Jadryga Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I want to try this stuff! (excerpt from http://www.naturalcosmeticsupplies.com/soap-nut.html) Soap nut is used in Cleansing Lotion, Protein Shampoo, Protein Shampoo with Conditioner. Soap nut contains a high level of saponins. Antibacterial mild foaming agent, cleanser, exfoliant. Soap nut Powder is used to cleanse hair, skin and laundry. Helpful in removing stains from hands. May soothe the eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin, sensitive skin . Soapnut is an excellent hair tonic. Soap Nut extract comes from the fruit of the Soapnut tree. The pulp of the fruit contains a high level of natural foaming agents. This extract can be used to wash skin and hair. Soap nut when added to a facial mix of milk powder and clay to provide delicate cleansing of the skin, it is added to salt scrubs to add cleansing action. As a hair and body wash, add 1 teaspoon of Soap nut extract to a cup of water. Use this as a hair wash or mild cleanser. Soap nut can also be combined with Amla, Neem & Shikakai extract for a more nutritive hair wash. Mix all of the herbs in water and let sit till thoroughly dissolved. The wash should be kept refrigerated and used within 4 days or preserved with an anti bacterial preservative. The powdered seeds are said to possess insecticide properties. They are employed in the treatment of dental caries. It cleanses the skin of oily secretion, its a hair tonic, and forms a rich, natural lather. Its detergent action, which cleanses the hair and removes, accumulated debris and a sebaceous material further more imparting speculiar reflection and hair luster. Anyone have any experience with it? Was thinking of getting some from Aromatics & More.http://www.aromaticsandmore.com/products/botanical_extracts1.htmlI'd probably use it in a facial wash with some glycerin, honey, oatmeal and agave I've found that liquid castile soap has this odd smell that permeates my unscented stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I have some for use in laundry but haven't gotten to them yet. But didn't think about using it for B&B. Doh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaVida Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I use it in haircare preparations. (Rinse out only).. I first made an Ayurvedic shampoo and incorporated it in the mixture.. it does foam a little bit. I like it. I also use a little bit in scrubs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Jadryga, Sara got some to try last year:http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23903&highlight=soap+nutsYou could ask her how she liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantnaturals Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 From what I've read, soapnuts are very effective cleaners. You can buy them whole (heck, even Safeway down my street carries it!) and grind it into a powder using a coffee grinder. The more surface area the better to release the saponins from the shell. Also, using warm water will release more saponins. Lavida, did you get the soapnut shells and grind them up or did you use the extract? I'm wondering how much you would need as a percentage of the total recipe (face care, hair care, etc). TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted August 13, 2007 Author Share Posted August 13, 2007 Awesome, great idea Suds, I will! Thanks!Ooh, do tell Lavida, I'm looking at the 5:1 glycerin extract from Aromatics & More, but all the recipes I could find were for powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaVida Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I wasn't measuring at the time I was using it... I used equal amounts of each herb and used tsp's - tbs of total mixtureand added it my shampoo recipe (how much of what I used depended on how much shampoo I was making. Back then I was only using a castille soap base... I plan on incorporating the same mixture in a home grown shampoo..)as for the scrub... try 1 - 2 tsp (I only buy soapnut powder from FNWL) to 4 oz of scrub... I will double check my notes later to make sure that's what I did. But it worked great. The soap I tried adding left a funky film on my skin, but the soapnut was perfect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted August 13, 2007 Author Share Posted August 13, 2007 Thanks, Lavida! I'll definitely be ordering some from Aromatics then. We don't seem to have soapnuts for sale here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I tried using the soapnut in a dry facial cleanser that I mixed with water to make a paste. I got some in my eyes and thought I would pee my pants. Water didn't help--made it worse. I rinsed my eyes with olive oil to help the burn. My eye was blood red and felt like it had sand paper in it for the rest of the evening. By the next morning it was okay though. After all that, I loved the way it made my skin feel. My face felt clean without feeling dry and it was soft. I'm going to have to pull it back out and try it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantnaturals Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 How foamy does the soapnut powder get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 I tried using the soapnut in a dry facial cleanser that I mixed with water to make a paste. I got some in my eyes and thought I would pee my pants. Water didn't help--made it worse. I rinsed my eyes with olive oil to help the burn. My eye was blood red and felt like it had sand paper in it for the rest of the evening. By the next morning it was okay though. After all that, I loved the way it made my skin feel. My face felt clean without feeling dry and it was soft. I'm going to have to pull it back out and try it again.OUch Glad to hear there was no lingering damage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I used the soapnut powder in my face cleanser formulation. It doesn't get bubbly and foamy like a soap bar does. It foams, but not profusely. Although it burns like heck if it gets in your eyes, it is a gentle cleanser for the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 Awesome! I never was much of a foam fan. I'm going to get me some. I've been frowning and hmm-ing over surfactants for some time, so this would be a great "natural" alternative. Thanks for the info, Penny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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