just a few days of recovering in a mold-free home and I feel AMAZING!!!"

– Lauren

"We all suffered from headaches, hormonal body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, difficulty breathing, thrush, rashes, and yeast infections... we vacated our home two weeks ago."

– Anonymous

"My symptoms persisted and eventually turned into lethargy and depression. At the age of 26, I required a nap every evening after work."

– Jennifer

This site is dedicated to a true friend and mother — Barbara Dell Kessel (1929-2009)