Is homemade soap "green"?

[checkerkitty]

I've been really trying to make our home as green as possible and I've been reading about soap making. Is homemade soap more "green" than buying a bar of Lever 2000 or Dove? Has anyone ever made shampoo? I know the chemicals in soap and shampoo aren't the most green but if the homemade equivalents are just as bad, why go through with the hassle. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Christy

[ladykemma2]

I've been really trying to make our home as green as possible and I've been reading about soap making. it's more expensive

Is homemade soap more "green" than buying a bar of Lever 2000 or Dove? no, soap is fat and sodium hydroxide. soap is the sodium salt of fatty acid. white bars of soap, such as ivory, lifebuoy, and dove are beef fat and sodium hydroxide

Has anyone ever made shampoo? the average home consumer cannot make nor does not have the organic chemistry equipment to make the sulfate salt of a long chain (lauryl) hydrocarbon. this is why we call it sodium lauryl sulfate.

I know the chemicals in soap and shampoo aren't the most green but if the homemade equivalents are just as bad, why go through with the hassle. i have a degree in chemistry. soap making for me is an expensive, enjoyable hobby.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Christy

___________________________

[Shelli_wnj]

As long as it SOAP you're buying, depending on what kind of soap it is, I would say it's about the same. Remember that there are deoderant bars and soap bars. I have no idea what is in deoderant bars, I would trust ladykemma on this one! Also, some soaps have added ingredients that aren't green at all, whereas if you make your own, you can put in as little or as much added stuff as you want, knowing where it came from.

[Debbie-cat]

ladykemma seems to have summed it up best!

[RosieDisposition]

I would have to disagree on the issue of expense. I spent five dollars on two pounds of sodium hydroxide and two dollars on distilled water and got the beef fat free from the butcher, I used only 20 oz of water and 7 oz of the sodium hydroxide to make probably twenty bars of soap and thus have plenty left over to make even more without any further monetary expenditure. Soap making is only expensive if you choose to include expensive additives. If you're looking to make very plain soap, or soap that uses only inexpensive household additives (honey, oatmeal, dried herbs, powdered milk, etc), you would probably save money.

[dianeeileen]

I have made home made lye soap and glycerin soap, I have also made bath salts and lotions etc. I found it expensive to make but I did add a lot of "extras" that I did not have too. I have not made shampoo but I think I would like to try it sometime.

[Peaches]

I regularly make my own soap and solid shampoo bars. I don't use animal products (except for honey and egg yolks from my hens). I think if you're going to use vegetable oils like I do, then it can actually be more expensive than making soap from beef fat. But you can make soap from Crisco too, so if you're buying supermarket brand vegetable shortening, it's not that expensive.

I make a shampoo bar out of (foraged) stinging nettles - which are antiseptic and great for thinning hair and dandruff - and a blend of vegetable shortening and olive oil. It's a great shampoo, easy to make and gets hair really clean. I also make a shampoo bar out of creamed coconut, lemon juice, vegetable shortening and egg yolks from my hens. Great for fine or flyaway hair. I started making soaps and shampoos because my son has eczema and I didn't want him exposed to SLS or other chemicals, which seemed to irritate his skin. I've been able to turn my new hobby into a business, selling my soap online and at craft fairs. I don't make a huge amount of money, but I earn enough to cover my costs and my time and make a little profit.

[njiang46]

i think anyway you can save resources.. that's green

[njiang46]

is that good for your hair by using bar soap rather than shampoo?