Modern day soap has strayed significantly from what it used to be. Traditionally, soap was created by mixing oils, fats, and lye, as well as other natural ingredients that possessed antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Presently, drugstore brand soaps are often made with synthetic ingredients, synthetic fragrances, and foaming agents, many of which are very drying to the skin. A common ingredient one may find in popular soap brands is sodium lauroyl isethionate. Do not be intimidated by its complicated name; it is merely a synthetic detergent. In lab tests, this ingredient has been shown to cause dryness of the skin after only three days use; yet, it is often used in products advertised as hydrating. This is but one of many ingredients in popular soaps that contradicts its intended purpose. Other common ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulphate, and sodium laurate, were found to cause thickening of the skin. So why are we still using these products on our bodies?

Anisa Noor, NUR Skincare founder, creating soap using a goat’s milk base and essential oils

This is what NŪR Skincare’s founder, Anisa Noor, asked herself as well. Recognizing the damaging ingredients in drugstore soap, she began creating her own soaps early in life to provide better health for herself and her friends and family. Now, NUR specifically formulates products for various skin types and conditions using a holistic approach to skincare, with ingredients scientifically proven to have medicinal value.

Our Kigelia Africana and Moroccan Chamomile Soap was specially created for those with particularly sensitive skin. We focused on all natural ingredients to make this soap, comprised of only goat’s milk, dried kigelia africana, borage oil, coconut oil, Moroccan chamomile oil, and jojoba beads. The sensitive nature of these ingredients help soothe skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and are gentle enough for children to use

Kigelia africana, an exotic fruit native to central Africa and South Africa, has an extensive history of medicinal use as a salve to treat sores and burns due to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties, while Moroccan chamomile contains a powerful antioxidant, bisabolol, that is scientifically proven to reduce inflammation and calm the skin. Bisabolol is also one of the terpenes responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties in cannibidiol oil, popularly know as CBD oil.

Additionally, hydration is a key element to calming sensitive skin. Coconut and borage oil work to keep skin moisturized and heal irritation. Coconut oil has a multitude of health benefits, including antimicrobial properties that protect skin from harmful bacteria, which is important for preventing infections and acne. And clinical trials have shown that borage oil can improve atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Each ingredient in our kigelia africana and Moroccan chamomile soap serves a specific purpose to hydrate and heal sensitive skin, making it a truly holistic and medicinal alternative to harsh, modern day soaps.

You can read more about this and other products that we offer here.

References

Agyare, C., Dwobeng, A. S., Agyepong, N., Boakye, Y. D., Mensah, K. B., Ayande, P. G., & Adarkwa-Yiadom, M. (2013). Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and wound healing properties of Kigelia africana (Lam.) Beneth. and Strophanthus hispidus DC. Advances in pharmacological sciences, 2013.

Foster, R. H., Hardy, G., & Alany, R. G. (2010). Borage oil in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Nutrition, 26(7-8), 708-718.

K Maurya, A., Singh, M., Dubey, V., Srivastava, S., Luqman, S., & U Bawankule, D. (2014). α-(-)-bisabolol reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production and ameliorates skin inflammation. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology, 15(2), 173-181.

Oyi, A. R., Onaolapo, J. A., & Obi, R. C. (2010). Formulation and antimicrobial studies of coconut (Cocos nucifera Linne) oil. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, 2(2), 133-137.

Piccaglia, R., Marotti, M., Giovanelli, E., Deans, S. G., & Eaglesham, E. (1993). Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Mediterranean aromatic plants. Industrial crops and Products, 2(1), 47-50.

Prottey, C., & Ferguson, T. (1975). Factors which determine the skin irritation potential of soaps and detergents. J Soc Cosmet Chem, 26(1), 29-46.

Is Your Soap Damaging Your Skin?