In addition to the Foaming Hand Soap and Foaming Hand Soap Concentrated Refill, Verefina will soon be adding Shea Butter Bar Soaps to their line of all-natural soaps. Both kinds of Verefina soaps have a number of benefits and uses.

Verefina Foaming Hand Soap

The Foaming Hand Soap is a Castile soap. The process of making Castile soap is a traditional one that originated in the Castile region of Spain. Historically, Castile soap was made with olive oil. Today, however, the term may refer to any soap made with plant oils, as opposed to animal fat. The process of making the soap involves reacting olive (or another) oil with a lye solution. Glycerin is created as a by-product of this reaction. Verefina leaves the glycerine in the soap because it helps moisturize the skin. Oils that have been reacted in this way are referred to as "saponified," a term that you will see on Verefina soap labels.

The Foaming Hand Soap and Foaming Hand Soap Concentrated Refill are available in Unscented, Lavender, Grapefruit, Cool Mint, Lemon. They are scented with essential oils.

Uses for Verefina Foaming Hand Soap

The Foaming Hand Soap can be used both for personal care and around the house. It’s also great for camping.

Personal Care Uses

• Hand soap in the bathrooms and at the kitchen sink
• Body wash (especially good for children and those with sensitive skin)
• Shampoo (works best on kids’ fine hair)

Household Uses

• Dishwashing soap- mix 1¼ cups Foaming Hand Soap or ¼ cup Concentrated Refill, ¾ cup water, and 5 to 10 drops of Lavender, Tea Tree, or Rosemary Essential Oil in a squirt bottle, and shake gently. Shake before each use.
  Note: Because the Foaming Hand Soap is free of sulfates, this dishwashing soap does not stay sudsy for long. But don’t worry- your dishes will still be clean!
• Produce wash- put a small amount of Foaming Hand Soap and water on foods like peppers, tomatoes, apples, etc, and gently scrub; for delicate foods like berries and mushrooms, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of soap to a tub of water, swish your produce around, and rinse thoroughly.
• Mopping solution- add 2 to 3 tablespoons of Foaming Hand Soap or ½ tablespoon Concentrated Refill and 5 to 10 drops of Lavender, Lemon, Tea Tree, or Rosemary Essential Oils to a bucket of warm water. Mop as usual.
• Laundry- great for hand washing delicate clothing
• DIY Cleaning Kit- You can also make your own toxin-free Glass Cleaner, Surface Scrub, and All-Purpose Cleaner with Verefina’s DIY Cleaning Kit. The kit comes with two spray bottles, a shaker bottle, Lemon and Immunity Essential Oils, a small bottle of Foaming Hand Soap, and instructions for making the cleaners. Using these ingredients, plus baking soda, vinegar, and distilled water, you can make each of the three cleaners four times.

Camping

This wide range of uses for Verefina Foaming Hand Soap makes it perfect for camping, too. Bring it on your camping trip, and you can keep everything from yourself to your clothes to your dishes clean.

Verefina Shea Butter Bar Soaps

Many of you have been waiting for it, and it’s finally here- a bar soap from Verefina! The Shea Butter Bar is made with a combination of carefully selected ingredients that soothe and protect the skin. Coconut oil and shea and cocoa butters moisturize the skin. These two butters also contain antioxidants that help heal damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins and the sun’s rays. Shea butter is a good source of vitamin A, a nutrient that can help address conditions such as blemishes, wrinkles, and dermatitis. Cocoa butter can aid healing of the skin, so it may help with problems such as dermatitis (source). Aloe vera juice contains high levels of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that help nourish the skin.

Because the Shea Butter Bar Soap contains so many healing ingredients, it is also safe for use on skin affected by eczema, psoriasis, and rashes. And it is free of sulfates, which can cause these conditions to flare up. Using one of Verefina’s three lotions after washing with the Shea Butter Bar can help lock moisture into the skin and prevent irritation.

The Shea Butter Bar is also safe for use on infants and children. The Lavender or Unscented bars are best for little ones. Always be careful to avoid the eyes.

With so many benefits, you’ll want to use the Shea Butter Bar Soap from head to toe! Like the Foaming Hand Soap, the Shea Butter Bar Soaps are scented with essential oils, not synthetic fragrances. They will be available in Lavender, Grapefruit, Spearmint, and Unscented. 

Sources:

Healthy Child, Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan

Shea Butter Versus Cocoa Butter Skin Care

The Benefits of Pure Cocoa Butter

Photo courtesy of Verefina

About the Author

Katie Zapotoczny is a Verefina Affiliate and the creator of An Ever Green Life, a blog that seeks to empower readers to make changes that will improve their health and help protect our environment.