The cleaning products we use in our homes contain many chemicals.

However, if we consider that the zero waste philosophy also involves minimizing the packaging material we use, it is possible to start making natural soap by eliminating liquid soap, the cleaning material we use most throughout the day use, remove from our lives.

Before we turn to how to make natural soap, it makes sense to talk about liquid soap, its contents and harm.

liquid soap content

Liquid hand soap is made in a similar way to dish soap.

components

– Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- betaine
- Coconut diethanolamine
– glycerin
- Salt
- lauryl alcohol
– mother of pearl
- Sodium alkane sulfate
– formaldehyde (preservative)
- Odor

In particular, the sodium lauryl sulfate used for foaming can cause skin irritation. In addition, these chemicals can return to our homes via municipal biological treatment systems with wastewater from our kitchen sinks or by mixing with other water sources, harming fish and other living things.

For detailed information on the harmful effects of SLS, please refer to the relevant article, which can be accessed by clicking on the article below.

Chemicals in cosmetics and health hazards

Antibacterial liquid soaps pose a serious health risk due to the triclosan they contain. Research shows that triclosan, used to kill germs, impairs muscle function and skeletal structure.

The study, published in the latest issue of the medical journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tested the effects of triclosan on mice and fish.

Mice exposed to triclosan saw a 20 percent decrease in heart function within 25 minutes and an 18 percent decrease in arm grip strength for one hour.

However, triclosan, which kills harmful bacteria in the body, also kills beneficial bacteria and is harmful to health.

Triclosan can interact with chlorine in water and turn into chloroform and dioxin, which are carcinogens, and when absorbed through the skin, it can have a direct carcinogenic effect.

Is every solid soap a natural soap?

Considering the harmful effects of liquid soaps on people and nature and the reduction of packaging waste as part of the zero waste concept, it is undoubtedly a healthier decision to go back to the old method and switch to solid soap.

Another point that should not be forgotten is the preference of natural soaps over solid soaps and careful selection.

Chemical engineer Betül Şahin recommends vegetable oil soaps, especially those obtained through cold pressing, and advises careful handling of hand soaps: “Animal fats are used to increase the hardness and foam of soaps. This also includes lard.

There is also a risk that they are toxic (poisonous) as these oils may contain pesticide residues.

The Ministry of Health has no sanctions for products labeled as natural. Only the use of the word “health” is prohibited, and if this is the case, anyone who wants can easily put the word “natural” on the product packaging.

For this reason, you should stay away from products labeled “Natural Olive Oil” or “100% Olive Oil.” Because soaps that are advertised in this way are a chemical miracle.

The best way to tell if the soap you bought is natural or not is that the following ingredients are listed on the label: water, natural oils (almond, chamomile, bay leaf, etc.), sodium hydroxide/lye (NaOH ), salt (NaCl) and glycerol.

The potential problem with natural soap is its high pH. The pH of natural soap is around 9. When rinsing with water, this value drops to 7-7,5 in the basic environment. Because of this, in the first phase, the skin is dry and has a problem of adjustment, but the moisture level is balanced in a short time.

There are also PH adjusted soaps on the market, but again, harmful chemicals are used to balance the pH and the soap is no longer natural.

What is natural soap?

Natural soap means any chemicals that could be toxic or questionable methods or materials are avoided in the manufacturing process. In other words, it means no artificial colors, fragrances or additives are used.

Of course, making soap just for hobby purposes is also a passion, but if you choose to make handmade soap, why shouldn't this product be completely safe for you, your family and your kids?

What ingredients are used to make natural soap?

Before we ask ourselves the question of how to make natural soap, we should first ask ourselves: “What is soap?” At the heart of all soap recipes are two main ingredients: lye, i.e. sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and oil.

Through a very simple but controlled process, these two ingredients are chemically combined into a new compound - soap!

Soap making is essentially a chemical reaction between oils, which are acids, and lye, which is a base. When the two substances react with each other, they form a completely new substance whose PH value is close to neutral.

If you wish, you can give your soap an essence by adding natural oils such as lavender oil, orange oil, coconut oil or clove oil.

What is Corrosive?

It is a white-colored, moisture-absorbing substance. It is a basic compound used in chemistry and many industries. The odorless suds dissolve easily in water, turning into a soft and slippery solution that feels like soap.

It is often used as a sink opener. Lye, which itches when touched with bare hands, does not occur naturally, but it is quite easy to make.

Is caustic harmful?

Lye is a very harmful (corrosive) material when used unconsciously. For this reason, when making soap, care should be taken to wear protective clothing, avoid inhaling the corrosive substance directly, and do not have children or animals around.

Is it possible to make natural soap without lye?

It is not possible to make your own natural soap without lye. Many people avoid making soap because the thought of including caustic soda in personal care products scares or repels them.

If you want to make soap but are still unsure if you are allowed to use sodium hydroxide, i.e. a lye, you can use it by melting a soap that you already have. You can melt the soap and pour it into molds by adding the essences and ingredients you want.

Is soap making from ash water reliable?

Ash water, like lye, is an alkali. Since there was no ready-made lye in ancient times, it was used to make natural soap. Ash water has a sink cleaning property and its pH is 12 and above like lye and is caustic like lye.

The only difference with lye is that the lye production is standardized and you can know the ratio. However, since we do not know what substance becomes ash when burned, we cannot accurately determine the purity and alkalinity of the ash water.

Therefore, if it reacts with oil, it is likely that we will encounter a lye.

At the same time, it's not a 100% reliable way to make natural soap, as the ash you buy can be mixed with foreign substances, and our skin absorbs 70% of everything we put on it.

Why olive oil in natural soap making

The cold olive oil soap, which is made only from pure olive oil and contains beneficial ingredients such as beta-carotene, vitamin E and squalene, which are specific to olive oil because it is not heated to high temperatures, is the most popular among natural soaps.

In olive oil soap, it is mainly the monounsaturated oleic acid that is separated from the glycerin. It binds Na (sodium) in an optimal way and thus reduces the irritating effect of Na.

Unsaponifiable monounsaturated fatty acids are more resistant to oxidation than polyunsaturated fatty acids in other vegetable oils.

Castile does not cause irritation and hardening on the skin and has a softening effect. Cold work soap is about 70% oil and is therefore significantly more expensive than other commercial soaps.

For this reason, olive oil is the preferred oil in the manufacture of natural soap.

Natural soap making

Ingredients: 750 milliliters of olive oil, 200 milliliters of water, 90 grams of caustic soda (NaOH) (lavender oil, orange oil, coconut oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, etc. for essence).

How to do it:

1) Take all safety precautions before you start making natural soap. Put on gloves, mask, goggles and long-sleeved clothing. Work in an open area with good ventilation, away from animals and children.

2) First, the lye is gradually poured into the water in a container and mixed thoroughly with the help of a wooden stick. Because lye is a chemical that reacts quickly when it comes into contact with water, it should be added slowly to avoid splashing. Some smoke may appear during mixing. It is very important not to inhale the smoke and to ventilate the room thoroughly.

3) When the lye reacts with the water, the mixture reaches a temperature of about 75 degrees. After waiting 15 minutes, the mixture spontaneously drops to 45 degrees.

4) After the mixture has cooled, slowly pour it into the bowl with the olive oil and mix continuously with a blender.

5) When the mixing process is complete, the mixture will take on the thick consistency of boza and the saponification process will be complete. At this stage you can add 20-30 drops of any oil, e.g. B. Lavender Oil, Coconut Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Orange Oil, and mix again.