Liquid Soap Making - A Great Starter Soap For Beginners

The art of liquid soap making is probably one of the easiest ways to make your own soap at home. It's easy because melting down old pieces of soap, or even an entire bar is quick and simple. Liquid soap in it's simplest form is bar soap that has had water added to it, until you have nothing but liquid left. The only tools you will require are a pot, a measuring cup and a stove to heat everything.

You can also take it up a notch yet still keep it simple, by adding some fragrances to your soap or essential oils along with a bit of coloring. For the most part though, liquid soaps are usually put into a container where you use a hand pump and for the most part these are not normally see-through, so color does not necessarily have to be a consideration.

The first thing you do for liquid soap making is to take a bar of soap, or even old pieces, and grate them as finely as possible. When they get too small use a knife to cut them up, making sure to get it as fine as possible. The next step is to put the grated soap into a cup with measurements on the side and add water to equal the amount of grated soap.

The most difficult part of liquid soap making is the diluting process. If you use too little liquid then you may see your soap start to form a skin or it globs up in the bottle. If you add too much liquid then you won't see a good lather.

It's important to make sure you follow your recipe to the letter or you will run into problems. For the most part liquid soap making is the easiest of all the soaps that you can make at home. Knowing this, you will probably be fine and your recipe will work each time.

One of the most common reasons these days to use liquid soap is to help stop the spread of germs. With the recent flu scare, people in Mexico City started using anti-bacterial soap and washing their hand as often as possible. The result, besides helping to stop the spread of the flu germ, was a forty percent decrease in gastrointestinal problems. Nowadays it should be common practice for every sink to have some kind of liquid soap on the side for cleanliness as well as protection during flu seasons.

With liquid soap you can add any number of essential oils that also serve as anti-bacterial agents. Oregano and tea tree oil are both great for this, but there are also many others to choose from. You can even blend them with other essential oils for an even more pleasant smell and yet still have an effective product. One note of caution.

It is not advisable to use perfumed fragrances in combination with essential oils and still expect to have an effective product. You also need to take into consideration that if guests are using the liquid soap, and they have skin problems, then perfumed soap may not be to their liking. For guest bathrooms it is suggested that you stick to all-natural ingredients whenever possible.

One thing that recently has become very popular is liquid face soap. My favorite is goat's milk. A simple recipe is to reduce your water content by about eight ounces, then add 0.2 ounces of potassium hydroxide for every twelve ounces of goat's milk. This will cause the goat's milk fat to saponify. It's that simple and you will have a fantastic face soap that can easily be used on a daily basis.

The main thing to remember with liquid soap making is that it is the simplest technique around and probably the most foolproof. It's a great way to get started making soap, or introducing your children to the wonderful world of soapmaking at home.

For more information on Liquid Soap Making, visit our site at http://www.soapmakingguru.com/

The Olive Oil Liquid Soap For the Chemical Sensitive Skin

The soap we usually apply on our body can be divided into several types. The most common types are the two basic types which are the bar soap and the liquid soap. The bar soap is well known for its durability in the usage time but this type of soap has disadvantages compared to liquid soap. For example, the bar soap is not coming to handy when we need to carry it during a trip and also we cannot avoid that sometimes it will fall to the floor and get contained by the bacteria.

I would say liquid soap is the best option which is something that will help us on dealing with the needs of easy to bring soap. When soap is made in its form of liquid, it will be produced by using the non-harsh ingredients, the thickener agents, the artificial fragrances or the preservatives. This soap is also well known for the mildness it serves for the users and it can also be applied on the baby's skin as well. It is also considered as the soap which is very effective on cleaning the hair as well as the skin.

People who are very sensitive to the chemical substances need to consider using the handmade liquid soap. The ingredient that is suitable to be used to produce this kind of soap is the organic virgin olive oil. They should also avoid using the soap with the paraben as its main ingredient. Using the olive oil on the soap will also make the soap having the ability to deeply penetrate the skin and cleanse it very well almost without leaving the bad effects for the users. The olive oil based handmade soap is also providing the more mildness applied on the users' skin.

Liquid Hand Wash - Should You Buy It?

Is liquid hand wash even soap?

More importantly, is it harmful for your family to use?

Next time you visit the store for liquid soap for your family, check the label, does it say liquid soap or hand wash?

If it states "hand wash," "Cleansing Gel," or "Facial Cleanser," or numerous other innovative names, you may be buying something other than you bargained for. You are probably not buying soap at all, instead, many of these products are simply detergents, much simpler and more economical to mass produce than true soap, but not as natural and not necessarily as good for your skin - despite what it says on the label.

It is also very likely that the first or second item in the list of ingredients is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or something very similar.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS is a foaming agent, it has no other function. It is used in many commercially available body cleansers, this includes hand wash, shampoo, liquid wash, bubble bath, in fact a vast quantity of mass produced products that require a lather.

I was going to continue this article spouting the commonly known horrors of SLS as follows:

"It is a little more startling to discover that SLS is suspected to be harmful, it has been linked to retarding healing and the development of children's eyes and is also thought to cause cataracts in adults. Some reports say that it is a carcinogenic (cancer causing).

SLS has a low molecular weight and this means it is easily absorbed by the skin, therefore it can build up in the heart, liver and brain. It is a caustic cleanser that actually can corrode the hair follicle and impairs the ability for the hair to grow. SLS causes the dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin."

I decided that rather than using the above information, which came from an article I read a year or so ago, I had better see if there is any other information to back up the claims.

What I discovered was very interesting, it appears that there is no direct evidence to suggest that SLS causes any of the above symptoms, or conditions. In fact the only thing I could find is that SLS is a known skin irritant, it is used in the standard model for skin contact dermatitis, this means it is tested by placing a concentrated form of the chemical on the skin and leaving it for a predetermined time. Soap is not used in this way, it is applied diluted with water and it is quickly rinsed off, so unless you have clinically sensitive skin, you should not experience any major health issues in using products which contain SLS.

It appears that the worst that can be said for this chemical is that it could be a minor irritant and somewhat drying to sensitive skin types including African American hair and skin.

So liquid hand washes are not always soap, they are not always very good for your skin, but don't go believing all the horror stories about cancer and cataracts, most are simply not true.

What is true is that real liquid soap is a natural product (occurs in nature), it is more beneficial to your skin, utilizes no harmful chemicals and chosen carefully, can be extremely beneficial to your skin.

Replacing Bar Soaps With a Liquid Soap Dispenser is the Modern Way Ahead

Washing your hands every day a couple of times is given. And using bar soaps is also given. What is not so nice, however, is the big puddle of dirty and dried soap that forms below your bar soap or container. It is disgusting and we all know it. This is why many people started using soap dispensers which make washing hands so much easier, not to mention more hygienic.

I'm sure most of you have already come into contact with a soap dispenser, if not at home, then at work or some public places or even in a hotel you've been recently for holidays or work. You can use these appliances in all the places mentioned and more.

One of the advantages of having one of these at home, in the kitchen or bathroom, is the fact that it's quite a decorative gadget for your house. These dispensers come in many modern colors, designs, models and sizes, which allow you to match perfectly the one you buy to your surroundings. For example if you have a small apartment with a small bathroom, you can use a wall mounted one which will save you space. You can easily mount it on the wall next to the sink to allow for easy reach and hand washing.

Also if you are a health conscientious person, having a hands free soap dispenser is perfect because you don't have to touch it when you wash your hands. All you need is hold your hands in front of the sensor and the right amount of soap will be instantly delivered in your grip. Many people find it gross to use a dispenser in public locations where many others have also used it, so a sensor variety makes perfect sense in washing your hands the most hygienic way possible.

The soap dispensers can be filled not only with liquid soap, but also with other cleaning agents and even various liquid hand creams and gels, so they are actually multipurpose in use.

Nowadays buying such a gadget hardly costs anything and as a matter of fact you save money in the long run by having one of these at home. When you buy bottles of soap it can be quite costly, because you are actually buying the entire package. Not many people remember to buy the cheaper refills unless they have a dispenser available. When you do buy the refills for the container, you actually pay a tiny fraction of what you'd be paying otherwise.

A Guide - Is Foam Hand Sanitizer Better Than Liquid Soap?

The answer is both yes and no. Though both have the same goal, each is different from the other, depending also on the situation. And even if the hand sanitizer that is alcohol-based kills more germs quickly than many hand soaps, it is not as effective as the liquid soap in removing contaminants.

Lately, people saw the coming of the hand sanitizer, and it gained popularity due to outbreaks such as the spreading of the swine flu. A hand sanitizer is an antiseptic that does not require rinsing with water. Thus, it is very convenient to utilize anywhere. Easy to use, it is applied and spread all over the hands like regular lotion. Its varieties are the alcohol wipes, and the gels which are alcohol-based, oil-based, or triclosan-based.

Meanwhile, the hands must be washed thoroughly many times during the day, not just before eating. It is an uncomplicated way to prevent illnesses from germs like fungi, viruses and/or bacteria that are all around. These microorganisms are on contaminated surfaces, infected people, particular animals, and even in some foods. They are easily transmitted especially to children who love playing outdoors. Transmission generally occurs from getting in contact with a source to a mere touch of the nose, eyes, or mouth.

Most of the time, even plain tap water is not free from these harmful microorganisms. Therefore, careful and thorough washing of the hands must be done not only with such water alone, but also with soap, most especially before and after eating, using contact lenses, treating wounds, preparing food, or touching an ill person. Also after going to the comfort room, handling trash, changing nappies, blowing the nose, etc. In between these, it is advised that hand washing be done at intervals.

These days, more people like using foam soap than the traditional solid or liquid soap. This is because it gives smooth foam that is silky to the touch. This creamy feel encourages kids to wash their hands often even without being told to. More so, this foam soap cuts washing time without cutting on the benefits of washing either with a solid or a liquid one. And, in dispensing foam soap, only a reasonable amount is released into the hand/s, unlike the liquid version that tends to flow down quickly, dispensing more than what is needed.

A foam hand sanitizer is a portable hand-cleaner and disinfectant which has the creamy-feel benefit of the foam soap. It efficiently works on hands which are not visibly dirty; even clean hands have germs. And though a hand sanitizer does not have the same benefits of thorough cleaning and scrubbing with water and soap, it is also effective in eradicating germs anytime.

Use Natural Liquid Castile Soap for Safe and Wonderful Homemade Shampoos

Many of us look forward to shampooing our hair with visions of beautiful, shiny, bouncy hair as portrayed by the shampoos commercials we have become so familiar with. Little do we realize that the very shampoos that are giving us that lustrous look may at the same time be endangering our health. Fortunately, with just a bit of effort and liquid castile soap, we can easily make safe and natural shampoos at home that also give us wonderful results.

The most common chemical compounds in shampoos are the same ones that are commonly used in commercial detergents: straight-chain alkyl benzene sulfonates. Benzene is a chemical that is responsible for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), oftentimes the precursors to leukemia and many types of cancers.

Another dangerous ingredient found in shampoos is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, which has also been linked to cancer, affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and reproductive system. Formaldehyde can cause rashes, hives, and dermatitis and long term exposure can result in asthma and bronchitis. It can also cause permanent lung damage. Should shampoos containing formaldehyde come into contact with the eyes, the result can be corneal damage and, in extreme cases, even blindness.

Other common shampoo ingredients are citric acid, tetrasodium EDTA, cocamide, DEA, MEA, or TEA, Peg-5 cocamide, ammonium chloride, ammonium lauryl sulfate, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate.

Even shampoos advertising herbs as ingredients contain these harmful ingredients. Sadly, baby shampoo that has been trusted for generations also contains many of these harmful chemicals.

However, we can take charge of our health and avoid the risky ingredients in commercial shampoos by making our own shampoos. Homemade shampoos are easy to make and safe. They also help the environment and they are cost effective. Additionally, these shampoos can be customized for individual hair care needs such as dandruff, dry or oily skin, added sheen, luster, bounce, and highlights. All of the following recipes use castile soap - a natural soap made from olive oil that dates back to the 16th century.

Basic Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients well, store in a bottle and then use as you would any shampoo. Be sure to rinse well after shampooing.

Shampoos for Dandruff and Dry, Itchy Scalp

Ingredients:

6 oz Liquid castile Soap
5 drops tea tree essential oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Oily Scalp

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
5 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Dry, Color Treated Hair

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Enhancing Blonde Hair

Ingredients:

3 ounces liquid Castile soap
4 chamomile tea bags
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

Shampoos to Enhance Dark Hair

Ingredients:

3 oz liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 black tea bags
1/2 teaspoon Olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

These are just a sample of what you can do making your own shampoos. You can remain in charge of your health, while enjoying healthy and beautiful hair.