Liquid soaps have become very popular over the years. Unfortunately, in order to keep liquid soaps from going bad and growing harmful bacteria, they must contain preservatives that are known to be harmful to our health.  They also contain other toxic ingredients and require more energy to produce and create more waste. Bar soap is just as effective as liquid soap (even antibacterial soap) according to several studies, and since there’s no extra water added, they don’t have to contain preservatives (although many still do). While bar soap will have fewer toxic ingredients than liquid soap, it’s still very important to read labels on those bars of soap. Most of the cheap bars of soap that are sold in the store contain several cheap, toxic ingredients, and most of the glycerin (a natural skin softener) has been removed. The glycerin can be used to make lotions or other products which one will need to purchase after using this cheap soap. I wouldn’t even know how to remove the glycerin (nor would I want to!).

It’s important to make or look for soap that contains ingredients that are pronounceable and simple. Real soap is made with fats or oils and lye. That’s all that is necessary. Buying or adding essential oils to the soap is an excellent alternative to fragrances, but will cost a lot more. I always remind myself that I can pay now or pay later with my health. All soap is saponified with lye and if anyone says different, they are lying. In the past women would soak their wood ashes in rain water to make their own lye, and then add this to whatever fat they were producing on their farm to make soap. Maybe someday I will give homemade lye a try, but for now we buy it.

Several years ago, when I was changing our skin care, I couldn’t find soap natural soap so I started making my own. I knew I wanted to avoid fragrances (which many ingredients are hidden under), preservatives, hormone disruptors, colorants, and other toxins. I did a lot of experimenting and found the combination of olive oil, palm oil, and coconut oil was incredibly moisturizing and cleansing. There are a lot of great soaps to choose from, so I recommend experimenting until you find a natural soap that works well for you. Because of my intense chemical sensitivities, I use my bar soap for everything from bathing to washing dishes. While this sensitivity has improved significantly, I have no plans to go back to those harsh soaps that were labeled as natural. My skin feels too good, and I love knowing what I’m using. I will share more about how I use them in future blog posts. I have had many requests from people that say, “I love your soap, but could you make it in a liquid?” After a lot of research and a little experimentation my answer was and still is, “No.” It would never be as moisturizing, and I refuse to use harmful preservatives which would be required. My goal is to promote health, and I’m not willing to compromise on my values simply to make money. Have you tried bar soap?

Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, get rid of the distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was get your salt right, week 2 was get your sleep right, weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were get your fats right, we had several weeks about seasonings and herbs, some important discussion about natural sweeteners, talked about Forgiveness, hopefully we got our eggs right, learned about the benefits of pastured, clean meats, considered getting mercury removed, we got the toxins out of our mouth, and this week we continue to get the toxins out and improve our skin. Join us next Tuesday for Get Your . . . Right.