What soap from a soap tree. Soap nut (sapindus mukorossi)

Soap nuts are a versatile product that can be used for both cleaning and body and hair care. Learn more about the properties of soap shells, as well as their types.

The content of the article:

Looking at the composition of most shampoos, among the first five components you can see an ingredient such as SLS or SLES. These active-surfactants, with prolonged exposure, can adversely affect the condition of the hair, making the strands more brittle. Finding a quality shampoo without harmful ingredients is not easy, so many women use soap nut tincture as a detergent, which, in turn, has a wide range of applications.

What are soap nuts

The value of the fruits of soap trees is concentrated in the shell, it is there that a large number of natural foaming agents are located, which also have good washing qualities, which allows them to be used for rinsing clothes, washing dishes, and hair. Products prepared using soap nuts are non-toxic, do not cause allergies, do not pollute the air, and are odorless, which cannot be said if products with harmful chemical compounds are used instead. Note that nuts removed from soap trees can reduce inflammation, accelerate the healing process of wounds, minimize increased excretion sebum.

Soap nuts for laundry

To begin with, it is worth deciding on the number of shells (1 shell is equal to two halves) necessary for a full wash. For soft water, you can take 3-6 shells, hard - 5-10. At the same time, these nuts are enough for 1-3 procedures. Place the fruits in a bag made of cotton and add about 5-10 drops of essential oil, if desired, to obtain a pleasant smell. Tie the bag tightly so that the shells do not fall out during the washing process, and put it in the drum along with the clothes.

For hand washing, it is enough to pour water into a container, add soap shells and shake the liquid a little to obtain foam, after which you can proceed to the washing process itself. Soap nuts will help rid clothes of stains formed from chocolate, yogurt, borscht, some types of felt-tip pen, pens, etc. on the fabric. In some cases (if strong tea leaves, currants, mayonnaise get on clothes, if traces are found on cuffs and collars, etc.), additional processing will be required.

Helaplant nuts are effective against traces of grass, tomato paste, blood or other stubborn stains. As for white things, they should be washed at very high temperatures, since soap nuts do not have bleaching effects. If the stain is difficult to remove, it is better to pre-treat it; for these purposes, in some situations, you can use the method of soaking the fabric in cold water with the addition of salt or soda, or using laundry soap.

Washing dishes with soap nuts

1. Pour a liter of ordinary, and preferably purified, water into the pan, and put 20 to 30 shells there. Nuts should be chopped beforehand, but you can do without it, in this case, the softened fruits should be mashed with a fork during the cooking process. Cover the saucepan with a lid.
2. Turn on a small fire and boil the soap nuts for half an hour. During this time, the shells will have time to isolate saponins from themselves, substances that have valuable properties, and turn water into a washing extract.
3. Collect the shells in a bag, and strain the liquid and pour into a jar convenient for use.
   If you do not cover the pot with a lid, the water may boil down to almost half, in which case you will get a more concentrated extract and, if desired, can be diluted with water. Try to use the prepared remedy for two weeks, no more, since later the extract will no longer have the abilities that it could boast at the beginning of its life path. A large number of saponins disappear even after the first boil. To prolong the shelf life of the product, store it in a cool place.

Soap nuts for cleaning

The versatility of soap nut extract is also confirmed by the fact that the product helps protect children from harmful bacteria and worms, for this, it is only necessary to rinse their toys and let them dry.

Washing vegetables and fruits

Note that the use of poorly washed vegetables and fruits can provoke the development of gastrointestinal disorders, as well as be the cause of food poisoning. Rinsing apples and pears under running tap water will not be a problem, but minimizing the contamination of grapes, cherries or currants, for example, can be no small task. Collect water in a deep container, put vegetables or fruits in it and add soap nut extract. After a couple of minutes, you can be sure of the purity of the products. Don't forget to re-rinse the food with clean water.

Use a nut solution to rid products of bird, insect, and animal marks, or to clean dust and dirt.

pet care

Soap nuts and houseplants

Spray the product over the leaves and do not rinse, because the resulting film serves as a protective barrier against pests and dust.

Cleaning jewelry accessories

Not sure how to make a long-acquired product look like new? Try taking advantage of the action of a soap solution made from nuts. Dip the jewelry in the extract, go over the stained areas with a soft toothbrush and dry the item with a dry soft cloth.

Skin and hair care: recipes

A solution of soap tree shells can be used as liquid soap for hand and body wash or hair shampoo. The product is suitable for sensitive skin that quickly reacts to external stimuli, it is used for eczema, acne, psoriasis, itching skin etc.

Do not expect abundant foam from using a solution of soap nuts. If you obviously miss it, you can add a little babassu foam to the cooked product. Wash your hair until it squeaks and try to wash it so that the shampoo does not get into your eyes.

Place 10 shells in about 1 liter of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool, do not forget to squeeze the nuts, and filter the prepared product, strain, and pour into a bottle. In order to extend the shelf life of the product (more than two weeks), add grapefruit seed extract to the solution.

You can dispense with the nut extract by putting the shells in a cloth bag, soaking them in hot water, and while showering or bathing, wring them out on your head and strands, using the foam as a hair cleanser. The remaining nuts can be reused.

The solution, saturated with saponins, makes hair soft and thick, making combing easier. Regular washing of the strands will lead to the fact that the hairs will fall out much less, and dandruff will also disappear.

Having a coffee grinder available, you can bring the nuts to a powdery state. Dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of powder with warm water, evenly apply to the strands and after a few minutes, or even more, rinse with water. The powder can be obtained independently, it is also presented in some online stores of ingredients for the production of safe cosmetics.

As a shampoo, you can use both a solution of nuts and a product with the addition of other components. So for cooking products for all hair types you will need:

• Clay Multani Mitti - 35%
• Soap Nut Powder - 32%
• Shikakai Soap Bean Powder - 23%
• Amla Powder -10%

Common types of soapwood nuts

Trifoliatus berries are much smaller in volume than Mukorossi, their diameter is approximately 1.5 cm and thickness - 1 mm, while the diameter of Mukorossi nuts is from 2.5 to 3 cm, and the wall thickness is 2.5 mm. Small shells soak faster, but those nuts that release substances into the water gradually are more suitable for washing. Trifoliatus nuts, marked by the presence of saponins of 20-25% (in Mukorossi this figure can reach up to 35%) and containing coloring substances, it is better to include in scrubs, masks and hair strengthening products, their foam creates a gentle and pleasant, strawberry, sweet aroma . Nuts of the Trifoliatus species can be distinguished by color, the berries are very dark, reddish-brown, sometimes even black, Mukorossi berries are amber-yellow-brown, grassy with a sour smell.

Soap nut shampoo video recipe:

The soap tree is a deciduous tree with yellow or red flowers, originally from East Asia, growing up to 15 m in height and belonging to the Sapindaceae family. The plant prefers to develop in an open, sunny space. It shows high resistance to sudden changes in air temperature, but does not like strong, prolonged frosts, especially late ones.

The substrate is suitable for any, better - fertile. Good drainage is important. Only young plants need to be watered as soon as they are planted in the ground. Mature trees are extremely drought tolerant.

Periodically, the plant requires top dressing, especially with organic fertilizers after planting. With the onset of winter, gardeners are advised to mulch the soil with appropriate organic material.

Propagation by sowing seeds in seed soil in March or October is very popular.

Materials on Soapwood

In this section you will find posts on the care, cultivation, watering, reproduction Soap tree. Community users share tips and secrets among themselves. A huge number of photos.

The purpose of our project is the exchange of experience so that each project participant can learn how to care for a plant at home. .

The soap tree grows in countries in the warm climate zone, but its main habitat is northern India.

Sapindus Mukorossi is a deciduous tree with 5-10 pairs of leaves, and is somewhat reminiscent of our mountain ash.

The tree can reach up to 25 meters in height and blooms in beautiful greenish white flowers. After that, beautiful fruits appear on it, similar to walnuts in the skin. They are then used instead of soap and shampoo, as they contain up to 40 percent of saponin. It is this substance that actively cleans any fabric and surface from dirt.

It is safe for humans (if not eaten), but destroys harmful insects, pathogenic fungi and microflora. A soap emulsion obtained from a nut can also help gardeners: it fights late blight and the Colorado potato beetle. Pets can be rid of fleas and ticks by bathing them in this solution.

The tree can be easily grown from seed. Seeds germinate quickly, and seedlings start to grow. However, it has not yet spread beyond the Caucasus in the nature of the Russian Federation.

But lovers of ecological products can order soap tree nuts online almost anywhere in the world, and the nuts will keep your home clean and hygienic without causing allergies and other side effects.

What is a soap nut? This is the fruit of the soap tree, which is also called "sapindus", popularly called the "soap berry". They are evergreen and deciduous trees. small size, as well as shrubs of the Sapind family, which grow on the continents of Asia and America.

Where does the nut have such a strange name? This “name” was assigned to the plant by Linnaeus, it comes from the Latin words: sapo and indicus - which means, respectively, “soap” and “Indian”. And, in fact, it sounds like "Indian soap."

What does a soap tree look like?

This tree, most often, has leaves up to forty cm long, flowers, as usual, are collected in neat panicles. The fruits of this plant are the so-called "soap nuts", which are berries one and a half centimeters in diameter, in which there are 1-3 seeds.

During ripening, the berries become soft, and at the moment of full maturity they turn into hard ones, almost like a nut shell. This is what led to the name of the plant. They are brown in color, sometimes almost black, but it depends on how you dry them.

There are many varieties of soapwood. It is worth highlighting directly Sapindus mukorossi, as well as Sapindus trifoliatus and Sapindus saponaria. The characteristics of a plant depend not only on the variety, but also on how it was collected, how it was stored and transported.

The largest nut - Sapindus Mukorossi is valued more than others, since it contains the maximum content of saponides - natural foaming agents that do not pollute environment and help hair look better. But collecting them is a very difficult task, as they grow at the foot of the Himalayas, which makes their collection much more difficult. In general, the soap nut can be found in the northern and southern parts of India. They are distributed in different ways, since the types of nuts differ and the content of characteristic substances in them, too. The fewer saponides, the less valuable it is. And the cheaper it sells.

In general, the amount of saponides reaches almost forty percent, which is what gives the very washing properties for which they are valued. It is worth noting that these substances can be found in various parts of the plant, from where they are also carefully extracted.
It is curious that the soap nut for fish and some insects is a real poison and can kill them.

Having penetrated far into the depths of Indian life, the soap nut has also become part of the culture of this country. For example, religious texts contain their description, and the shell of the nut is used to make a wide variety of rosaries, bracelets and a number of jewelry that have a double meaning. Yes, and as ornamental plant the soap tree is also warmly received by the people of India and around the world.
And yet, the main value of the tree is nuts, which can be used as natural detergents, and they are completely natural and do not cause an allergic reaction. Cleansing the skin, raising the tone, removing dryness - all these properties are highly valued among people who prefer natural natural remedies to synthetic ones.

It has been used for a long time as a remedy for dandruff and hair loss, many note that the health of the hair, its shine, softness and density return and delight the eye. It is important that when washing the skin with conventional means, the layer responsible for counteracting microbes and infections is temporarily removed from it; when using natural soap nut products, this does not happen, which means that the body is more protected.

The local population of India has long used the plant to wash clothes and fabrics, because saponides are great at removing dirt and grease. And besides, they have antibacterial properties, which is in great demand in rural areas of India, which are not distinguished by prosperity.

Many modern women are increasingly taking the path of maximum resistance with regard to the choice of hygienic and cosmetics. Incredibly popular in recent times soap nuts are a prime example of this approach. A natural alternative to shampoo, soap, washing powder, dishwashing liquid, they are undoubtedly worthy of your attention.

The soap nut is the fruit of a special tropical tree called Sapindus. Plantations of the plant are found in Asia and South America, but most of them are in India, Pakistan and Nepal. By the way, it is not a nut, it’s just that the natives have long assigned such a name to it. In fact, its fruit is a berry, one third consisting of foaming substances that break down fat and dirt - saponins. Its pulp is dried and exported to all countries of the world, and the stone, as a rule, turns into a bead for bracelets and rosaries.

The most popular for hygienic purposes are the Mukorossi and Trifoliatus varieties - the soap tree of these varieties contains the maximum amount of saponins.

Locals use nuts for washing and bathing. Thus, they not only remove dirt from clothes and body, but also treat skin diseases, disinfect small cuts.

A decoction of soap fruits, as a reliable repellent, repels insects, so they treat open areas of the body, surfaces in dwellings and save pets from fleas or ticks.

Naturalness, effectiveness, hypoallergenicity and environmental safety provide sapindus fruits with growing popularity on all continents.

How to use soap nuts? There are a lot of options, just choose the one that is convenient for you.

Soap nuts for bath treatments

Beauties all over the world appreciated the washing and strengthening properties of soap nuts, using them to wash their hair. It is noteworthy that they are suitable for hair of any type - dark and light, oily and dry, thin and hard, tired of caustic dyes, dandruff, falling out or completely healthy. Nuts are also recommended for bathing children.

At the same time, not every woman is delighted after the first acquaintance with them - many complain about the lack of cleanliness, hair stiffness after washing and inconvenience in use. What could be the reason for the disappointment?

Firstly, hair that is accustomed to silicones and coarse surfactants needs time to gratefully accept natural care. Secondly, it is important to choose the optimal concentration of saponins for each specific case - by trial and error. Thirdly, much depends on the degree of contamination of the head and the temperature of the water. Fourth, you need to decide on the appropriate method for preparing the detergent. Fifth, it is worth buying soap nuts of recommended varieties from trusted distributors.

Several ways to wash your hair with soap nuts:

• 5-6 nuts pour half a liter cold water, boil. Cool and strain. Pour the resulting broth over the hair, massaging them. Wash off with water.
• 10-20 nuts pour half a liter of water, after boiling, simmer for thirty minutes. A concentrated decoction is applied to the hair for five to ten minutes, then washed off with clean water.
• A linen bag is filled with nuts, placed in a saucepan and poured with a glass of boiling water. With a strong pressure of water from the tap, this infusion is whipped into foam, which is directly used to wash the hair. The amount of foam is replenished by kneading the nuts in the bag.

As a body cleanser, the same more or less concentrated decoction is used - like a regular gel, only very liquid. Pouch with soaked in hot water nuts - this is already a "two in one" tool that replaces soap and a washcloth.

Attention! Like most soap formulations, a decoction of nuts irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose. Accidental ingestion of it can provoke diarrhea and vomiting - in this case, gastric lavage and sorbents are recommended.

This does not mean that sapindus is poisonous, just that the chance of drinking its decoction, which resembles tea or compote, is much higher than the chance of tasting liquid soap from a bottle in the bathroom. Store your soap nut shampoo on the top shelf of your refrigerator, labeling the container.

The shelf life of the decoction is two weeks, but the experience of experienced people shows that even after a month it retains its properties without signs of deterioration. Adding a preservative such as potassium sorbate will extend the life of the detergent.

An all-in-one body & hair mousse

This wonderful tool does not give foam, but you will definitely like it. Apply it to your hair and scalp, massage and rinse after 5-10 minutes - your hair will become clean, voluminous and shiny. With the help of mousse and washcloths, you will thoroughly cleanse the skin of the body without disturbing its hydrolipidic balance.

The mousse's melting gel texture and soothing ingredients are ideal for shaving. By adding ground coffee to a small part of it or sea ​​salt, you will get a soft but effective scrub. If you are used to doing soap baths before manicure procedures, replace the soap with this mousse.

Ingredients:

• Soap nuts - 10 pieces
• Dry chamomile flowers - 1 teaspoon
• Water - 300 ml
• Hydroxyethylcellulose - 1 teaspoon
• Jojoba oil - 4 ml
• Dexpanthenol - 1 ml
• Lavender essential oil - 15 drops

Cooking:

Pour nuts and chamomile with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by about half. Remove from stove and strain through a cloth.
Introduce hydroxyethyl cellulose into a very hot decoction and stir thoroughly. Leave to cool and swell, stirring occasionally.

If the gel does not turn out uniform, heat it again, but do not let it boil.
Beat the resulting thick gel with a minimixer or a fork, add jojoba oil.
Enter panthenol and essential oil into the cooled mass. Whisk again.
Air jelly mousse is ready. Transfer it to glass jar, close tightly and store in the refrigerator. The product does not contain preservatives, so try to use it within two weeks.

Soap nuts at home

Recently, foamy berries of sapindus can be found even in an ordinary supermarket - in the department of laundry and cleaning products. Not surprising - they do not contain phosphates and fragrances, but they do an excellent job with pollution and, moreover, are extremely economical.

Machine wash

Nuts (15-25 pieces) are placed in a cloth bag and put into the drum of the machine along with dirty things. Removed after completion of the wash and rinse cycle, dried and then reused until they lose their foaming properties.

Attention! Saponins are released from fruits only in hot water, so for washing at low temperatures it is better to use a pre-prepared decoction.
Soap nuts do not cope with old and stubborn stains - use them for regular regular washing.

The use of fabric softener is not required - the clothes will be fresh and soft.

Dishwasher Application

Lightly crushed soap nuts (2-4 pieces) in a bag are placed in the detergent compartment.

Another option is to put some nuts in the cutlery compartment.
The third is suitable for hand wash- instead of fruits, use a small amount of soapy water.

Washing glass and mirrors

Mix the concentrated broth of nuts with table vinegar in a ratio of two to one and pour into a spray bottle. The product does not require rinsing, but in order to avoid streaks, it is advisable to rub the mirror or windows after washing with a paper towel.

Washing floors, tiles, kitchen surfaces, children's toys, car
A strong decoction of soap berries is diluted warm water in any proportion - depending on the degree of contamination. Can be added to solution baking soda(for removing particularly difficult greasy stains) and essential oils(for aromatization and air disinfection).

Soap nuts are a wonderful substitute for almost everything detergents in your house. And if you want new and safe experiments, other foamy plants are waiting for you: shikakai bean, soapwort, licorice, hernia, adonis. You will see that industrial washing powders, soap and shampoo - not the best for your hygiene and beauty.