Eimear’s auntie was constantly buying store brand soaps and complaining that they were too expensive, for the quality that was offered. Coincidentally, Wiktoria and Eimear both have friends and relatives with sensitive skin and different skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. We wanted to help them feel better with their skin and treat their conditions.
(Photos of before and after using soap to treat acne)
They decided to team up, as they talked about the issues of different skin conditions. We got to work right away did research about; skin care products and the ingredients they contain. Upon our discovery, we found out that the most popular skin care product was soap. With this knowledge we searched deeper and deeper to find the reasons to why the quality of a soap is so important and what decreases the soap's quality.
Knowing that soap has direct contact with the skin, and if it contains harsh and irritant substances, it would affect your skin greatly as there is no protection layer on your skin. We got shocking results which proved our theory, many brands add a substance called SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) into their products i.e Shampoo and Soap.
(second ingredient on the list)
SLS is what’s known as a “surfactant.” This means it lowers the surface tension between ingredients, which is why it’s used as a cleansing and foaming agent. Most concerns about SLS stem from the fact that it can be found in beauty and self-care products as well as in household cleaners. SLS strips the skin of its natural oils which causes dry skin, irritation and allergic reactions. It can also be very irritating to the eyes. Inflammatory skin reactions include itchy skin and scalp, eczema and dermatitis. We now knew the cause and the side effects of SLS. But what prevents this?
We searched for an organic product that is versatile, delicate and for all skin types. The answer was shea butter! Shea butter is fat that's extracted from the nuts of the shea tree. It's solid at warm temperatures and has an off-white or ivory color. Shea butter also has anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
Within 2 weeks, the product was a reality. Both Wiktoria and Eimear tested the product before selling it. Two friends, who both have a skin condition (eczema and psoriasis) offered to help and test our product. Their help made a discovery that the shea butter in our soap helps heal and reduce they symptoms. The manufacture of SLS free and Shea Butter soap bars came to life. The soap bars were selling very quickly at the Christmas Fair in our school, December 2019.
By Wiktoria Zebrowska
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