Personal care products are now mass-produced and as a result, can be packed with man-made ingredients that can harm the whole body. People are becoming more aware of this and are opting for a natural choice for their personal care needs. Goat's milk soap benefits those looking for a healthy and organic alternative.
The reason commercial products are being produced without natural ingredients could be because it’s cheaper for companies, but their synthetic substitutes are wreaking havoc on our health. Goat's milk soap benefits the body because it not only lacks all the toxic ingredients that mainstream personal care products have, but it contains ingredients that promote general well-being.
Products we use every day such as deodorant and soap can no longer be called personal care since they are doing anything but. These products contain phthalates, which cause disruptions in hormones. Triclosan is another mainstream ingredient often used - that is not only poisonous, but is actually being banned by some states. Some products even contain heavy metals and ingredients that cause cancer.
Research from the 1980s by the American College of Toxicology found that even a very small percent – a half of a percent in fact – of sodium lauryl sulfate produced irritation on the skin. When this number was increased to ten- or even thirty percent, corrosion of the skin occurred. The National Institute of Health (NIH) shows in their directory of products that over eighty personal care products contain this skin-corrosive concentration of 30 percent. Now companies are using sodium laureth instead of lauryl, which is extremely dangerous as well because once it’s absorbed into the liver, it cannot be taken out. This is toxic and can lead to a decreased energy level.
Here we explore the ways goat's milk soap benefits the body:
Soaps that are mass-produced and are available in most stores contain chemicals that are harsh on our skin. These popular soap brands utilize the chemicals to decompose skin cells that have died, which ages and damages skin. Goat's milk soap benefits skin by employing a natural acid called alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), which rids the body of dead skin cells without the negative side effects.
Goat's milk soap benefits those who suffer from conditions of the skin by retarding growth of bacterial organisms that create acne.
Aforementioned AHAs – such as lactic acid – function to slough off dead skin cells from the top layer of the skin. This allows new cells to take their place, revealing an even and healthy complexion.
Because of its fat concentration, goat's milk soap benefits inflamed skin. The cream in the soap moisturizes skin that is dry or has been damaged. Skin is then soothed and inflammation decreases, which also provides the skin with a radiant and glowing appearance.
Made from goat's milk, soap benefits the whole body because it contains a plethora of healthy nutrients like vitamin E, B12, B6, B1, D, and C.
The body houses what’s called the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response system. Its main job is to fight stress and ensure the body remains unchanged when stress does inevitably occur. This system is comprised of two different yet cooperative systems, known as the neuroendocrine and metabolic entities.
The NEM stress response system’s metabolic portion consists of the immune system, microbiome (microorganisms), pancreas, liver, and extracellular matrix. Sodium lauryl – which is frequently added to common soaps sold in most stores – is removed by the liver but remains there indefinitely. This increases toxicity levels in the body and interferes with normal metabolic function and NEM system efficiency.
The neuroendocrine unit of the NEM system is made up of the heart, brain, autonomic nervous system, adrenals, thyroid, and the gastrointestinal tract. These entities turn on when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is initiated.
This HPA axis activates when the brain receives signals of stress through the senses, which are processed and the body then sends out its team of neurotransmitters and hormones to a multitude of organs to respond as directed. One of the main places these messages go is the adrenal glands, which creates cortisol–the most important anti-stress hormone of all. Cortisol shields the body from excessive adrenal fatigue by performing functions like stabilizing blood sugar level, fighting inflammation, and suppressing the immune system. The adrenal glands are also responsible for secreting about 50 other hormones.
The body’s largest organ happens to be the skin. Soap loaded with chemicals and synthetic ingredients like phthalates can cause a disruption to hormones in the body by way of the skin, causing more work for the hormone-producing adrenal glands. Using goat's milk soap would aid those who suffer from adrenal fatigue since it would alleviate the stress of having to regulate additional hormone disruption from already overworked adrenal glands.
Using goat's milk soap benefits those with adrenal fatigue because it does not cause injuries to skin or produce an inflammatory response like mainstream products. Inflammation to the body is perceived as stress and is unhelpful to someone trying to recover from adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is mainly caused by stress or by other influences; including HPA axis dysregulation and metabolic-nutritional issues.
The NEM stress response system – made of metabolic and neuroendocrine entities – work as a team and are united. When disruption occurs to one system, as in the case with chemicals in non-natural soap, it affects all other organs and systems.
Goat's milk soap is beneficial to the body because it does not contain harsh chemicals, is good for the complexion, slows signs of aging skin, helps fight inflammation, and is packed with a wide array of vitamins and nutrients. Mainstream personal care products and soaps contain numerous toxins, chemicals, and heavy metals that cause stress to a multitude of organs and the NEM system. For those with AFS, using a holistic product such as goat's milk promotes general health because removing stressors is the most important step in adrenal fatigue recovery.
It must be noted that while beneficial to most people, those in the most advanced states of adrenal fatigue can react negatively to goat's milk soap. In advanced adrenal fatigue, the body is very sensitive. While goats milk soap is very gentle on the body, any foreign compounds have the potential to throw the body off balance and stir up a reaction. Proceed with caution and try using goats milk soap on a small area of your body to test for reactions first before lathering your whole body.
© Copyright 2017 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.