What are you putting on your body?

Keeping up my daily goals!
I have done a lot of reading about soaps today and have found that just about any base needs to have some sort of "acid" and "oil" to establish the soap (which creates a salt base). So, what are the good kinds and bad kinds? Good question. While I am still in the process of research, I have found that many of our store bought soaps are actually all out of the good kinds. While their ingredients state some of the "good" names, the overall ingredients are diluted and of no use for us.
A skin care line called L'bri has wonderful natural skin products used with aloe instead of water, however they too carry some shared names of soap like "chemicals" that are necessary. It's not exactly chemicals though, its the stuff made through natural products that just happen to scientifically form through melting and curing.
While all this might be a little scientific talk, the point is- what you are putting on your body is important but the only way you are going to truly understand whats good for you, is to read up on your science. Who knew that chemistry and biology would actually come in handy for us one day?
Soaps- I have learned, in order to be the good kind and still remain as naturally as possible- still needs to contain glycerin or sodium hydroxide (also mentioned as Lye). The best thing that can be said about this is that soap needs to be melted just right so that all the "bad" stuff that comes from these two scientific names are melted out, creating a good soap.


Now, there will be other names that are similar to sodium hydroxide that is actually formed by other oils- such as coconut oil. You will see sodium laurate or glycerol in your products (you may even see cocoate). Now, many have argued back and forth about the "good" in glycerin or glycerol but in reality, the goal is to moisturize and the only way to do this is to help your body to retain its personal oils. These scientific names mentioned have all been deemed worthy of sharing this responsibility. Which is why its used in so many cosmetic products.

Hopefully I haven't lost you yet, as this is all very interesting but confusing stuff. A good friend of mine shared with me one oil that I believe could be the trick to helping create such a good moisturizing product that may go along with glycerin or sodium hydroxide but is formulated to be "the closest thing to our biological oils"- this oil.... Jojoba oil. 


Now that I have gone through all this scientific stuff, my hope for you is that you will take the extra time to check over your bottles and bars of soaps and skin care and read very carefully about the things that are in there. The first ingredients are usually the main ones. While I may not have the science down exactly (and I would be glad for someone to prove me wrong), I do know that skin care is important. What you do to your skin at an early age, will catch up to you. And what you AREN'T doing now can hinder down the road. 


It's been said that for every night you don't wash your face, you add a couple days of aging. With that said, be kind to your skin and wash- but wash with care and concern for what your product is made of.


My recommendation- go homemade, and if you can't make it. Find someone who does. Store bought is often more harmful than any other kind out there. 

May your hygiene be important enough for you to get aware.
Have a good night all!