Anytime that cold and flu season comes around, having an effective hand soap is essential to aid in the prevention of getting sick. The problem with this is that many people reach for store bought, antibacterial soaps to use, and unfortunately, these soaps contain quite a few ingredients that can be really detrimental to our health and the environment. Considering how often a person washes their hands each day, I believe it is absolutely essential to use a soap that you know is safe, and that soap is good old Castille Soap!
This may lead you to ask “Right, but is it effective in killing germs that would cause us to become sick?”, and the answer is YES! Research has shown that Organic Castille Soap is just as effective as other soaps that contain dangerous antibacterials and other undesirable ingredients (fragrance, parabens, sulfates, etc.).
Some of the undesirable ingredients that are in many commercial brand hand soaps are as follows:
1.) Triclosan – this one is a big one. It is a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. Triclosan is so bad that some states and countries have banned it’s use in personal products. Many hospitals and doctors offices are looking for alternatives to antibacterial soaps that contain triclosan because of how often their workers have to wash their hands.
2.) Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate – These ingredients are linked to skin and eye irritation, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes, and possible mutations and cancer, as reported by the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.
3.) Parabens – these have hormone disrupting effects, can cause diminished muscle mass, and have been detected in human breast tumors.
4.) Diethanolamine (DEA) – This is linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity.
5.) Synthetic fragrance – Synthetic fragrances often contain phthalates, which are endocrine disrupters that mimic hormones and may alter genital development.
These are five of the main offenders, but there are others as well. Obviously, you don’t want to be giving yourself a dose of these guys every time you wash your hands! Also, many of the antibacterial soaps out there that contain these chemicals are contributing to the superbug overgrowth problem that we are hearing more and more about. Thus, if there is a safe alternative that is just as effective, wouldn’t you rather use that?
I have a great homemade hand soap that I make and I put it in these cute homemade hand soap dispensers that I make out of mason jars – they’re adorable! You can use this soap without the foam dispenser, but you won’t get much lather with it, and I love how the dispenser makes it lather nicely. Let’s get to the soap recipe!
HOMEMADE NON-TOXIC FOAMING HANDSOAP
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup castille soap (I use Dr. Bronners. You can use any scent you would like)
- 3/4 cup distilled water
- essential oils (optional) – I use lavender and tea tree oil (5 drops of each) for their natural antibacterial properties.
Directions:
Add all the ingredients to a soap dispenser, shake a bit to combine, and you’re good to go! It’s that easy!
Enjoy! 🙂
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a medical professional. The information presented on this site is for educational and entertainment purposes only. One should always consult with their doctor or medical professional before taking on any sort of major dietary or lifestyle changes.
Loving and Laughing 