Natural lye soap often means a dull-looking, handcrafted soap that lathers little and has no fragrance or color whatsoever. This is not always the case. Your lye soap can be made to look good, can be shaped differently and yet, still retain its natural properties. Natural lye soap is not just a cheaper choice, it is also the safest you can ever use. True. Since only natural ingredients are used, the soap is less harsh on the environment. It also cleanses well, thanks to its ingredients – lye, water, fats and oils, natural glycerin and others. Lack of harsh ingredients make the soap ideal for sensitive or irritating skin. This article will reason why natural lye soap is a greener choice compared to other laundry soaps or detergents.
1. Its all natural: When you make your own natural lye soap, you know what goes into it. Whether its beef tallow or lard or vegetable oil, you know your ingredients are safe, natural and contain no harmful elements. Cleansing too happens at a natural pace, without any harsh effects on the body or clothes. Owing to the natural, green ingredients, your homemade lye soap would be a better choice for even laundry cleaning and washing.
2. Has been for years: Natural lye soap has been in use for years, right from the times of the ancients. As per history, soap originated in Babylonia where they used a soap like substance for cleaning. Later, Roman women washing clothes in the River Tiber found that cleaning at a particular place proved good than at other places. The reason was tracked to a soapy stream which flowed from a nearby hill where animals were sacrificed in the woods and cooked and eaten. It was found out that the substance was soap, formed by a natural mixing of wood ash, water and animal fat. Though caustic, lye is the most important ingredient in soapmaking process. It is required to dissolve the fatty acids and induce soap formation. Though different cultures used different soap recipes, lye played a crucial role in the making of natural soap.
3. Soft on skin: Another important reason: natural lye soap is always soft on skin. Its natural ingredients, along with its moisturizing properties, make it one of the tenderest soaps that can be made at home. The very fact that natural lye soap can cure/treat psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions shows that lye soap can be ideal for any type of skin – sensitive or normal. Natural lye laundry soap is better than ordinary detergents as it is soft on the fabrics. Lye being an active cleansing agent, natural soap removes stains faster and better than company-manufactured detergents.
4. No additives or chemicals: Free from additives, fragrances or chemical cleansers (except lye), natural lye soap ensures that you are not victims of artificial, adulterated chemicals. The presence of natural glycerin makes the soap more adaptive to any type of skin. It moisturizes the skin and makes it glow.
5. Super-fatted soaps: You can make a natural lye soap into a super-fatted soap by adding excessive amounts of vegetable and essential oils. You can add a little extra oil and prevent saponification of your soap. The oil will remain on the soap to soothe and moisturize the skin. Herbs, essential oils, fruits, vegetables, butters, pine tar, clay and other natural ingredients can be added to the soap to make it more soft and tender.
6. Greener environment: The best point is, natural lye soap leaves us with a greener environment. When you handcraft your soap with natural ingredients, disposing unwanted soap bars or soapmaking supplies becomes easier. The non-toxic supplies are often the biodegradable ones and hence, there is no question of them causing damage to your ground water levels or surroundings.
