Antipruritic Soap?

Something that is antipruritic is something that inhibits itching. Normally, when I think of an antipruritic, I think of antihistamines like Benedryl; corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone; local anesthetics such as Lanacaine; or a counter irritant such as camphor.

Tonight, I was totally and happily amazed to find out that a soap that I had made worked just as well! My husband and I were enjoying a warm evening on our patio until little black bugs started biting my arms. I went inside and suddenly started itching terribly! It was awfully intense and I started looking for something that would relieve the itch other than scratching myself raw.

When I lived in the Midwest, I would use Calamine lotion for itchy bites but I couldn't find any in the house. On a whim, I went into the bathroom and grabbed up a half-bar of my Botanical Soap with Aloe Vera. I vigorously rubbed up a lather on both of my arms and rinsed it off. Immediately, the itching went away! I was sooooo excited!

Botanical Soap with Aloe Vera

I waited for the itching to return, but it never did! I'm not sure why it was so effective against the itching but I'm extremely relieved it was! The ingredients in this batch include coconut oil, olive oil, canola oil, cocoa butter, lard, vegetable shortening, aloe vera oil, aloe vera juice, rosemary, fragrance oil, mica coloring, and sodium hydroxide (lye).

Perhaps it was due to all of the aloe vera that I included ... or just the natural composition of the soap itself ... which created the antipruritic properties? I'd have to be a chemist to figure it all out. It's just something very wonderful to know ... and to have on hand!

Debate of the Decade: Bar Soap vs Body Wash

When I went back to work and started making lots of money, I didn't have enough time at home to continue making every thing from scratch. I started using Body Wash and a pouffie nylon thing. In fact, quite a lot of things changed because I was just too tired or didn't have time. After graduating with my AAS Paramedic and staying at home to volunteer in my community, I had much more time to again make things from scratch. 

Me, at an accident scene. (I certainly needed a shower after this!)

I started making homemade soaps. YUMMY! Out went the nylon pouffy thing and in came my hand-crocheted soft cloths and lovely soaps made from natural oils and botanical ingredients. 

 

All natural Oatmeal & Honey soap

So... lets have the great debate! In one corner, we have the fashionable bottle of body wash. In the other, the rustic, handcrafted bar of soap. Opening the plastic bottle cap, I can smell delightful scents wafting upward from the plastic bottle of body wash. Hmm... "plastic bottle"... wonder how many of these things end up in land fills? How long does it take to recycle, and at what cost? A major concern, lately, is that plastic bottles may also leach chemicals into the product they carry, causing us to be exposed unnecessarily to toxic carcinogens. Looking at the ingredients of my previously favorite way to get clean, I notice that water is the main ingredient. This causes weight and volume meaning more energy and cost involved in transporting body wash to the consumer. The more transportation, the more pollution to our environment.

The average person goes through more than 200 bottles of liquid soap in their lifetime. 

Now, in the other corner, we have the traditional bar of soap, but not just ANY bar of soap. This is a handcrafted, natural, artisan bar of soap made with ingredients such as coconut oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, palm oil, lard, sodium hydroxide (lye), essential oils, and earth mica (coloring). It smells deliciously fresh! My favorite is scented with Lilac. This bar of soap weighs 4.5 oz as opposed to the 24 oz bottle of body wash. The packaging for the soap is a simple, handmade, paper cigar band with the soap-maker's logo. If allowed to dry properly between uses, the bar of soap lasts as long or longer than the 24 oz bottle of body wash. The handcrafted bar of soap does not impact the landfills at all. It's lighter so it's much cheaper to transport. It's ecologically sound and healthy for our bodies and the world we live in. It makes your skin feel delightfully refreshed and clean without that dry itchy feeling that so often occurs after using a body wash containing unnatural, synthetic, petroleum-based ingredients.

As for the ingredients on the bottle of body wash, here is a list on the back of the last body wash product I used: Water, sodium hydroxypropl starch phosphate, sodium laureth sulfate, cocomidopropyl betaine, lauric acid, petroleum, sodium cocoyl glycinate, glycerin, sodium lauroyl isethionate, fragrance, hydrogenated soybean oil, cocos nucifera (coconut fruit extract), nonfat dry milk, gycine soja (soybean) oil or helianthus annuss (sunflower) seed oil, sodium chloride, steric acid, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, DMDM hydantoin, tallow acid or palmitic acid, sodium isethionate, BHT, tetrasodium EDTA, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, etidronic acid, methylsothiazolinome, Red 33, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 5.

Phew!! I had to put on my bi-focals to be able to read all the tiny print! Let's do some further research. When I google some of the above ingredients to see what they're all about, I found some pretty disturbing information. To be honest, some of the ingredients can be identified as healthy ingredients such as a couple of the oils but it's the super long words that give me pause, and there are a lot of them!

Just of few of the strange-sounding ingredients in the body wash I used to use ...

DMDM hydantoin - a preservative that releases formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, cancer, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, dizziness, and insomnia

Sodium laureth sulfate - Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and 90% of personal-care products that foam. Eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, skin irritation, and death.

Tetrasodium EDTA - a preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide.  It is also a penetration enhancer, meaning it breaks down the skin's protective barrier, going right into your bloodstream.

Need I go further? I would a whole lot rather be sudsing up with something that will nourish my skin, protect it, and attract moisture naturally with a fragrant, handcrafted artisan bar of soap than to apply a pretty-smelling carcinogenic cocktail to my skin!

Chamomile Neroli Handcrafted Soap with Avocado Oil

All Natural Botanical/Vegan Soap with ground Yucca, scented with Rosehip and Jasmine

Muddy Soap ... Oxymoron?

Someone once asked me if I had any "Dead Sea Mud & Sea Salt" soap for sale. I didn't but had been thinking about looking into making some because of the known benefits of Dead Sea Mud. So... I purchased 100% Dead Sea Mud and began formulating a soap recipe for it. 

If you don't give it much thought and you're looking at different scents and types of soaps, it might seem very odd to buy a soap with mud in it. :) After all, isn't that why we take showers and baths ... to rid ourselves of dirt? The oils of handcrafted soap are chosen specifically for their moisturizing and healing properties, but, why put mud in soap?

Dead Sea Mud is unique in that it contains more than 12 different substances and minerals than any other earthy mixture used for health purposes. These minerals are very good at enriching and nourishing the skin. They are derived from the Dead Sea in Israel, which is the earth's lowest hyper-saline lake. The lake is so salty that you cannot sink!

People have recognized the medicinal value of Dead Sea Mud & Salt for thousands of years. Containing the same minerals that the skin is composed of, these minerals are readily absorbed to rejuvenate the skin, help relieve skin problems, aid in internal bodily processes, and soothe arthritic pain. 

Combined with the pure oils in handcrafted soap, Dead Sea Mud and Sea Salt make the perfect combination to help heal skin ailments and to ensure that the skin stays supple and healthy.

Handcrafted soaps heavy with salts can be a little crumbly so I decided to incorporate the Sea Salt in a white soap swirl throughout the naturally colored tan soap which contains the Dead Sea Mud. Sea Salt is also richly sprinkled on top. The bars are lightly scented with a blend of "White Tea & Ginger" and "Flowering Herb", which has a luscious, fresh scent! This is a nice, smooth bar of soap ... lathering richly while providing great skin therapy!

These are now for sale on my Etsy Shoppe.

Guest Soap Bars

I thought I would share how my Guest Soap Bars look when I get ready to package them. This is an order I was working on today ...

She selected Chamomile Neroli, Victorian Rose, Oatmeal & Honey, Patchouli, Eucalyptus Spearmint, and Rosehip Jasmine. Each have a little cigar band with my logo, "Sonoran Scents from the Heart", and identification on them. 

Next, I put them into individual cellophane bags, tied with pretty, colored, curly ribbon. Each little Guest Soap Bar is 2.5 x 1.75 x 0.5 inches and weighs 1.25 oz. All are made with very fine oils and butters such as olive oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, aloe vera, cocoa butter, shea butter, & palm oil the cold process way.

These soaps are perfect for trying out handcrafted bars of soap without buying the whole bar! It also helps immensely to see if you like how the soap-maker scents their soaps.

Some other great uses for Guest-Sized Soaps are for Spa Parties, Baby Showers, Wedding Favors, Stocking Stuffers, and Birthday Parties! They make a caring, personalized gift that can actually be used and enjoyed by the receiver.

Right now, I'm offering a free sample of Guest Soap Bars, your choice, in my Etsy Shoppe, when you pay shipping!