Friday, July 30, 2010

'the soap that grows on trees'

soap nuts review/giveaway

look to the pre-industry days and you will find safe, gentle, and highly-effective cleansers for your home, body, and laundry, like lovely raw soap nuts.


soap nuts are the fruit of chinese soapberry trees; relatives of lychee and rambutan. they have been used in china for generations and in europe for decades. in ancient india soap nuts, known in hindi as reetha, were used for body and hair washing, as well as laundering fine fabrics and cleansing precious metals.

the hypo-allergenic soap nuts are 100% natural, making them safe for babies and those with sensitive skin.


to cleanse, soap nuts contain the all-natural surfactant, saponin (conventional detergents use manufactured chemical surfactants). surfactants work by breaking the surface tension of water, allowing it to more easily penetrate fabrics, effectively making water "wetter". agitation shakes dirt loose and the saponin holds the dirt in suspension until rinsing.

 other uses for soap nuts include:
  • toothpaste
  • fruit and vegetable wash (a ten minute soak in a solution of soap nuts removes 95% of surface pesticides and chemical residues)
  • hair and body wash
  • food-safe cleaner in the kitchen
  • in the garden as an insect-repellent

harvesting soap nuts is an environmentally-sustainable practice. as maggie's pure land points out, their factory is a tree! there's no waste, no waste water, and no toxic byproducts. maggie's pure land even uses the nuts and black seeds to make jewelry!


the kind people at maggie's pure land responded promply to my request for a sample to review, and to my delight sent me a box of soap nuts and 32 ounces of liquid soap! i've been using both for a few weeks now and am officially a soap nut!=)

when doing laundry, i just place 5 nuts in the small cotton sack and toss in at the beginning of the cycle. the soap nuts can be reused up to 5 times and composted when spent. for the liquid, i use 2 tablespoons as i would normally. no fabric softener needed! i find both nuts and liquid do an equally amazing job, but the soap nuts are more fun to use.=)

my laundry comes out so nice and clean, just as though i used conventional laundry soap. especially pleasing is how effortlessly the soap nuts removed a watermelon stain from my white cotton skirt and stains from john's white linen pants! my clothes feel so soft, and i love how they smell fresh and odorless - the way clean is supposed to smell!

note: maggie's pure land soap nuts do not produce suds. the bubbles created with conventional soups are not an indicator of cleansing ability. most labaratory cleaners contain foaming agents to "trick" consumers that the product is working. don't be fooled!

in a time of globalization, i feel it's so important to support small businesses and our neighbors. especially when big corporations harm the planet and our health, for profit. (look at me on my soap box, talking about soap nuts!=)

so why not enlighten your load with the soap that grows on trees?=)

***

maggie's pure land has extended the sampling to you!



'the soap that grows on trees'
giveaway


TWO lucky readers
will choose an
8 load liquid sample 
or a
 5 load raw soap nut sample!
woohoo!=)




to enter:
(mandatory)

visit maggie's pure land and comment below with one thing you learned from the site.


extra entries:
(leave a new comment for each entry.)

  • tweet about the giveaway (1 entry for each tweet, 1 per day. please leave a link in the comment.)
  • blog about the giveaway (5 entries. please leave a link to the post.)
  • maggie's pure land  is a proponent of breastfeeding. leave a comment telling me a benefit of breastfeeding. (you may enter up to 5 benefits.)
  • follow animal-friendly eating. (1 entry)

the contest will close wednesday, august 11th at 11pm est. the winners will be chosen by a random number generator and announced shortly after. this contest is open to u.s. and canadian residents only.

(maggie's pure land kindly asks the beneficiaries of the samples to post of their soap nut experience to help spread awareness of truly eco-friendly soap!)
 
happy entering!
=) 

if you're not into giveaways, you can purchase yourself a sample here.


73 comments:

  1. This is SO amazing! I love natural products!
    I try every possible way to be Earth loving and live a healthy life:)
    These Maggie's pure land products are totally new for me!
    Im not from USA so i guess i cant take part of this giveaway, but i love it anyway! I'm so glad there are some people out there who give their best to make a world and our life better :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miam!Miam! LOVELY products! and they make jewelry out of black seeds/nuts! I think It's so WONDERFUL.

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  3. Tweeted this fab giveaway!

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  4. i learned they contain saponnin, which is a natural cleaner. i've always wanted to try these!

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  5. Wonderful review! I visited Maggie's Pure Land website and learned soap nuts are also useful in the kitchen as a food-safe cleaner for counter tops, appliances, and sinks. They sound amazing!

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  6. breastfeeding reduces risk of SIDS

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  7. breastfed babies are hospitalized 10 times less than formula-fed babies

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  8. breastfeeding reduces childhood obesity

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  9. breastfeeding increases bone density

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  10. breastfeeding reduces risk of later heart disease

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  11. Breastfeeding decreases the child's risk of tooth decay
    Peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  12. Breastfeeding provides the baby with exclusive nutrients.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  13. Breastfeeding protects against gastroenteritis.
    peace,
    e

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  14. breastfeeding protects against ear infections.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  15. breastfeeding protects the baby from allergies.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  16. I visited their site and learned that they are actually the dried fruits of the Chinese Soapberry tree. Cool!
    Peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  17. 1- I blogged about your give away
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  18. 2- I blogged about your give away
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  19. 3- I blogged about your give away.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  20. 4- I blogged about your give away.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  21. 5- I blogged about your give away.
    peace,
    e

    ReplyDelete
  22. Breastfeeding saves moms about 7 hours a week off their feet.

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  23. No screaming baby in the middle of the night waiting on the formula to heat up.

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  24. Reduced insurance premiums for both parents and employers

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  25. Helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies

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  26. Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with total time of lactation

    ReplyDelete
  27. http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/07/hiatus.html

    blogged about it

    ReplyDelete
  28. http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/07/hiatus.html

    blogged about it

    ReplyDelete
  29. http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/07/hiatus.html

    blogged about it

    ReplyDelete
  30. http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/07/hiatus.html

    blogged about it

    ReplyDelete
  31. http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/07/hiatus.html

    blogged about it

    ReplyDelete
  32. OMG I AM A LACTATION EDUCATOR!!!!!!!

    if there is ever a person who wants to tout the benefits of nursing it's Me!!!!!!!!!!

    it's biologically normative and the perfect food for baby

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  33. Protection against allergies, asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease

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  34. Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers
    AMEN I NURSED SKYLAR TIL SHE WAS 3+ YEARS OLD!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. p.s. i have a tofu express tofu press giveaway going on if you eat it, not sure, just LYK

    5th bennie
    Higher IQ's :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I've used these soap nuts for almost two years, while living in Auroville in India. They are the best thing ever!!!

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  37. Ohmygosh!

    I learned: HE washers use much less soap/nuts, only 2-3, WEE!!!

    And...I tweeted!

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  38. I learned they can be used as a skin and/or hair cleanser. Multi-purpose - I like that!

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  39. I tweeted http://twitter.com/hihorosie/status/20117461762

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  40. benefit 3: decreased risk of cavities

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  41. Great giveaway Kelly!!
    I almost purchased some soapnuts but then I put them back..silly me!!
    I learned that you will save money and water because you are not producing suds..you need less rincing time:)

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  42. breastfeeding babies have a reduced risk of childhood diabetes

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  43. decreased risk of tooth decay for breastfeeding babies!

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  44. reduced risk of heart disease later in life

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  45. Breastfed babies are hospitalized 10 times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life

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  46. I learned that they don't only clean, they also soften.

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  47. I found out that how many times you reuse the soap nuts is, apparently, about equal to the number that you use at one time. I wonder.... if you had a small load, could you use just one soap nut and use it only that one time?

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  48. I learned that 10% of the proceeds Maggie's Pure Lands go to charities

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  49. I LEARNED THE FOLLOWING

    """""""""""""Simply put a few Soap Nuts into the included cotton sack and drop
    it in your laundry. Your clothes come out clean, vibrant, and soft.
    Replace your laboratory detergents and softeners with the soap
    made from Nature by Nature. Your clothes, your skin, your family,
    and your planet will thank you."""""""""""""

    kytah00@yahoo.com

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  50. I AM FOLLOWING YOU VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT AS "kytah00" kytah00@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  51. TWEETED GIVEAWAY @ http://twitter.com/kytah00/status/20858362894

    kytah00@yahoo.com
    kytah(zero,zero) @ yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  52. I learned that you can use a shorter rinse cycle by using Soap Nuts since they don't produce a soapy residue. And that the shells can be composted once they need to be replaced with new soap nuts.

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  53. 1. Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech, straighter teeth and enhances vision.

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  54. 2. Breastfeeding provides complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies

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  55. 3. Breastfeeding reduces global pollution by producing less resources and energy that is used to make and market packaged artificial formula.

    ReplyDelete
  56. 4.Breastfeeding creatures a special bond between mother and child.

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  57. 5. Breastfed infants develop higher IQ's

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  58. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  59. We had a huge soapnut tree in our garden when we were kids and then we did not know the value of it. Today while reading yr article I am amazed to know the various uses of this nut. I am so thankful to God for giving us such wonderful and useful tree. Thanks to you for letting us know so much about this natural product.
    Regards and best wishes
    Nirmala David

    ReplyDelete

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