Although lye soap has been used for ages, it has gained a reputation over the years as sometimes being harsh and irritating to users’ skins. Due to this and because lye itself is a caustic agent, people are always skeptical about the benefits that the soap provides.
However, lye soaps are effective cleansers that come with a wide range of health benefits. To help you understand some of the benefits that you stand to gain by opting for lye soap, let’s first demystify the lye soap safety concern.
Lye Safety Myth
Concerns about the safety of lye soap are primarily fueled by the manufacturing methods that were used to prepare the soap in the past.
While the ancient civilizations produced high-quality lye soap, the strength of the lye solution was unpredictable and would occasionally result in soaps that were either caustic or could not set.
Fortunately, today’s soap makers have a lot of resources to make lye soap that’s safe, conditioning, soothing, and pampering. In a nutshell, today’s lye soaps are safe and are associated with a variety of benefits and uses.
Great Moisturizer
Lye soap is famed for its ability to fend for both dry and oily skin. The glycerin in the soap moisturizes dry skin, so there is no need to apply lotions.
To understand how the soap fends oily skin, here is a quick overview of how oily skin works:
Generally, oily skins have overactive oil glands. When you use harsh soaps on oil skins, they tend to make the skin overly dry—but only for a short duration. The skin reacts to the dryness by secreting extra lubricants via the oil glands. Such a skin becomes oily almost immediately after you’ve washed them.
Using lye soap on an oily skin make the skin mildly moisturized. Under these conditions, the oily skin does not need to work a lot to produce lubricants anymore.
Alleviates Itching and Inflammation
Lye soap was used by past generation to soothe against insect bites. This is because the soap is endowed with natural oils that can alleviate inflammation and itching caused by insect bites. Washing your skin with lye soap will also repel mosquitoes and keep ants in check.
Treatment for Acne
Lye soap not only moisturizes your skin but can also treat various types of skin conditions such as acne.
Although the soap has neither antibiotic nor antibacterial properties, it does exterminate acne, leaving your skin smooth and fair.
Slows Skin Aging
The soothing and moisturizing properties of lye soap can slow down the formation of fine lines, age spots, and wrinkles, especially when used frequently.
Treatment for Dandruff, Eczema, Psoriasis, and Seborrheic Dermatitis
Due to the emollient properties of the soap, it is often used by people with psoriasis and eczema to relieve irritation, itching, and other symptoms of the conditions. The soap can also be used in the treatment of Dandruff and Seborrheic Dermatitis.
Summary
If you are looking for natural ways to wash and cleanse your skin, you can begin with replacing your personal care products. And soaps made from organic sources such as lye are highly recommended.
As you can see, lye soap is associated with several benefits. Aside from that, lye soap is easy to make at home and can go a long way in saving you money every month.