One of the best kinds of natural, mostly handmade soaps, is sunflower soap. It is a type of soap made by using sunflower oil as the top ingredient among others on the ingredient list.
Sunflower oil is a widely-known natural oil, extracted from sunflower seeds. It is famous for its numerous benefits, but mostly for its nourishing and moisturizing powers.
Sunflower soap is made by using natural ingredients, including botanical extracts as well as essential oils, which provide many benefits to the skin.
It is formulated in a way that leaves the skin extremely gentle, nourished, and smooth to the touch. Because it is essentially a natural product, it is perfectly safe for everyday use, as a cleanser.
It has proven to be one of the most popular skincare products for all those who are not crazy about high-end, luxury products, or famous brands and those who prefer a natural skincare routine.
Benefits of sunflower soap on your skin
Many would agree that sunflower soap can be a valuable addition to your skincare routine, especially if you’re on the hunt for a gentle and most natural way to cleanse your skin and provide it with rich deep nourishment at the same time.
Using a commercial soap has been one of the most common ways to cleanse your skin in people’s both morning and nighttime routines.
While most of these are safe to use, they have proven to be too harsh for some people, though.
That’s why natural soaps are perhaps a better choice, as they are more gentle on the skin.
These are some of the well-known benefits of using sunflower soap on your skin, both on the face and body:
Moisturizing: Sunflower oil is rich in nutrients and antioxidants that help to moisturize and nourish the skin, leaving it feeling soft and hydrated.
Sunflower oil is known to be quite rich in various nutrients and antioxidants, including vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids.
Apart from supporting your entire immune system and protecting your cells, vitamin E is responsible for deep nourishment and moisturization of the skin.
Furthermore, omega-6 fatty acids are essential for maintaining healthy and glowing skin, and strong hair, and are also very important for the brain.
Soothing: Being that sunflower oil contains plenty of anti-inflammatory properties, it is seen as a good topical remedy, which helps to soothe and calm skin that is quite irritated or inflamed.
Anti-aging: Vitamin E, Phenolic acids, Carotenoids, and Choline are the most powerful antioxidants that sunflower oil is rich in.
These are known for protecting the skin from the damage caused by free radicals, which typically lead to gaining wrinkles and premature aging of your skin.
By using skincare products that contain sunflower oil as one of the main ingredients, you can maintain smooth, nourished, and youthful-looking skin for a longer time.
Natural: Because sunflower soap is made by using natural ingredients for the most part, it is a great option for all those who prefer natural skincare cleansers, rather than the popular, commercial ones.
It is more gentle and it doesn’t normally irritate the skin, as it is not infused with harsh chemicals, so it makes it an ideal choice for people with sensitive skin, prone to redness and irritation.
Versatile: Using soap as a cleanser might become the best thing about your skincare routine. It deeply cleanses, providing you with the needed nourishment and moisturization that leaves your skin silky smooth.
Sunflower soap is versatile because it can be used both on the face as well as the body, thus being a very practical, multi-purpose skincare product.
Sunflower soap ingredients
When it comes to making sunflower soap, the main ingredient is non-other than sunflower oil.
Although this natural oil, which provides deep nourishment thanks to its moisturizing properties, is the primary ingredient, sunflower soap also contains other ingredients which are added depending on the variety of recipes and also the benefits and effects you want to achieve by using it.
These are some of the most common ingredients that are found in sunflower soap, apart from sunflower oil:
Lye: Lye is the alkaline liquor got by leaching wood ashes with water. It is commonly used for washing and in soapmaking, as one of its uses is turning oils into soap, by creating a chemical reaction.
Water: In the process of making a bar of soap, water is used primarily to dissolve sodium hydroxide lye so that it can react with the oils, thus marking the start of the saponification process.
While the soap cures, the water evaporates and makes harder, bars that are long-lasting. Normally, a recipe for making a soap uses about 22% liquid.
Botanical extracts: Botanical extracts are derived directly from plants, by soaking the botanical in a liquid, making it able to retrieve all the beneficial parts of the plants, which can then be used in the process of making soaps.
They are known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, which makes them a perfect addition to pretty much any skincare product.
Botanical extracts make the skin glow, healing and nourishing it at the same time. These extracts can be made from different plants, but the most popular are Chamomile, Calendula, Green Tea, Grapefruit Seed, and Mallow.
Essential oils: Essential oils are basically plant extracts that are highly concentrated. These have been used for their immense therapeutic properties for a long time. There are plenty of kinds of essential oils, each kind having its own purpose.
For example, essential oils such as chamomile, bergamot, or lavender are famous for their soothing and calming effects both on the body as well as on the mind, as they promote relaxation, thus helping reduce anxiety and stress.
In addition, lemon, peppermint, and grapefruit-based essential oils are widely used to put us in good mood, promoting and increasing feelings of positivity, happiness, and calmness.
Colorants: When it comes to soaps made of natural ingredients, with the intention to make them less harsh and more calming to the skin, manufacturers try to avoid using artificial colorants.
In the case of making sunflower soaps, herbs, and spices are the most common natural colorants that are added to the soapmaking process, in order to give them a natural-looking color.
The final color of the soap after adding natural colorants might vary, depending on the amount, the type of oil used in the soap recipe, and the length of time the soap is cured.
Sunflower soap is usually golden or yellowish in color. This is because of the kinds of herbs and spices mostly used in its making, including Turmeric, Calendula petals, Chamomile, and others.
Exfoliants: Exfoliants are a great ingredient to add in the process of making sunflower soaps to add texture and exfoliating properties to the soap.
This is done by adding natural ingredients with exfoliating properties, including oats, coffee grounds, coconut flakes, poppy seeds, and plenty more.
Depending on what type of exfoliant is used in making a sunflower soap, you can determine which one is best to use on your body and your face.
For example, exfoliants such as oats, and poppy seeds are known for their gentle exfoliation properties, so they are safe to use on your face. These can help your face become smoother and softer after using the soap.
On the other hand, coconut flakes and coffee grounds are more abrasive exfoliants, so they are better used as scrubs on your body. These can help exfoliate the skin, promote circulation, and minimize the appearance of cellulite.
Preservatives: Soaps that don’t focus that much on the natural ingredients or the gentleness of the soap itself have a shelf life of about one to two years.
This is due to the fact that commercially produced soaps use lots of preservatives, in order to extend their longevity of the soaps.
Natural soaps, such as sunflower soap, typically have a shorter shelf life, due to the absence of strong preservatives, so it is advisable to use it within a six-month period.
These soaps only use natural preservatives such as vitamin E, which helps the soap last a bit longer.
Is sunflower soap comedogenic?
As one of the main ingredients of soaps is oil, many people think that it’s exactly what makes them comedogenic.
However, sunflower oil is one of those oils that are widely known to be non-comedogenic. This means that it is very unlikely for sunflower soap to clog the pores on your face and body, causing acne breakouts.
Sunflower soap is considered to be one of the most gentle and non-irritating natural soaps on the market, meant for people of all skin types.
With that in mind, it is still recommended to do a patch test of the soap before using it regularly both on your face and body, especially if you struggle with skin issues or have very oily skin.
This is done by applying a small amount of sunflower soap on your skin and waiting up to 48 hours to see if there’s a reaction to it.
Also, it’s important to point out that, although sunflower soap is generally non-comedogenic, the comedogenicity of soaps also depends on the formulation, apart from the ingredients.
Sunflower soap scent
When it comes to how sunflower soap smells, there’s no simple answer to that. The scent actually varies depending on how the soap is formulated and on the brand that’s making it.
Some don’t have a scent, or they have an earthy, nutty fragrance to them, because of the natural oils as the main ingredients of the soap.
Others might have a light and subtle, floral scent, that comes from natural essential oils or fragrances, which are meant to add a pleasant, gentle aroma to it.
This is a good option for all those who are allergic or sensitive to synthetic fragrances, which are commonly used in the making of commercial soaps.
If you have sensitive skin, or you’re struggling with acne or some other skin condition, it’s best to opt for an unscented sunflower soap.
Fragrances can cause more irritation, redness, and the feeling of itchiness, which everyone is trying to avoid when doing skin care.
On the other hand, if you prefer scented products, chose a sunflower soap that contains natural fragrances obtained from essential oils, and make sure to read the ingredient list carefully prior to using the soap.
How to use soap in skincare?
Using soap in skincare is a common practice, as soap is a gentle and effective way to cleanse the skin of dirt, oil, and impurities. Here are some tips for using soap in your skincare routine:
Using soap as a part of your skincare routine is a common and well-known practice for many people.
Natural soaps, such as sunflower soap, are gentle on the skin and they represent an effective way of cleansing the skin, removing excess sebum, dirt, and other debris.
It is important to choose a soap that is formulated in a way that suits your skin type. Sunflower soap can be a great choice for those who have oily skin, prone to sensitivity.
Although using soap as a cleanser in your morning and nighttime skincare routine is considered rather easy, we still give you a step-by-step guide on how to use it on your skin, to help it give you the exact effect you need:
Wet your skin: Wet your skin with warm water before applying the soap. Before you start applying the soap, make sure you wet your skin using lukewarm water.
Apply the soap: Rub the soap between your hands to create a lather, and then apply the lather to your skin. In order to create a rich foamy texture, rub the soap between your hands for a few seconds.
After this, apply the soap in circular motions, massaging it into your skin. Make sure to pay attention to areas that are more affected by oiliness or imperfections.
Rinse it off: After applying the soap and gently massaging your face, it’s time to rinse it all off! When washing away any cleanser, it is essential to use lukewarm water.
Avoid using hot or ice-cold water on your face, as the skin will consider it a shock.
Pat dry: After making sure that you rinsed off all traces of the soap, dry the skin with a clean towel, using the pat-dry technique.
This is an effective way to gently dry the skin, instead of rubbing it dry with a towel, which is proven to be too aggressive to the skin, causing unnecessary redness and irritation.
Moisturize: Last, but not least, is moisturizing your skin! This is a very important step in your skincare routine that you shouldn’t forget.
Use a light, non-comedogenic moisturizer in the form of a cream or lotion, to help lock in the moister and maintain the hydration of the skin.
Disadvantages of using soap as a cleanser
Using soap as a cleansing product in your skincare routine has a lot of benefits.
Soaps are affordable, they normally do the cleansing job well, and they aren’t harsh to the skin, provided that there are more natural ingredients in them.
However, not everyone agrees that soap is the best way to cleanse the skin on your face and body.
These are the possible disadvantages of using soap in skincare you should consider:
Drying: There are types of soap that are more drying to the skin, especially if they are filled with harsh chemicals.
This is mostly a concern for people who already struggle with dry, flaky, and sensitive skin.
Soap can even strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to more dryness and irritation.
The pH of soaps is higher than the skin’s natural pH, disrupting it and causing breakouts and the sensation of tightness.
Harsh: Some ingredients, such as synthetic fragrances and preservatives are known to be highly concentrated in most commercial soaps.
This can be harsh on the skin, causing it to get irritated. Ingredients such as coconut oil, which are more comedogenic, can clog pores on the skin, which can then lead to acne.
Insufficient cleansing: Even though soaps are good cleansers, they might not be totally effective when it comes to removing heavy makeup, oil, and dirt.
You typically shouldn’t use it on its own to remove makeup, but rather opt for double cleansing: removing your makeup by using cleansing balms or micellar water and following it up by cleansing your skin with soap.
Not hygienic enough: It is essential that you store your soap in a dry environment, to avoid bacteria landing on it.
Also, multiple people shouldn’t be using the same soap, if its primary use is cleansing the face, as bacteria can be transferred to the skin easily.
Overall, when trying to choose from a wide variety of soaps on the market, it’s advisable to go for the ones with mostly natural ingredients.
Sunflower soaps are generally great options when it comes to finding a good, natural cleansing soap.
It’s gentle on the skin, not causing any irritation or other skin problems.
If stored properly, it can have a long shelf-life and provide you with effectively cleansed, moisturized, and nourished skin.
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