Advantages of Organic Soap

Author: Balaji Shankar, Sep 17, 2024

Advantages of Organic Soap

In this article we will study the advantages of organic soap, and why we should prefer it over commercial chemical soaps.

Executive Summary (Key Takeaways)

Sustainable Production (causing minimal damage to the earth) Healthy for the user Gentle on the skin Aroma therapeutic Health of the body, health of the mind and health of the earth Free from harmful chemicals - skin-friendly Excellent hydration (because glycerin is not removed from the soap) Cruelty Free Builds more social connect

Introduction

Man is the only animal that uses cosmetics for skin care and hair care. Human consumption seems to be the most threatening factor for mother earth. In such a context, it makes sense to inquire into less guilty modes of consumption -especially in fabrics and cosmetics.

On a different note, modern centralized, mass production focusses on profits and cares very little about the consumer. “If we can get away with it, we go ahead with it”, seems to be the mantra for production. So when we are talking of soap, we need to focus on a soap that has low ecological footprint and is as minimally harmful to the user as is possible.

Price should not be the major criteria for responsible production& consumption.

If we look at mass produced soap brands, most of them have chemicals as raw materials - like triclosan, sodium laureth sulfate, and a host of other petrochemicals . These are not soap by definition. These are called syndet (synthetic detergents) and can strip away the oil from the skin, as well as cause dryness and many allergies.

So we come to the fundamental question of what is a good soap.

What is a good soap?

Soap is formed by mixing a strong alkali (mostly caustic soda also called lye) with fatty acids. The output of this natural chemical reaction is soap and glycerin. This process is called saponification. Many additives are added after or during the saponification process to enhance the user experience. A good soap is one which has good ingredients.

What is organic soap?

The choice of fatty acids, the method of saponification and the additives greatly affect the quality of the soap. A good soap is one which has the following three characteristics:

• plant based oils are used as fatty acids
• the saponification is done by hand
• the additives are natural and plant based; not synthetic chemicals
  (for example using essential oils instead of fragrance oils)

Such a soap is known by a few names like handmade soap, homemade soap, natural soap etc.

If in addition to this if the fatty acids (typically coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil,jojoba oil etc) are organic (that is the oil seeds are grown organically) and cold pressed then the quality of the soap is much better and such a soap is called organic soap.

Addition of lye (caustic soda)

We should remember here that soap cannot be produced without using caustic soda (which is not an organic ingredient). However the use of lye is neutralized by super-fatting - (adding a little bit more oil than is required to saponify the lye) and curing. The longer a soap cures , the smoother and better it will be.

The importance of organic oils

Advocates of chemical soap often claim that soap is not organic and every benefit of an organic oil will be lost in the saponification process. This is not true.

In a significant research on handmade soaps, Natalia Vidal and others [1] found that over 86% of polyunsaturated fats “remained unsaponified in the manufactured natural soaps” . This is truly an astounding finding .

They have further documented that :

“These results indicate that unsaponified fatty acids are important contributors to the quality and overall sensory perception and preference of natural herbal soaps following manufacturing by cold saponification”

So if we make a soap with a chemical sprayed canola oil (for example) then it will pass on all the poisonous chemicals to the soap even after saponification. This is why it is very important to choose handmade soaps that are made using organic oils. They are very gentle on the skin and contain many beneficial properties.

At Doodle soap we use ingredients like organic coconut oil, karanja oil, castor oil and farm fresh aloe vera gel.

Responsible Production

Handmade soaps use very low power, are non-polluting and use plant based raw materials. They deliver a double benefit of health of the body and health of the earth.

Cruelty Free

Handmade organic soaps are absolutely safe and need no testing on animals. Using only plant based raw materials, handmade soap is cruelty free.

Community building

Purchasing handmade soaps makes us more connected with each other. There is no anonymity and alienation in natural soap buying. At Doodle Soapery we participate in many organic fairs and the feedback from buyers allows us to continuously improve our soap. It also builds a very strong bond between the customer and us.

The use of essential oils

Organic Soap makers use essential oils like citronella or cedarwood instead of synthetic fragrance oils. They have many medicinal properties and the natural fragrance is aroma therapeutic. The fresh aroma of cedarwood oil or ylang ylang oil can be very invigorating and elevate our mood. It can help in the health of the mind!

Support small businesses

When you buy handmade soaps, you sponsor small local businesses and this creates a healthy local economy.

Summing up we see that the many advantages of organic soaps include

1. Sustainable Production causing minimal damage to the earth.
2. Healthy for the user
3. Gentle on the skin
4. Health of the body, health of the mind and health of the earth
5. Free from harmful chemicals - skin-friendly
6. Excellent hydration (because glycerine is not removed from the soap)
7. Cruelty Free
8. Builds more social connect

References

[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5103537

At Doodle Soapery we make the finest organic, cold process, handmade soaps .