Natural Handmade Soaps. New Trend
Cosmetic soaps are products primarily used for personal hygiene. They can be solid, liquid, or cream, and are essentially the result of mixing oils and an alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide) to create a sodium or potassium salt through a process called saponification.
The oil or the The oils used in the saponification process can be vegetable (olive, coconut, or almond oil), animal (lard), or mineral (paraffin). This will define the quality and nature of the soap, as well as its properties and uses.
Although cosmetics have advanced significantly in recent decades, promising products for younger, more radiant skin, or shampoos that will make your hair much more voluminous, there are traditional formulas that have worked and continue to work, and these formulas have also adapted to modern times. Natural, handcrafted soap is one such solution that is still used and is gaining popularity every day.
One of the reasons these products have become so popular is that they are made with 100% natural ingredients: oils, vegetable butters, botanical extracts, and essential oils. Furthermore, they contain no preservatives, colorings, or synthetic fragrances.
The artisanal production of natural soaps ensures that the nutrients retain their beneficial properties . On the contrary, these benefits are enhanced for our bodies. This results in soaps with powerful antioxidant, regenerative, and emollient properties for our skin.
Handmade soaps are not only for the body; we can also find soaps for the face, natural soaps for hair, for acne-prone, sensitive or dry skin, for babies, and even exfoliating handmade soaps to renew the dermis.
Aromatherapy could also be one of the advantages of these types of soaps; their natural ingredients, based on botanical extracts and essential oils, give them exquisite aromas. Specifically , essential oils are extracted from plants through distillation and contain a large number of active compounds. They not only benefit our skin but also our sense of smell.
Olfactory receptors transmit smells to a part of the brain called the limbic system. This is the area where instinct, mood, and emotions are connected. Aromatherapy is believed to stimulate the release of chemicals that may be important in the release of emotions. Therefore, certain scents can help us feel more relaxed after a long day at work.
Everything mentioned is important, but what we really want from soap is for it to cleanse our skin while also caring for it. Natural, handcrafted soaps do just that. However, it's crucial to always choose soaps that suit our skin type; fortunately, the variety of handcrafted soaps is immense, and we'll always find one that's right for us.
By eliminating any type of chemical product, these soaps are unlikely to cause problems with allergies, rashes or itching , something that does often happen with some products that contain too many chemical agents.
Another advantage is that these soaps are environmentally friendly. Yes, we care about the environment, but better yet, health too . So, in addition to taking care of ourselves, we're talking about 100% natural and biodegradable products.
This is undoubtedly a very interesting option for our personal hygiene and care. It's also an option we might consider as a great gift for family and friends.
Ramona Ávila Núñez, PhD