What's in your soap?
In our last post, we talked about the wonderful benefits of goat milk in our soap, so today we'd like to share about some of the other natural ingredients that we choose to add into many of our soaps.
Most commercially produced bars contain synthetic lathering agents, artificial colors, and a slew of chemicals we can't even pronounce. Antibacterial and antimicrobial soaps often contain triclosan. Triclosan is a toxic chemical that is known to cause cancer. Your skin is porous and absorbent. It absorbs whatever it comes in contact with, much the same as sticking something in your mouth. Chronic use of these chemically laden products will cause the body to store the chemicals in the body fat or even in the brain.
Our base recipe includes four plant based oils; olive, coconut, soy and palm. We learned of the concern regarding palm oil and the deforestation it has caused. Knowing and believing that God has called us to be stewards of His earth, we needed to make sure that we were not contributing to this issue. We researched and confirmed that the source we purchase our palm oil from follows the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) guidelines. This means it is harvested from sustainable forests with companies who follow the strict environmental and social criteria.
All of these wonderful oils are pure, natural and nourishing to your skin. Soaps made with plant based oils clean your skin without stripping away the natural oils -- so you don't end up dry and flaky after it's use. Glycerin is retained in natural soaps. Glycerin is highly moisturizing and most commercial soap producers usually remove the glycerin from their products to use for other purposes, mainly lotions that you end up needing after using their soaps!
We cannot list every additional essential oil and/or ingredient that we use in our variety of goat milk soaps, but we'd like to share some of the benefits that a few of these wonderful ingredients can provide.
Lavender Essential Oil - can relieve anxiety and promote relaxation. It also has strong antibacterial and antiseptic properties, making it a great agent for relieving insect bites and sunburns as well as calming skin irritations.
Tea Tree Oil - has many healing properties and also is a wonderful antiseptic for your skin. With antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, this ingredient is a staple in many of our soaps.
Ginger Essential Oil - not only is this an awesome internal analgesic and anti-inflammatory remedy; it also has been proven to do the same externally as well. It's natural soothing qualities can relieve aches and pains and promote normal blood circulation.
Activated Charcoal - thoroughly cleanses your skin and draws out dirt, oil, and impurities. It is an amazing detoxifier that can give you a smoother and healthier-looking complexion.
Pine Tar - not one of our most fragrant ingredients, but if you suffer from severe eczema or psoriasis, this is a great natural remedy found to reduce the inflammation of these skin condition and help promote healing. Pine Tar also helps with itching of the scalp due to dandruff and can be useful to soothe and treat symptoms of poison ivy.
Turmeric - another whole body healer, turmeric is effective in the treatment of acne due to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties that fight pimples and breakouts. This also helps treat wounds and hasten healing, therefore preventing spread of infection.
Bentonite Clay - a natural detoxifier. It binds with and removes toxins from your body, and it's extremely eco-friendly.
Chamomile - eases the itching of eczema, takes down swelling caused by rashes and reduces skin inflammation. It also has been shown to promote general relaxation and relieve stress.
These are just a few of the natural ingredients we add to our line of goat milk soaps to add extra benefits for you. We also use organic herbs that have been grown on our own farms as well as from local greenhouses. Our goal is to offer a safe (and affordable) product that you can feel good about using. We encourage you to research all the products you are using for you and your family. Whether you choose to buy from our small family business or support another local business in your neck of the woods, we are so thankful to be part of keeping people healthier and promoting natural living!
Until next time...
Peace-
Michelle & Sue
*all statements and claims have not been evaluated by the FDA. Sparrow Soaps is not intending to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Always check with your doctor before using any product especially if you are taking prescription medication or are pregnant/nursing.