Normally, the word additives conjures up thoughts of artificial substances added to food for various reasons. In the world of natural soap making however, additives are an integral part of the soap being produced and often form the therapeutic and medicinal benefits held within the soap. Be Natural Uses a range of lovely natural soap making additives and I wanted to highlight a few of those and how they are beneficial as skin food.
Our signature soap, Be Relaxed has generous amount of organic lavender essential oil added to it. We source the oil locally whenever we can. Lavender oil has many benefits when used in a soap from stress relief, helping sleep, antibacterial and antiseptic and sweetly fragranced.
Be Smooth contains the wonderful Pick Clay or Kaolin, as it is also known. Pink Clay improves skin softness and is ideal for all skin types. It is very soft and can be used on fragile, dehydrated or sensitive skin. It is fantastic to use on mature skin, lined or wrinkled skin.
Taranaki Honey is used in two of our soaps – Be Clean and Be Lathered. Honey makes a fantastic soap additive as it extremely moisturising and helps keep moisture locked in the skin. This moisture and elasticity helps to give the skin it’s natural glow and healthy “look.” Antioxidants means slower aging, less wrinkles, less damage from free-radicles.
Coffee grinds are used in our Be Fresh soap – but why? Because coffee grounds are a perfect ingredient for removing disagreeable scents from your hands after, say, you’ve been cooking with a lot of garlic or fish, working on your car, or fixing the lawnmower. Because coffee is a diuretic, soaps containing coffee have been known to visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite by drawing fluid away from fat cells, essentially dehydrating the fat cells. This shrinks their size, resulting in a tightening effect from the outside. Coffee contains antioxidants that are amazing for overall skin health. Antioxidants fight premature ageing of the skin due to heat, light, pollution, and damaging free radicals. Coffee’s antioxidant power, flavonoids, are released when brewed, and are captured in the hand soap.
Preservatives?
And lets not forget natural soap making additives are also there to prolong the shelf life of the soap! Mass produced soap (which is basically solid detergent, not soap at all) contain nasty chemicals to prolong shelf life, not because they are good for your skin! Many of the additives we use however, help to keep the soap for months, whilst sitting waiting for the perfect customer! We use grapefruit seed extract as a natural preservative, which prolongs shelf life and keeps the soap smelling beautiful.
What are some other additives we use? How about, pumice, poppy seeds, vanilla paste, calendula petals, rose petals and essential oils. All of these wonderful natural ingredients provide fantastic fragrance along with benefits for healthy skin. Our clients have been reporting fantastic feedback recently – many clients find they prefer one soap over all others as it suits their skin type. So, have a browse, and see if you can discover a perfect match for your skin!
Soapmaking really is a science, but lucky for us, it is also a great way to unleash some creative flair whilst creating a useful and unique product. Soapmaking requires the exact measurement of fats and alkalines, combined at exact temperatures. But once the science is taken care of – it is time to conjure up …
Palm Oil in Soapmaking FACT: Palm oil makes great soap. FACT: Be Natural does not and will never use Palm Oil in soapmaking. Lets look into this a bit further. Palm Oil needs land to grow. Much of the best growing regions for palm oil are in the Asia region, where precious rainforest is still …
Be Natural originally made its first solid shampoo 4 years ago as part of its first product line up. However, solid shampoo wasn’t as popular ‘back in the old days’ so it didn’t sell that well. Fast forward to 2017 and we have relaunched the shampoo soap due to popular demand! Solid Shampoo is a …
With so many products jumping on the ‘natural’ bandwagon, it can be tricky to know which ones truly are good for your skin, and which ones just say they are. When choosing a soap for you and your family, it is best to look for one that retains the glycerin that is produced naturally during …
Be Natural’s Natural Additives
Be Natural’s soap making additives
Normally, the word additives conjures up thoughts of artificial substances added to food for various reasons. In the world of natural soap making however, additives are an integral part of the soap being produced and often form the therapeutic and medicinal benefits held within the soap. Be Natural Uses a range of lovely natural soap making additives and I wanted to highlight a few of those and how they are beneficial as skin food.
Our signature soap, Be Relaxed has generous amount of organic lavender essential oil added to it. We source the oil locally whenever we can. Lavender oil has many benefits when used in a soap from stress relief, helping sleep, antibacterial and antiseptic and sweetly fragranced.
Be Smooth contains the wonderful Pick Clay or Kaolin, as it is also known. Pink Clay improves skin softness and is ideal for all skin types. It is very soft and can be used on fragile, dehydrated or sensitive skin. It is fantastic to use on mature skin, lined or wrinkled skin.
Taranaki Honey is used in two of our soaps – Be Clean and Be Lathered. Honey makes a fantastic soap additive as it extremely moisturising and helps keep moisture locked in the skin. This moisture and elasticity helps to give the skin it’s natural glow and healthy “look.” Antioxidants means slower aging, less wrinkles, less damage from free-radicles.
Coffee grinds are used in our Be Fresh soap – but why? Because coffee grounds are a perfect ingredient for removing disagreeable scents from your hands after, say, you’ve been cooking with a lot of garlic or fish, working on your car, or fixing the lawnmower. Because coffee is a diuretic, soaps containing coffee have been known to visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite by drawing fluid away from fat cells, essentially dehydrating the fat cells. This shrinks their size, resulting in a tightening effect from the outside. Coffee contains antioxidants that are amazing for overall skin health. Antioxidants fight premature ageing of the skin due to heat, light, pollution, and damaging free radicals. Coffee’s antioxidant power, flavonoids, are released when brewed, and are captured in the hand soap.
Preservatives?
And lets not forget natural soap making additives are also there to prolong the shelf life of the soap! Mass produced soap (which is basically solid detergent, not soap at all) contain nasty chemicals to prolong shelf life, not because they are good for your skin! Many of the additives we use however, help to keep the soap for months, whilst sitting waiting for the perfect customer! We use grapefruit seed extract as a natural preservative, which prolongs shelf life and keeps the soap smelling beautiful.
What are some other additives we use? How about, pumice, poppy seeds, vanilla paste, calendula petals, rose petals and essential oils. All of these wonderful natural ingredients provide fantastic fragrance along with benefits for healthy skin. Our clients have been reporting fantastic feedback recently – many clients find they prefer one soap over all others as it suits their skin type. So, have a browse, and see if you can discover a perfect match for your skin!
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Combining Science and Creativity…
Soapmaking really is a science, but lucky for us, it is also a great way to unleash some creative flair whilst creating a useful and unique product. Soapmaking requires the exact measurement of fats and alkalines, combined at exact temperatures. But once the science is taken care of – it is time to conjure up …
Why we avoid Palm Oil
Palm Oil in Soapmaking FACT: Palm oil makes great soap. FACT: Be Natural does not and will never use Palm Oil in soapmaking. Lets look into this a bit further. Palm Oil needs land to grow. Much of the best growing regions for palm oil are in the Asia region, where precious rainforest is still …
All about our Eco Shampoo – Be Silky
Be Natural originally made its first solid shampoo 4 years ago as part of its first product line up. However, solid shampoo wasn’t as popular ‘back in the old days’ so it didn’t sell that well. Fast forward to 2017 and we have relaunched the shampoo soap due to popular demand! Solid Shampoo is a …
What is Glycerin? Why it’s in Natural Soap.
With so many products jumping on the ‘natural’ bandwagon, it can be tricky to know which ones truly are good for your skin, and which ones just say they are. When choosing a soap for you and your family, it is best to look for one that retains the glycerin that is produced naturally during …