Commercial soap, shower gel and shampoo often contain chemicals that are allergenic, cytotoxic and linked to nerve cell death. Synthetic fragrances have been associated with birth defects and liver damage. Other ingredients in soap include paraffin wax, crude oil derivatives and animal fat. Ingredients in soap, shower gel and shampoo wind up in lakes and rivers. The most eco-friendly soaps contain only plant oils and natural fragrances.
Lye
Lye is a necessary ingredient in the manufacture of soap. When it's combined with fat or oil, a chemical reaction takes place that turns the lye and fat into soap and glycerin. At the end of the soap-making process, no lye remains. In the past, people made lye by soaking hardwood ashes in water and used the resulting caustic liquid to make soap.
Vegetable Oils
Palm oil, coconut oil and other oils that are hard at room temperature are often used in soap-making to provide solidity and luxurious bubbles. Other oils, such as olive oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil and jojoba oil, are used for their skincare benefits. The soap label may list "saponified coconut oil" or it may say "sodium cocoate," but these are essentially the same thing--coconut oil processed with sodium hydroxide, which is the chemical name for lye.
Organic oils come from plants grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Cold-pressed oils are produced without chemicals. So soaps made with organic or cold-pressed oils are a little kinder to the planet.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are the only completely natural fragrances. Essential oils are the volatile fragrance and healing components of plants, extracted by steam distillation. Essential oils can also be extracted by soaking leaves and flowers in alcohol, such as vodka, or in oil, transferring the scent to the alcohol or the oil from the plant. But the purest process is steam distillation.
Glycerin
Glycerin is a natural by-product of soap-making. Many commercial soap manufacturers remove the glycerin from soap and sell it separately. However, glycerin is a humectant: It draws water from the air to your skin. Soap without the glycerin can be drying to your skin, so look for soap that retains the glycerin.
References
- "Environ Sci Pollut Res Int";Eco-labelling of Shampoos, Shower Gels and Foam Baths; Klaschka U, Liebig M, Knacker T; Jan 2007
- Greeniacs: Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Soap
- Green Living; Soap and the Environment
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