Since ancient times, soap has been an important part of the hygiene culture and has been used as a cleaning agent. In Sumerian inscriptions, it was mentioned that the ingredients for soap making included vegetables, animal oils and ashes. The fact that Romans gave special importance to baths led to the diversification of cleaning products. In the Ottoman period, soap became an important product for personal cleaning due to an increasing interest in baths. In addition, special soaps were used in dowries and were gifted to the visitors of high level government officials. Over time, soap making developed and new ingredients began to be used such as sand, milk, vegetable oils and leaves.
As the population of the world increased and pollution worsened, our lifestyle shifted away from natural, environmentally-friendly products. However, it is not impossible to minimize waste and damage to the environment, to return to nature and protect our health. Natural soaps contain vegetable oils, herbs, leaves and sodium hydroxide. According to our personal preferences, it is possible to find soaps with a wide array of ingredients.
One of the important things that we need to pay attention to when buying soap is, even if it looks natural, it was probably made in a laboratory. We often think that soaps which don't foam are unnatural and tend to prefer laboratory-made soaps because they foam more. However, natural soaps are the most beneficial products for our skin, even if they foam less. The shelf life of natural soaps is shorter than that of laboratory-made soaps, however, more important than the appearance and odour of soap are its natural ingredients. Natural soaps smell fresher than market products, although they do not contain chemical perfumes, they have enough odour for our use. Soaps made in the laboratory contain too many chemicals which cause our skin to dry, get irritated, lose its oil, itch and peel, and even develop wounds. It is very important for people with sensitive skin to go for natural soap. Today, the use of natural soaps, which are beneficial not only for the skin but also for the hair, has become more widespread. Natural soaps can be made from almost any oil type and are environmentally friendly. They can be produced using one of two techniques: hot process or cold process.
A shift to natural soap is an important step for ourselves and our loved ones. Our skin and our health deserve nature’s gifts.