Tips to Help you get some Shut eye – Tea recipe inside!

Is night-time a struggle for you? No matter what you do, you just can’t stay asleep? Toss and turn and then all of a sudden, it’s morning? Ugh! THE worst way to start the day!

Here are some great tips to help you rediscover a restful night! First off, sleep is vital and necessary to a healthy body. The average adult today gets 6.8 hours of sleep a night. A recommended 8 hours is suggested to be at your optimal best.

So, what can help you get a better nights sleep?

1 – Exercise – yes, a regular exercise regime will help you sleep better. Make sure you don’t have a night time workout though, or have at least 2 hours between you working out and getting shut eye.

2 – Healthy Diet – sugar, caffeine, preservatives and more can throw your hormones and energy levels all off. Eat a whole food, clean diet. Lots of fresh veggies, fruits, legumes and proteins.

3 – Lessen your screen time. That is a computer screen, phone screen, ipads, etc. Screen time, keeps us up and speeds up our brains. Put them all away at least an hour before you plan to hit the hay!

4 – Stress is one of the biggest factors in our lives for helping us sleep less at night. Try to reduce your stress levels by meditating, having 10-15 breaks throughout the day to breathe deeply. Find a few minutes here and there throughout your days to take a minute to decompress.

5 – Bedtime routine – yes, just like the kids if you have a regular bedtime routine that helps you prepare for a restful sleep, it will help improve your sleep patterns. This can include, a bath, tea, reading, massage, sleep pillows, anything that will help you relax and get some down time. I highly recommend a Bedtime Tea, see my recipe below.

Bedtime Tea : Drink 1-2 cups an hour before bed.

1 part Passionflower
1/2 part Lavender
3 parts Chamomile
1 part Valerian
1 part Hops
1 part Lemonbalm

Combine herbs and mix 1oz of herb with 1 cup of hot water, let steep for 20 minutes.

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Sleepy Time Bath: 20 minutes of soaking before you go to bed

1 cup Lavender Flowers
10-25 drops of Lavender EO

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Another great idea to add to your bedtime routine is to spray a little lavender spritz on your sheets and/or pillow before you go to bed. Lavender has a soothing, calming effect to promote relaxation. All of the ideas and recipes above are great for kids as well.

When was the last night you had a full nights sleep? What do you do to try to improve it?

3 Natural Remedies | Detox

Super quick but good info. A few simple things to help reduce the metals and toxins in your body.
Source: 3 Natural Remedies | Detox

Body Scrubs Help Repair Sunkissed Skin – DIY RECIPE INSIDE

After a long hot summer of sun, sand and chlorine your skin has had enough. Fall is a perfect time for your skin to heal and repair any damage that has been done during the playful summer months. Lotions, handmade soaps, body oils are the usual go to’s for this, but something that is also helpful but often forgotten is a good scrub. Renewing your skin and getting the dead layers off weekly can do wonders for your skin and it’s beautiful glow.

Here at Wildroot Naturals, we create multiple body scrubs that help renew your skin. The benefits are wonderful and include unclogging pores, promoting healthy turnover of skin cells, balancing oil production, purifying the pores of toxins and dirt and smoothing skin tone, creating a radiant, fresh overall look and feel.

Now salt and sugar scrubs are both beneficial to our skin, which you use should depend on your skin type and it’s characteristics. Let me break it down a bit more of the difference between the two.

Salt Scrubs

Salt scrubs are a more abrasive scrub because of their sharper edges and, therefore, do a better job at smoothing the rough skin of the body. Such as knees, elbows, feet, etc. What really separates salt scrubs from sugar scrubs is that they offer therapeutic, mineralization benefits. Most salt scrubs use sea salts, which are natural purifiers that remove the toxins that block the pores of the skin. It helps the skin breath easier, promotes better circulation, tightens the skin and improves skin texture. There are many sea salts used in scrubs including Himalayan, Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Dead Sea Salts. These various salts have different trace minerals, which include calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron. The minerals help to promote circulation, reduce the inflammatory response, and act as a detoxifying agent and general muscle relaxant.

Coarse salt scrubs are good for removing dead skin like on your feet and elbows, and are the ideal treatment for skin detoxification. Since the salt granules work a little harder than the gentler sugar scrubs, salt scrubs are a good choice for where skin can get especially dry and calloused. However, balance is important, so after any salt scrub has been applied and washed off, apply a rich, moisturizing body butter, oil or cream to replenish the skin’s moisture. While salt scrubs are wonderful, they are abrasive, and they are not meant for daily use—once a week is all I would recommend unless you are putting that salt in your bath, where the detoxification properties would work really well internally too! Of course, salt scrubs should not be used on irritated or cut skin because of sea salt’s stinging properties.

Sugar Scrubs

Sugar scrubs are gentler than salt scrubs because the granule is round and therefore doesn’t have any ability to “cut” the skin. It’s a far better choice for sensitive skin types and the only choice for the face. Sugar granules dissolve more easily in hot water, and they are less abrasive than salt scrubs. While sugar scrubs don’t have the mineral benefits of salt scrubs, they are less drying, and many natural scrubs now use natural sugars which contain the nutritive properties of sugar cane. Because of the smaller, finer granules, sugar scrubs make a gentle exfoliant that is suitable for next to all skin types and conditions. The glycolic acid content of sugar is another plus, helping to protect skin against harmful toxins. Vital for the maintenance of healthy skin, this acid works to both condition and moisturize. Even for seriously rough and dry skin, sugar scrubs are great because sugar sizes come in fine, medium and course. But choose your scrubs wisely. Do not use a body scrub on your face – it’s too rough. Sugar also has the benefit of melting as you use it, from the heat of your skin, so you can customize the product based on your personal skin type and need.

No matter which you choose, be it a salt or sugar scrub, used regularly, the skin will become much healthier in function and appearance—better circulation and with a more even skin tone. Once dead skin cells are removed, the largest organ of the body works more effectively to remove toxins and absorb nourishment. With all this a natural glow will come to your skin.

I have found scrubs to be a gift for the feet as well. A nice foot scrub at the end of a long week, is always nice and leaves you feeling like you just left the spa yet only spending pennies on the dollar!

Here is a fun and simple sugar scrub recipe if you are the DIY type.

DIY SUGAR SCRUB RECIPE
1 cup – Fine Ground Organic Sugar

1/2 cup – Organic Coconut Oil
1 tsp. of Vitamin E oil

20-30 drops of essential oil of your choice

Mix well and place into a glass mason jar.

HAVE FUN!

If you are NOT a DIY’er visit here to purchase one of Wildroot Naturals organic scrubs today!

Do you use body scrubs? If so, what do you think of them? How do they benefit your skin?

Transition Tea Recipe

This time of year is a time of transition. School is back in session, seasons and weather begins changing, sickness starts to linger, sports teams start back up and more. We all have many things in our lives that bring transition to this time of year. It can be stressful for some yet exciting for others.
For me, I feel a bit of both. With two kids in school, homework, conferences and side activities started definitely adding to the stress. However, a change in season and my kids focusing more on there education provides me with excitement. I love the fall season and looking forward to the holidays.
Tea and the act of drinking tea has brought much peace to my life as it can to yours as well. It has a calming effect that overcomes our bodies when we take that first sip. I wanted to share this wonderful soothing tea recipe I created. It is simple and effective in helping through this transition period. It’s the perfect end to our busy days. Enjoy!

• Mix all three herbs together and store in a glass jar.
• To brew, place one tablespoon of the tea in a tea ball or other strainer, and pour hot water over it.
• Add a bit of honey if desired, and take comfort in an evening ritual of soothing tea.

  

  Photo by Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times

Steps to Preventing Illness this Year

There are a ton of Antibacterial products on the shelves now a days. Seems everyone is growing more and more into germ freaks and have antibacterial or hand sanitizer at every reach. My kids get sick every year, as well as my husband and I. When the kids are in school, who knows what germs will come along, every single day. My husband works as a General Manager at a restaurant, he deals with tons of people daily as well. Germs are everywhere! How do we manage them?

If we use germ killers and antibiotics at every sniffle and sneeze they won’t be able to fight ANY germs on their own. How can we have a balance of trying to kill the everyday germs but also try to let the natural germs build up in the kids systems so they have a strong immune system. Sometimes we can get carried away. Its easy! Public restrooms, little hands everywhere, sneezing into the air, runny noses and it doesn’t end there. Ugh, it’s a parents nightmare!

To help prevent my kids from getting sick, we have regular rules we follow everyday throughout the year to minimize anything that comes our way.

Rules in our home to stay healthy:

1- Wash hands often (with Wildroot Naturals Dirty Boy Antibacterial Soap)
2- Eat well
3- Get plenty of sleep
4- Exercise
5- Spend time outside everyday

What I discovered with these few simple rules, is when a bug does hit our home, they don’t prevent us from being sick free all year but we are only sick for a few days versus a few weeks. We get over the bug much faster.

To add to our list of concerns have you seen the ingredients in those antibacterial products? What are they?

Let’s start with Triclosan and triclocarban. They are antibacterial chemicals commonly added to consumer products. In laboratory studies, they have been shown to disrupt hormones and can encourage the growth of drug-resistant bacteria or “superbugs.”

Animal studies have shown both of these chemicals can interfere with hormones critical for normal development and function of the brain and reproductive system. Triclosan has been associated with lower levels of thyroid hormone and testosterone, which could result in altered behavior, learning disabilities, or infertility. Triclocarban has been shown to artificially amplify the effects of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, which could promote the growth of breast and prostate cancer.

Furthermore, laboratory studies suggest that triclosan and triclocarban may be contributing to antibiotic resistance in bacteria known to cause human infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls antibiotic resistance one of the most pressing health issues facing the United States. Infections caused by bacteria with resistance to at least one antibiotic have been estimated to kill more than 60,000 hospitalized patients each year.

Surveys of the U.S. population from ages 6 to over 65 have found residues of triclosan in over three-quarters of people. Though triclosan has been measured in house dust, most people are likely to be exposed by applying products that contain triclosan to their skin. One study of nursing mothers found higher levels of triclosan in blood and breast milk of women who used personal care products containing triclosan.

The issues don’t just stop there though, they harm the environment as well. We live a few blocks from the beach so caring for our waterways is huge in our family. Most of these nasty products get washed down the drain, where they enter our waterways and are then transported widely throughout the environment. Triclosan is one of the most frequently detected chemicals in streams across the U.S. and both triclosan and triclocarban are found in high concentrations in sediments and sewage sludge where they can persist for decades.

In the environment, antibacterial compounds could disrupt aquatic ecosystems and pose a potential risk to wildlife. Traces of triclosan have been found in earthworms from agricultural fields and Atlantic dolphins. In the lab, triclosan has been shown to interfere with development of tadpoles into frogs, a process that is dependent on thyroid hormone.

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So of course here at Wildroot Naturals, we created a natural Antibacterial Soap! My husband came up with the name “Dirty Boy”! Fits perfectly. This has been our best seller since we put in on the market. It works well, doesn’t dry your skin, kills germs naturally and lasts! We started a sale that will go through October Buy 4 Bars get 1 Free! Shop Now!

What kind of products do you use to help kill germs? Do they work well for you and your family?

 

Article Resources:
http://www.nrdc.org

Bright Orange Medicine Flower…Calendula

The Calendula Flower, better known as the Marigold is an herbal gem. This herb is so powerful yet so gentle at the same time. As I continue to study this brightly colored flower, I discover how this can help my husband. He recently cut the top of his finger off while working and has been slowly healing the last couple of weeks. I had no idea the benefits Calendula had that can help speed his healing process up and even help reduce scarring! Read on for some great information that could possibly help you or a family member.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), the pot marigold, is a great herb for skin care, and has perhaps the longest history of use of any herb in skin care.

Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it useful for disinfecting and treating minor wounds, conjunctivitis, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed  skin, bruises, burns, athlete’s foot, acne, yeast infections, bee stings, diaper rashes, and other minor irritations and infections of the skin. Plus, it stimulates the production of collagen at wound sites to help minimize scarring and assist with stretch marks. This versatile botanical can be incorporated into baths, creams, compresses, washes, salves, ointments, massage oils, baths, facial steams, tinctures, and teas. It is also gentle enough to use for babies, children, or animals. Internally, gargling with Calendula infused water may ease a sore throat, sores in the mouth, and inflammations in the mouth and throat.

Not only is Calendula a wonderful healing and medicinal herb, but it is also a lovely and useful plant in the garden!  Calendula repels many common garden pests including aphids, eelworms, asparagus beetles, and tomato hornworms, and is a companion plant for potatoes, beans, and lettuce. Plus, it grows quickly and is easy to cultivate from seed.

Calendula is safe for children and animals. It is wonderfully gentle and powerful. If I am dealing with a skin issue, calendula is one of my go-to herbs.

Dry Skin

Calendula is an emollient and can help to moisturize dry skin. It also contains carotenoids which nourish the skin.

Scars and Varicose Veins

A calendula wash is used for healing scars, thread veins and soothing varicose veins. Thread veins are tiny, broken veins on the face.

To make a wash: steep leaves in water for 20 minutes to 3 hours. Strain. Pat on face, keep on for at least 20 minutes and gently wash off.

An alternative to this (and potentially easier and more enjoyable way) is to make a strong tea of 1 tablespoon per cup of water, strain and add the tea to a bath. Soak in the bath for a 20 to 30 minutes minimum.

Calendula as Antiseptic

It has antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it useful for salves and balms for cuts, wounds and for healing piercings. Any other lacerations, hang nails, bedsores, irritated rashes will benefit from using calendula.

Prevention of Dermatitis

Calendula ointment has also been used to decrease dermatitis following skin irradiation for breast cancer. To use for protection from environmental stressors, apply a calendula salve before and after the stress. Harness the uses of calendula for skin by making your own salve.

Wound Healing Activity of Calendula for Skin

Calendula is probably best used for chapped and otherwise irritated skin. The oil soluble components including the essential oil seem especially good at stimulating wound healing. Scientific studies find that extracts of calendula can speed the healing of skin wounds and burns. Perhaps the most common and therapeutic uses of calendula for skin is for healing wounds.

Using calendula increases both wound closure (very important in wound healing) and protein metabolism (forming new skin). For healing wounds, a daily application of calendula extract or calendula cream is used.

For slowly healing wounds and amputation stumps, one study showed that wound granulation appeared within several days of initiating treatment and secondary skin developed within 10 to 14 days. Using calendula ointment also reduced discomfort during dressing changes. For slowly healing wounds, apply calendula salve twice daily.

Calendula speeds up cell proliferation which quickens healing. It also keeps wounds from hardening and forming scars. It would be beneficial to use for healing the perineum after childbirth.

It helps to heal burns (including sunburn), bruises and inflammatory diseases of the skin.

Do you have Calendal/Marigold growing in your yard? Have you ever used Calendula to help you? How?

 

Obviously Calendula Oil is a powerful yet gentle treasure!
Wildroot Naturals is in the midst of creating it’s new Baby Product Line that will most certainly contain Calendula. Stay Tuned!
In the mean time check out our store for All Natural Organic skin care and household products!

 

Resources:
http://www.mountainroseblog.com
http://www.wildly-natural-skin-care.com
http://www.personalcaretruth.com

Oatmeal…food or beauty treatment?

Wild oats (Avina Sativa)

A staple that is incredibly good for our hearts and our skin. The benefits our kitchen holds can be mind blowing at times.

Oats are also an amazing natural beauty enhancer. They soothe and heal the skin, while reducing inflammation. Inflammation is one of the number one causes of premature aging, and while it all starts on the inside, reducing outer inflammation is also necessary for gorgeously radiant skin.

What other benefits are there to using oatmeal in skincare products? Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is perfect for most skin types, even the most sensitive skin. Oatmeal contains saponins, a mild cleansing agent. Oatmeal helps remove dead skin cells. Oatmeal can help treat acne, eczema, rosacea and rashes. Oatmeal can helps relieve symptoms of aging skin. Oatmeal is known to have good exfoliating properties and this will help to get out the daily toxins off the skin. It is also known to have skin lightening effects and thus it also helps to improve the skin tone and texture, and smooth out blotchy areas. Oatmeal repairs damage from other chemicals, such as alpha hydroxy acids, surfactants, and bleaches. It can help calm the skin. Oatmeal helps reduce pore size.

Want to make your own oatmeal face mask at home? Check out Wildroot Naturals recipe below:

• 2 heaping spoons of ground organic oatmeal

• 1 spoon full of organic milk

• 1 teaspoon of raw organic honey

Mix well and then smooth onto face. Sit back and relax for about 10 minutes then rinse with warm water. Your skin will feel refreshed and smooth.

Not up for making a homemade mask, use Wildroot Naturals Lavender Oatmeal soap to help calm your skin.

Oats: Skin Benefits

Apart from consumption, wild oats have an important role to play in skincare. They were used as early as 2000 BC by the Egyptians and Arabians to beautify their skins. Oat baths were largely used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for healing skin ailments. Some of the benefits of oats for skin are as follows.

1. Treatment of Acne:

Cooked oatmeal is a great natural remedy for treating acne. For this purpose, boil some oatmeal till it softens and let it cool for 15 minutes. Apply it on the affected area and rinse off after 10 minutes. This will absorb and remove excess oil and bacteria from your skin and exfoliate dead skin cells, thus helping to combat acne.

2. Removes Dryness:

Oats are effective in fighting dull, flaky dryness as they contain polisaccharides, which become gelatinous in water, thus forming a fine protective film when applied on skin. Besides, this cereal is effective in addressing dry skin symptoms like itchiness, rashes, scales, peeling etc. To get rid of dryness you can make a facial mask by mixing a smashed banana with a cup of ground oatmeal and adding some lukewarm milk. Stir it properly to make it smooth and apply it all over your face for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with cold water. This will help in replenishing the skin moisture, thus keeping it soft and hydrated.

3. Skin Moisturizer:

It acts as a natural moisturizer by removing the dead skin cells. It contains beta-glucan that forms a fine film on your skin as well as penetrates deep into the skin to provide much needed deep moisturizing to your skin. Besides, it enhances wound healing and shallow abrasions and improves collagen deposition and activation of immune cells within the skin. You can add a cup of milk, two cups of oats and a tablespoon of honey to moisturize your skin as well as relax your body.

4. Relieves Itchiness:

Oats have anti-inflammatory properties and are suitable for all skin types. They are clinically effective in healing dry and itchy skin. Oats ground into powder are known as colloidal oatmeal. This powder can be mixed with warm water to form a thick paste and applied over itchy skin to get immediate relief form intense itching. An oatmeal bath is also effective in healing a number of skin conditions including dry itchy skin. Thus, oatmeal can be used in curing neurodermatitis, a skin disease characterized by itchy or inflamed skin.

5. Skin Lightening:

Oats are known for their skin lightening effects as well as improving the skin tone and texture and smoothing out blotchy areas. It is increasingly used in cosmetology in various skin care products such as body scrubs, soaps, exfoliation creams and general body lotions of reputed brands.

6. Treatment of Poison Ivy or Chicken Pox:

Oatmeal has been used for thousands of years for treating eczema, poison ivy, insect bites and skin infections due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-itch properties. For relieving the itchiness caused by poison ivy or chicken pox or even sunburn, grind oats or oat flour into a fine powder and pour it into a cheese cloth. Tie it around the bath tub faucet and squeeze out water periodically to have a tepid bath. You can also rub the pouch on the itchy skin.

7. Natural Cleanser:

Oats contain natural cleansers called saponins that can remove dirt and oil from the pores without causing irritation, thus leaving behind soft and silky skin as well as reducing pore size. Instead of facial scrubs, oatmeal can form part of your skincare regimen as it is effective in getting rid of dead skin cells that build up in the pores. Oats can be soaked in water to prepare oat milk which is a natural toner and cleanser. You can store this milk in a bottle in your fridge and apply it on your face with a cotton pad after face wash to smoothen and soften your  skin. Oat bran bath is also effective in cleansing your skin and pores. Place ½ cup of oat groans or rolled oats in some cloth and tie it to make a small bag. Place it in your bath tub and press the bag until the oatmeal milk comes out. This can be used on your body or face instead of soap for mild scrubbing.

8. Skin Protection:

The proteins in oatmeal help in maintaining the skin’s natural barrier function and protect your skin from harsh chemicals as well as skin conditions like eczema, rosacea and rashes. The lubricating fats in oats are a great moisturizer that makes a protective layer over the skin to fight UV rays. In this way oatmeal helps in relieving symptoms of ageing skin.

Wildroot Naturals also carries A Lavender/Oatmeal Detox Bath. Relax and soothe your skin in the tub!

Oats: Hair Benefits

Oats are good for hair as well. When applied topically, they can make your hair soft and strong. Some of the ways in which oats can be beneficial for your hair are as follows.

9. Treatment of Dry and Itchy Scalp:

As stated earlier, oats are beneficial for dry skin and the same goes for hair care as well. Being a natural moisturizer, it can be applied on hair to get rid of dryness and itchiness and make your hair soft and shiny. It is often used as an ingredient in shampoos.

10. Treatment of Dandruff:

Oatmeal can be combined with other ingredients and applied on your hair before shampooing to get rid of dandruff.

11. Removes Excess Oil and Dirt:

Being a natural cleanser, it clears the scalp by removing excess sebum, oil and dirt accumulated in the scalp.

12. Combats Hair loss:

Hair loss can occur due to a number of reasons such as alopecia, harsh chemical treatments, hormonal imbalance or unhealthy lifestyle. Malnutrition, that is deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals, is the most common cause of hair loss. Oats contain high amounts of zinc, iron, magnesium and potassium that promote hair growth.  A meal comprising of oats, berries and pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A as well as other nutrients. Vitamin C prevents scurvy, a disease that can also cause hair loss. Vitamin A, on the other hand, promotes hair development and maintenance.

13. Great for Blond Hair:

Ground oats can be an excellent dry shampoo for blond haired beauties. All you need to do is rub some ground oats over your scalp and brush out excess oats with a boar bristle brush.

Article Resources:
http://www.stylecraze.com
http://blog.poppysoap.com
http://http://www.naturalnews.com

Headache?

So, lucky me, I am one of those people who are prone to regular headaches. I often wake up with them and go to sleep with them. Today, has been a tough one. It’s now 4 pm and it’s still lingering. As I sit and stare at my computer screen, my head pounds. Do I go grab some Extra Strength Tylenol in the staff kitchen? Wish I was home so I could use of my Essential Oils to put this thing to rest. So instead I search for great essential oil recipes for headache relief. I haven’t tried this one but the reviews seem great.

This seems to be the best one yet! Thanks www.richestoragsbydori.blogspot.com for the recipe.

 

Other way to help reduce headaches:

• Use a warm washcloth with a few drops of lavender and peppermint and place on forehead also over your eyes. Side back and relax for about 3 minutes. Repeat if necessary.

• Drink plenty of water! Add fresh squeezed lemon, or a mint sprig.

• Wildroot Naturals sells Detox Baths. Either one will help you sit back and relax for a minute while you detox chemicals and metals from your body.

• Get plenty of sleep, at least 8 hours a night.

• Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake.

• Get your exercise, about 20 minutes, 3-4 times a week minimum.

 

Do you get headaches regularly? How do you put them to rest?

 

Soap Berries/Nuts? Really?

Hate harsh chemicals and fragrances in todays laundry detergents and cleaners? This is nothing but 100% natural and organic. Truely the ONLY natural laundry detergent and household cleaner on earth that is NOT man made. This grows on a tree, it’s picked and deseeded. This is mother natures creation of laundry detergent. Use 5-6 soap nuts in a muslin bag and you can do up to 7 loads of laundry! Removes dirt and odors, naturally! 100% hypoallergenic, biodegradable, non-toxic and earth friendly. There is no smell to the nuts and your clothes come out with no heavy fragrances or smells. Its so gentle it’s perfect for sensitive baby skin. Great for cleaning cloth diapers, too!

Instructions on Use: Simply tie the top of the bag tightly and place in first into washing machine then load your clothes. When wash is done. Pull out your muslin bag and either reuse again or simply set it out to dry for the next load.

Wildroot Naturals sells Soap Berries along with the muslin bag for your washing machine. We sell them in a sample size good for 5-7 washes and once your hooked a bigger bag filled and good for up to 50 washes. We also sell a Lavender water that is awesome to use after you move your clothes from the washer to the dryer. I spray multiple sprays after the dryer is loaded and before I close the door to start it. Leaves a subtle lavender smell in your laundry.

What are soap nuts? Where do they come from?
Soap nuts are known worldwide by many names such as soap nuts, soapberry, washing nuts, soap nut shells, wash shells, soapberry nut husk, Ritha (Hindi) nut shell, Chinese soapberry and many more. Botanical Name: Sapindus Mukorossi.

Very simply, soap nuts are the dried shells (or husks) from the soapberry (or soap berry nut). 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 Nut Tree

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 U.S.

They grow primarily in northern India and Nepal. It grows uncultivated in poor quality ground and helps fights erosion, particularly in the Himalayan foothills. It also provides needed income to the local population.

Soap Berries/Nuts can also be used as a household cleaner. Simply boil the nuts down with water and you get a soapy cleaning solution. I add eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree oils to help with disinfecting and making a nice smell. I will warn you though, when boiling them down the smell throughout the house can be intense. It doesn’t smell pretty but the outcome is awesome and insanely cheap!

Wildroot Naturals will be selling the liquid form of soap berries soon! Stay tuned and don’t forget to check out our store for other awesome items!
www.wildrootnaturals.com

Thank you Jeff McMillian for the great picture of the Soap Nut Tree.