Crafts For Less

You may have asked yourself the question, why would I buy hand crafted soap when I can buy commercial soap at a larger quantity and for a much lower cost?  Logical thinking of course, especially if you have a large family on a budget.  Well if you are at all chemically sensitive you may want to reconsider your reasoning.  Though hand crafted natural soaps may be more expensive; in terms of your health it is well worth it.  Shouldn’t your skin deserve only the best and most natural ingredients? We think it should.

Chemicals!  It seems every day there are more allergies, skin problems and different types of cancers and lung diseases, all linked to exposure to chemicals.  Look at the ingredients on any bar of soap the next time you’re in a store.  You will find names like, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Petroleum, animal fat, carcinogens like Formaldehyde in shampoos, and many more toxic chemicals that research has been finding in our bodies. The skin is the largest organ of the human body and can and will absorb what is put on it directly into the body.  Just look at some of the new medicines that are now out there, and how they are absorbed through the skin.

Not only are soap companies using all synthetic ingredients, they are taking out one very important ingredient that naturally occurs during the soap making process, and that is glycerin.  Glycerin is what promotes moisture.  This is what best helps treat dry, flaky and itchy skin.  Glycerin actually cost more than the soap, which is why commercial soap companies sell it to pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, to make expensive lotions and creams.

Some commercial soap companies will market and advertise some of their products as natural, but do not be fooled.  In most cases they are adding such small amounts and are still not replacing all the other synthetic ingredients.  Do your homework and inform yourself, read all the ingredients.

Another alarming fact you should know about commercial soaps, is that the anti- bacterial soaps that are good for fighting off germs, actually contains the chemical Triclosan which has been classified by the EPA as a pesticide.  Triclosan during the manufacturing process can form dioxins, a highly carcinogenic, which has been linked to several health problems.  Some of these health problems include a weakened immune system, cancer, decreased fertility, birth defects, and allergies.  Triclosan is not just found in soaps but many products such as toothpaste, deodorant, cosmetics, toys, clothes, personal care products and more.

Natural hand crafted soaps are made in much smaller batches and take up to 4 to 6 weeks to cure.  You will not find any harmful chemicals that you can hardly pronounce on the ingredients label.  Natural hand crafted soaps are filled with all the finest ingredients.  Instead of synthetic fragrances essential oils such as lavender, rosemary, peppermint, and tea tree are used and spices like oatmeal, cinnamon and ground almond are used for exfoliating.  You can also find herbs like one my favorite’s calendula, and lavender to name a couple.   We use oils like palm, coconut and olive oil, and in our specialty bars we use castor, jojoba, cocoa butter, and aloe Vera.  .  A lot of the ingredients used in Pure-N-Simple Soaps come right from my garden.  It does not get any purer and simpler than that!

We do hope that this article has helped inform you of the ever so subtle dangers of commercial soaps.  We hope that we sparked a curiosity in you to research this some more and find that not only soaps, but many of the products we buy and consume on a daily basis are surprisingly not very healthy and safe for us or the environment.  We do hope that you do make that pure and simple choice.

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