There are some critical aspects about using soap nuts in non-traditional forms. By "traditional" I refer to the dried soap berries (aka soap nuts) that are put in a cotton bag and tossed in with your laundry. Recently, soap nut powders and liquids are showing up more and more. Isn't the race for the next new always amusing? The inherent problem with a "race" however is that speed often leads to errors and mistakes. There are very significant issues to be aware of with both these new forms of soap nuts.
NaturOli is taking very proactive steps to make the use of soap nuts much more affordable plus keep them safe for laundry and many other household cleaners. Right when we are all stretching our dollars as far as possible, while also being concerned about all possible health hazards, NaturOli is taking very responsible consumer oriented measures.
It's important to note that NaturOli has its roots in proprietary natural skin care formulations, hence our perspective in the detergent and cleanser industry is quite unique. As a signer of the Safety in Cosmetics Compact we are bound by much strict policies. We treat detergents and cleansers with the same care and concern as we do topical and beauty industry formulas. The two big issues here involve economics - and most importantly, health concerns.
Let's start with the economics:
1) NaturOli does not promote use of soap nut powder. It's becoming increasing popular by many sellers, but is - by far - the least economical way to use soap nuts. (Guess some people are deciding not to mention that. Well, at least the math isn't tough.) The problem is that regardless of how finely one powders the shells, the saponin (the all important active ingredient) is not fully released before it ends up down the drain. Not good. Remember this is a fruit - not a synthetic chemical. Hence we must accept and work with its inherent properties. Compare for yourself: A half-ounce of quality soap nuts used in the traditional method (that's the average weight of five soap nuts) can do three, four, five or even more loads. A half-ounce of powder (the recommended amount to be effective) does ONE load. Period. That's it. To worsen the problem, sellers are charging a premium for powder. Ouch! If soap nut powder is what you really feel you must have, NaturOli recommends using a coffee grinder and grinding them yourself to the finest dust possible. Try reducing the suggested half-ounce to a third or quarter-ounce. Depending upon your water hardness and machine type, you may be able to use less. Save the pieces that don't grind to use traditionally. Our lab is working on some really out-of-the-box ways for utilizing powder - without the huge increase in cost per wash. Soap nuts used traditionally and wisely can be as affordable as any effective chemical detergent. If you desire the convenience of powder, simply be aware that presently the convenience comes at a very steep price.
Now - the more serious warning:
2) Be extremely cautious of ALL soap nut liquids. This is scary. Our recent review and analysis of an official MDSS (Materials Data Safety Sheet) that was reluctantly provided by an India/Nepal exporter was absolutely frightening. Apparently, in the big rush to quickly get a liquid to market, the exporter used less than eco-friendly extraction processes, plus loaded the solution with the cheapest chemical preservatives they could find. As with most botanical extractions and solutions, a pure soap nut liquid will go rancid within days unless preserved in some fashion. (One seller who must have been in a very big hurry to get a liquid to market stopped selling it within weeks. I have some. Wow. Talk about gross!) Essentially some India/Nepal exporters don't have the mindset for developing a safe and healthy detergent. (Remember it's a detergent - not a skin care product.) The precious saponin's inherent healthy, green characteristics were totally destroyed. Essentially everything good about the soap nut was undone. The MDSS read like it was arsenic! I was shocked! It should have a biohazard label on it. IMPORTANT NOTE: This does NOT need to be disclosed to the consumer. A seller can simply label a product with saponin extract and be on safe legal ground. One more time in other words: There are no laws requiring companies to tell you this. Be aware that there's no FDA requirement of full disclosure for detergents & cleansers. To worsen the problem, you can bet that many soap nut liquids will be produced, bottled and labeled in India and Nepal. It's by far the cheapest way to produce it. So PLEASE don't expect the label to tell you all this. As usual it will only tell you what you want to hear. So, Caveat Emptor! (Buyer beware!) Look for full and complete disclosure of ALL ingredients.
Not only are we talking money, but also we are talking about our health. Although saponin is naturally anti-fungal and anti-microbial, once liquefied it will very quickly become rancid and then pose serious health risks. A common sense approach to use of well tested, high quality semi-natural and safe chemical preservatives will be required to extend the shelf life to our required two years. Citric acid simply won't do the job. If you want to be 100% natural and remain safe from serious fungal and other infectious diseases stay with the traditional methods of usage for now.
(Although this is not the topic of this article, on the note of shelf life: Never expect a TRULY genuine, "natural skin care" or cosmetic product to last two years. Formulas designed for topical application that ultimately will enter your bloodstream, should be used within six months for maximum benefit and effectiveness. Discard after one year.)
NaturOli will only produce our own soap nut liquids and many other household cleaning solutions in our US lab. Our extracts and MDSS will be safe and benign, yet the wonderful properties and characteristics of the soap nut will be preserved. For your protection and to extend the shelf life as discussed we will use no preservatives rated higher than a three-to-five on the Safety in Cosmetics zero-to-ten rating scale. We feel this is a good compromise since these are not topically applied skin care products or cosmetics. Note that many popular "so-called" healthy, all-natural cosmetics have ratings in the eight-to-ten range. Although not required for detergents and household cleaners, we will act in the spirit of a signer of Skin Deep's Safety in Cosmetics Compact. All our soap nut formulations (be for personal care or household use) will be very low in rating - as our award winning skin washes and creams already are. There is no rating system for detergents and cleansers, but we can calculate what they would be. Hopefully someday there will be one.
Guess we all can soon stop spending money on rubber gloves - IF we simply be patient and use good judgment.Good luck, be wise and live green.
