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Soap Berries-Soap Nuts Info

The Soap Nuts Story

Pure, 100% natural, chemical-free ingredient for body care products and household cleaning.

PURE SOLUTIONS


Soap nuts are truly amazing gifts from Mother Nature... the ultimate 100% natural laundry detergent. Whether you have allergies, or are sensitive to commercial chemicals and fragrances, or just want to do your part for a greener earth, soap nuts are like an absolute dream come true.

Quite simply, soap nuts are an EXTREMELY effective cleaning agent with absolutely NO chemicals, toxins or artificial perfumes. This pure natural detergent simply leaves your laundry amazingly clean and wonderfully fresh. Being so gentle and non-toxic, soap nuts are superb for fine, delicate fabrics and silks. NaturOli uses only select nuts from the Sapindus mukorossi tree (its botanical name). They are the most effective and highest valued of the many types. 

IDEAL ALIGNMENT WITH
CANYON RIM HEALTHY LIVING'S MISSION

NaturOli soapberry products fit our mission perfectly as they are all formulated to be completely safe, non-toxic, natural alternatives to the chemicals found in most "off the shelf" products that can be so harmful to our skin and the environment. Your clothing is in contact with your skin all day long. Your body lays all night in sheets also washed with toxic chemicals. NaturOli Nuts as an alternative to detergents and cleansers are a perfect extension of our product line in keeping with our goal of bringing you safer and better ways in which to live your life.

Not only are NaturOli natural laundry soap detergent good for your clothes, but by being eco-friendly and completely biodegradable, they are good for our environment as well. Used shells are even excellent for compost. Used properly, soap nuts are economical relative to commercial detergents. PLUS, they dramatically reduce the need for other laundry additives. As the fastest growing importer and US distributor of soap nuts, we proudly introduce this absolutely amazing product line!

soap nut, soapberry

What Is a Soap Nut?

Far away, in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, Mother Nature has provided us a great treasure.

Soap nuts are known worldwide by many names such as soapnuts, soapberry, washing nuts, soap nut shells, wash shells, Ritha (Hindi) nut shell, Chinese soapberry and many more. Very simply, soap nuts are the dried shells (or husks) from the soapberry. These berries are the fruit from a quite unique tree species. These shells contain a substance called saponin that produces a soaping effect. Saponin is a 100% natural alternative to chemical laundry detergent and cleansers. It can replace many chemical detergents such as those containing sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) that are becoming well known by consumers for being a skin irritant and health hazard.

Soap nuts have been used for centuries throughout the world as a laundry detergent, as soap for personal hygiene, and as a cleanser with a plethora of other uses. It is most commonly used in India, China, parts of Europe and numerous countries in the eastern hemisphere. There is even a species, Quillaja saponaria (called a soap bark tree) that grows in South America. However, only in recent years has the soap nut and its many benefits made its way to the shores of the US.

Soap Berries Chemical-Free Cleaning Solutions

Rid your home and life of toxins!


Many common household cleaners can be replaced entirely with the use of NaturOli chemical-free cleaning products. Saponin's inherent effective cleaning power, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, odor reducing capability, and natural gentleness combine to provide an amazingly safe yet effective cleanser for a multitude of everyday uses. Incredibly, the vast majority of highly toxic synthetic chemicals in our homes can be thrown away forever!

Certainly we've all heard the alarms of 'bio-hazard' in our head when we reached in to pull out our arsenal of cleaning solutions. Interestingly, it is quite difficult finding an image of cleaning products without rubber gloves in the picture. That is certainly a good thing. When using most store-bought cleaners, if it were not for gloves, our hands would be a scary sight indeed. These household chemical cleaners can be both horribly damaging to our skin and highly toxic to our body.


TOXIC CHEMICALS IN YOUR TYPICAL LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Your everyday laundry detergent contains a combination of many toxic chemicals, the residues of which are left behind on your clothes after washing.  This can be potentially dangerous as these chemicals are absorbed by your skin into your blood stream and also evaporate into the air, which you and your children breathe.  Both, the manufacturing process of the chemical detergents and their use, have a long term effect on the environment as well.

Most of your common laundry detergents contain phosphates, ammonia, naphthalene, phenol, optical brighteners, artificial fragrances, EDTA etc. These chemicals can cause rashes, itches, allergies, sinus problems and have long term toxic effects on the environment. Read more about Toxic Ingredients to Avoid.

soap berries used in natural health products

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Interesting Points About Soap Nuts

  • Soap nuts are a true answer and solution for sensitive skin types and infants. Fantastic for laundering diapers!
  • Popular throughout Europe and Asia for centuries, yet virtually unknown in the US. (Hmmm.)
  • Excellent for removal of odors.
  • Naturally anti-fungal and anti-microbial.
  • Hypoallergenic! Many people have allergic reactions to detergents due to the chemicals and fragrances in them. Soap Nuts are totally free of such chemicals.
  • These nuts are extremely versatile and can be used for numerous household-cleaning needs - even glass cleaning!
  • Virtually eliminate the need, and the expense, for brighteners, fabric softeners and dryer sheets.
  • Naturally reduce static cling.
  • Highly effective, yet very gentle.
  • Being so mild, these nuts help keep colors bright and maintain fabric structure.
  • Soapberries do NOT pollute water!
  • Resolve issues of grey water and are great for septic systems.
  • Not harmful to animals.
  • 100% biodegradable. Excellent for composting.
  • No chemicals needed to produce.
  • No fossil fuels used to produce - essentially no energy required.
  • No animal testing or animal cruelty.
  • Soapberries are a completely natural product from a sustainable source.
  • Since these nuts are primarily a resource from emerging nations, increased demand will provide an additional needed economic stimulus, plus will encourage increased planting, growth and farming. Increased forestation and natural means of harvesting will aid in the purification of our air.

soapnut shells

Short List of Products & Uses

The following is only a short list of some alternate cleaning solution products where soap nut saponins are used with great results. You will notice even shampoo and conditioner. We have many saponin-based formulas for both household and personal care that are included in our catalog.

For Laundry: Ideal for High Efficiency (HE), all front-loading and standard washing machines. Reduces or eliminates residue, mildew and odors. Eliminates need and expense for softeners and dryer sheets. Safe for delicate fabrics. 100% fragrance free, too! Perfect for sensitive skin and noses. Only 8-OUNCES replaces 17-POUNDS of conventional laundry products.

natural laundry soap and cleanerEXTREME 18X Natural Laundry Soap

For Household Cleaning: Incredibly versatile! Replaces most toxic household cleaners. Dilute with purified or tap water as desired for a multitude of household cleaning purposes. Dilution ratio varies with purpose. Five or six ounces of water to one ounce EXTREME 18X is a good ratio to start with. Adjust ratio as desired.

natural green soapberry laundry detergentEXTREME 18X Soapnut Cleaner

For Windows and Glass:  Absolutely PHENOMENAL 100% green glass cleaner. Virtually eliminates streaks and haze. Amazing. Superb for granite and tile counter tops and surfaces. Especially polished surfaces. Great for chrome and stainless steel surfaces. A superb car wash. Minimizes spotting and won't remove your wax job.

natural laundry detergent and cleanerEXTREME 18X Soapberry Cleaner

For Dishwashing: Exotic blend of soap berry extracts along with rich saponified botanical oils that will meet - or exceed - the performance of P&G's sulfate-laden Dawn (considered the best chemical dish detergent ever produced). Your dirtiest of dishes will be clean as a whistle. Your glass and flatware will sparkle while being virtually spot-free.

natural dish washing soapALTA Soap Berry Liquid Dishwashing Concentrate

For Hand Wash: All of NaturOli's proprietary formulas are genuinely 100% natural. Each formula is specifically targeted to get you the results you desire. Today you can begin down a path to the discovery of healthier, more youthful, radiant skin. Cleansing is just the beginning.

natural soapberryt moisturizing creamUltra Moisturing Hand Wash

For Shampoo: Why shampoo with Soapnuts? They are superior to all commercial products I tried! Some of the things I love about them are:
- way less shedding!
- nice clean scalp
- gently cleansing
- the SHINE!
- the BODY!
- no need for conditioner or acid rinse.

soap berry shampooEXTREME Hair Soap Berry Shampoo

For Steam Cleaning Carpets: Leaves carpets wonderfully clean, fresh and soft.

natural soap berry laundry and cleanerEXTREME 18X Natural Laundry Soapberry Cleaner

For Pets: First handmade shampoo bar for dogs. Man's (and woman's) best friend deserves to be protected from harmful ingredients found in most commercial pet shampoos. Contains all the natural benefits found in soap nuts.

My Minty Dog, Soap natural dog cat and pet soap bar shampooNut Shampoo Bar for Pets

Soap Nuts: A Real Green Solution

Chemical use in cleaning products and our environment.

It's true that science has accomplished a great deal in a short period of time to simplify our lives. However, there is a major down side. Since the inception of the industrial revolution, thousands upon thousands of synthetic chemicals have been 'invented', most of which were never tested for the long-term effects to our health and the environment. Some of these chemicals come to us directly in the many products we use. Others are the by-products of manufacturing processes. Whether impacted directly or indirectly, we are now very aware that many of these chemicals can have a profound long-term negative impact on our health and on the world around us.

We hear so much talk today about green, eco-friendly, environmentally-friendly, chemical-free, etc. Many of us are actively involved in campaigns to make our planet a safer and more energy-efficient world. Our numbers are growing at an incredible pace. Why? Our awareness is growing. We, the public, are steadily effecting change by demanding that big business be more responsible and held accountable for creating health issues and polluting our environment. Sadly, this takes time to accomplish as change and profits don't often mix.

However, it is quick and easy to make small adjustments in our individual daily lives. Many of us truly care and want to contribute in reducing the damage being done every day to our planet. Chemical detergent sales are in the multi-billions. Just imagine how much pollution this creates! Not to mention the direct hazard to our personal health.

Soap nuts provide us with a simple, highly effective, natural, non-pollutant, green alternative method for performing the routine tasks of cleaning and laundry. Each of us can contribute to saving the environment by avoiding products containing harmful chemicals. We can easily change our homes to healthier places to live.

Many people, especially is the US, are not familiar with this amazing gift of nature. We are a country that has been bred to rely upon laboratory solutions. We have been slow to learn of the many ways we can live chemical-free. This is in part because we were not fully aware of the potential harms and until recently, our options have been limited. But not anymore.

The US marketplace has been a virtual playground for big business. We lack the history and relationship with Mother Earth that many parts of the world have known. We have grown to think that the next patentable product will be even better than the last. Advertising has filled our brains and distorted our thinking. Big industry cannot own patents over Mother Nature. They are her gifts for us all.

The truth is we can live without what comes from the labs at the big multi-national chemical companies. We can do our laundry, wash our dishes, and clean our homes and even wash our hair without use of a single synthetic chemical. Mother Nature has provided us everything we need. Many of the solutions for saving planet earth are within her. With knowledge, comes opportunity and choice. That choice is ours.

[Articles above are adapted and reprinted from articles provided by NaturOli Beautiful LLC.]