Author: Angela J. Buckley
As the words in the labels become lengthier, it is becoming more difficult to discern their meaning. Education is how you, the consumer, can protect yourself. Is there a product or ingredient name that you would like to have explained? Email me and we’ll respond. Have a comment, question or concern about one the ingredients below? Please let me know!
angela@celticnaturals.com Angela J. Buckley
Once upon a day, we didn’t have to read labels. You didn’t need to. You went to the Farmer’s Market to buy essentials, such as flour, oil and fruits and vegetables. Then you went home and “processed” yourself, that is, you baked, you sewed, you made it. As a result, you knew exactly what was going on your skin and into your mouth. However, as society progressed, individuals specialized in producing products. Still, the customer and the vendor knew each other. This intimacy in the marketplace served as a protection to the customer. Individual service, mindfulness of the customer’s needs and limitations where (and still are!) the hallmark of the small vendors.
Today, with globalization, the vendor is no longer uniquely tied to her customer. Without the direct personal interaction, labeling becomes a safety requirement. However, labeling is a shared burden. The manufacturer must honestly follow the law and serve the interest of its customers. Reading and writing is a two-way street. The manufacturer writes, but the consumer must read, and comprehend.
Labels by Law
Labels are designed by law to protect the consumer. However, the practicality of law is compromise between manufacturers, lawmakers seeking reelection and watchdog groups. As a result, different products have different labeling requirements. Soap, for example, has an exemption. Soap is not required to have any product or ingredient label on it. Other skin care products are required to list all ingredients that exist in the product at levels greater than 1%, unless the ingredient is specifically an active ingredient, or the ingredient has been listed by the FDA. In California, any ingredient found on their “Cancer List” must also be listed.
Below are terms and ingredients most commonly found in all natural soaps.
Glycerine: Glycerine is a natural humectant, which means that it attracts moisture. This wonderfully useful ingredient has many uses. In skin care, it is most notable for its ability to smooth and soften. It absorbs naturally into the skin while drawing in moisture. Glycerine is a natural byproduct of the soap making process. Unfortunately, during the ramp to WWII, glycerine was also need as an intermediate ingredient to use smokeless gun powder and other explosives.
Saponification (the soap making reaction) was the primary source of glycerine production, essential to the War Effort. It became patriotic (and profitable) in the USA to remove the glycerine from soap. The resulting soap was drying and aggressive to skin.
Lye: In order to make a natural bar soap, sodium hydroxide better known as lye, is required for the reaction. A warm lye solution is mixed with a warm oil/fat solution to create soap. In a proper reaction, there is no lye left in the soap, as it is broken down and consumed by the soap process. The proper soap is completed in a pH range that is safe for human skin, typically with approximately 5% extra oils for skin moisturizing.
Potassium hydroxide: The “lye” used to make an all natural liquid soap. Although the process requires more time (and energy), the reaction process is essentially the same. A liquid paste is created, then diluted with water and adjusted with a boric acid solution to bring the pH into range that is safe for human skin.
Sodium hydroxide: see lye.
Saponified: Saponify, saponification all refer to the soap making process. The saponified precursor indicates that the coconut oil has been used in the soapmaking process. Frequently, the manufacturer will then leave “sodium hydroxide” off the label, since it was consumed during the soap making process. Furthermore, all natural soap manufacturers attempt to write clear, understandable ingredient lists. Most consumers do not understand the proper chemical name of sodium cocoate, therefore, the label reads saponified coconut oil. There are currently no legal guidelines (as of yet) which say how an ingredient is named, so long as it is clear to the consumer.
Sodium palmate: saponified palm oil using sodium hydroxide for solid soaps
Sodium olivate: saponified olive oil using sodium hydroxide for solid soaps
Sodium soyate: saponified soybean oil using sodium hydroxide for solid soaps
Sodium cocoate: saponified coconut oil using sodium hydroxide for solid soaps
Sodium tallowate: saponified beef tallow using sodium hydroxide for solid soaps
Potassium palmate: saponified palm oil using potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps
Potassium olivate: saponified olive oil using potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps
Potassium soyate: saponified soybean oil using potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps
Potassium cocoate: saponified coconut oil using potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps
Potassium tallowate: saponified beef tallow oil using potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps
Sodium bicarbonate: baking soda
Sodium borate: Borax
Sodium tetraborate: Borax
Disodium tetraborate: Borax
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/read-the-labels-whats-in-soap-4031887.html
About the Author
Angela is the founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of Celtic Naturals. As a mother, trained engineer and environmental enthusiast, she believes it is possible to be green and glam. She specializes in teaching others how to live toxin-free. Her blog topics range from green living to healthy cooking, from gardening to organic self-beauty tips. Please visit www.celticnaturals.com for toxic free skin care tips and products.
