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I had an interesting experience at the Handmade Fair this weekend. Let me explain. When we hold our Green Living workshops, the people who attend, are usually already leaning towards a more natural lifestyle. They find us, because they are looking. So, when we talk about how natural products behave and how they don’t behave, everyone is open to the idea of changing their perspectives: it might not taste, feel or act the same as some conventional products – and that’s ok!
But, at the fair we were faced with a few people who liked the idea of using more natural products – but had some reservations. What I loved though, was that they talked about it – which is really promising! Once you voice your fears, concerns or problems – then everything can be figured out!
I was left thinking about one “problem” with natural products that I heard on that day:
Natural soap & shampoos don’t foam!
It seems funny, but I totally get it. We love big, bubbly, foaming products. It makes us feel more clean! You can pile it up on your head, make a bubble hat and matching beard in the shower. It’s fun.
Why would we ever want to give that up? To help us get a better understanding, I’ve asked my Green Living partner, Del to weigh in. She is part of a family who hand-make a line of natural baby skincare, including a castile soap which is beautiful, and, doesn’t foam. I asked her to share from the perspective of a maker – why it was important for them to leave out the chemicals which create those big bubbles we so love!
Lots of commercial skincare contain strong detergents and foam-boosters to create those big bubbles. So big bubbles means a harsher shampoo or soap that’s actually stripping your skin of its natural moisture! Not the best thing for baby (or any!) skin!
So, to all of our bubbly personalities out there, I have a Quick Green Tip for you, on how you can use the natural products that are good for your skin and get the bubbles that are good for a laugh. Who ever said that you can’t have it all!
TIP: Go buy yourself a foaming pump. Like magic, it makes natural ingredients bubble and foam. No chemicals needed. You can use it for your body wash and shampoo to create that nice rich lather. I bought mine from Muji but I’ve seen similar ones around Singapore – I think Watson’s offers one too. Let me know if you try it!
[…] p.s – In my sink you’ll see my Muji hand-wash pump which is so great because it makes even my natural liquid soaps bubble and foam! Read about it here. […]
Daiso sells foam pump bottles in many sizes for only $2. Not only does it help foam up hand washes and body washes it saves you money in the long run because you’re diluting a tiny bit of wash with lots of water. I can’t believe how expensive foaming products are in the shops. This is probably my proudest DIY discovery this year 🙂
I feel switching to a completely natural shampoo or soap can be a bit of an adjustment for some individuals, but the results are always satisfactory. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Evie – absolutely, it’s that first period of experiencing something new – but once you appreciate the benefits, it makes it absolutely worth it!
Please excuse the looong comment, but I’m very passionate about safe soap!
Natural soap with some coconut oil foams well too!
The chemicals that create foam in commercial soap & shampoo are sodium lauryl sulfate and cocamidopropyl betaine (which is on the American Contact Dermatitis Society’s infamous Allergen of the Year list). These are not toxic but do strip moisture and irritate skin which can cause dryness, rash and eczema.
Antibacterial soaps with chemicals like Triclosan are even worse. Triclosan is already banned in the EU but allowed in Singapore and the US.
Parabens are perhaps the worst! These are endocrine disruptors banned from children’s products in Denmark and soon the EU. Endocrine disruption = hormonal disorders which affect heart functions, thyroid, diabetes, growth and fertility in both men and women.
The above ingredients are common in brand name products like Cetaphil, QV, Dove, Johnson’s, Dettol, etc. Including the varieties that are marketed as “organic” or “natural” which are just the same chemical concoction with a drop or two of a plant extract.
The alternative? Read the ingredients list and use only truly natural or organic soaps to Save Your Skin!
There I’m finally done!
Hi Jason! How great to hear your passion! I checked out your site and it looks lovely, will have to give your soaps a go!!
8 Comments
Yes! I got my foam pump from Muji too. While it does come out foamy, once applied it doesn’t bubble/foam as much as the conventional products do. I’m totally ok with that though because I know it’s free from parabens. If I’m not mistaken, these are the chemicals that make products foam like nobody’s business. Hehe, thanks so much for the tip and I’m going to try that hair infusion you shared in a different post. Cheers!
I love Muji!! And your skin is much better off without the harsh detergents that make products foam, like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (look out for them!)