With the Centers for Disease Control recommending we all wash our hands a lot to kill germs it is important to use natural products to do so. Many of the liquid soaps on the market are in fact detergents, not soaps at all! Many are made with triclosan, an anti-microbial material that is a suspected endocrine disruptor and is long-lasting in the environment. (It has been found in every dolphin tested for it in an area in Florida.)
The South of France brand makes some beautiful, authentic soaps. I bought South of France Liquid Shea Butter hand & body soap the other day, and can attest to how softening it is for the skin. Generally I find soap very drying and hard on my dry skin, but this soap left my hands feeling silky. I found the essential oil infusion subtle and with a touch of the European in a mellow kind of way. The soap is kettle cooked in small batches using a traditional Marseille recipe with all natural vegetable ingredients. Each fragrance is chosen specifically for its cleansing and calming qualities.
Shea butter is from the nuts of the magnolia tree of central Africa. It is high in triglycerides, and is an emollient and a natural sunscreen. It is lovely for dry and damaged skin, and it will soften tough skin.
Bar soaps are made using 100 percent pure vegetable glycerin in a long lasting 8oz. bar. The translucent colors are derived from pure plant and mineral pigments, and natural fragrances and essential oils combine to provide a calming aroma. These rich lathering, cruelty-free bars are produced using a traditional recipe from Provence. The soaps are also free of sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, EDTA, parabens and phthalates and never tested on animals.
