Do you know someone who is allergic to soaps? The reaction is usually dry skin, flakiness, skin peeling and in more severe cases, skin cracking, itching and bleeding.
Certain soap making
ingredients could be the culprit such as:
- perfumes
- detergent items (SLS/SLES)
- bleaching components
- preservatives (paraben)
- antibacterial additives
- colourants
- thickeners & hardeners
The allergic reaction happens because the immune system thinks these ingredients are infectious. The reaction usually causes a person to end up with ugly patches, or raw and sensitive skin.
Let's talk more about some of these ingredients.
Let's talk more about some of these ingredients.
SLS
This is a common ingredient in soap making that is known to cause allergic reactions. SLS is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This chemical ingredient
makes soap foamy. It’s also good at breaking down grease but in the process, it
strips your skin of its natural oil. This weakens the natural oil that is used
to protect the skin and causes the allergic reaction as well as dryness.
Paraben
This is a soap making ingredient added to soaps to keep them
fresh longer. It acts as a preservative. There are many different Paraben compounds. The variation means that
only some people are allergic to certain types. This makes it near to impossible
for people to know which one exactly they are having a reaction to. The best is to select products that do not contain this ingredient.
Perfumes
Most commercial soaps contain chemical based scents. Perfumes do contain some allergens that could create a reaction. The reason why factories use perfumes is because essential oils and natural scents are costly. Making your own soap will ensure you use only most natural scents that are beneficial for your skin. You can also choose to totally eliminate scent from your soaps.
Colorants
Commercial soaps contain artificial colourings that may cause a reaction to your skin. If you think about it, colourants in soaps are purely for aesthetic purposes so if you are making your own soap, you don't really need to add any of these. Go natural. Use natural clays or dry herbs and plants, or skinsafe micas from a reliable source.
A simple way to treat allergy is to opt for more established soap brands. Another way
is of course to make your own soap so you know which ingredients you put into making it. Or purchase from a reliable handmade soap maker.
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