Yucca Vs. Soapwort Vs. Aritha/Soapnuts?

**mellie** · December 19th, 2008, 07:28 AM

Here's a link to the foaming containers that I ordered so you can see what they look like and read about them:

http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/4...ap-pr-647.html

We use similar things at work for hand soap, and they really do work amazingly well to make foam. I'm hoping these will help stretch my soapnut liquid!

For the time being, I'm just using my same 8 oz. containers from Sally's, just filling them only to the 2 oz. mark and shaking them up like crazy till it's 100% foam, then taking the lid off and poofing the foam onto my hand.

Yay!! Soapnut breakthrough!!

I was just joking with Heidi about how we need a News Ticker for LHC breaking news for things like this!! :-)

**ktani** · December 19th, 2008, 08:42 AM

mellie

I am glad that the lather is working for you but I do not believe that the foam is necessary. While I have read about this before, this way of putting it is one of the best, IMO.

"Detergents .... make bubbles because they reduce the surface tension of water, reducing the collapsing force so a bubble is easier to create and sustain. This process is .... independent of the cleansing chemistry of the soap."
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/fo...?topic=16313.0

Saponins are natural detergents.

**Heidi_234** · December 19th, 2008, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by ktani

mellie

I am glad that the lather is working for you but I do not believe that the foam is necessary. While I have read about this before, this way of putting it is one of the best, IMO.

"Detergents .... make bubbles because they reduce the surface tension of water, reducing the collapsing force so a bubble is easier to create and sustain. This process is .... independent of the cleansing chemistry of the soap."
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/fo...?topic=16313.0

Saponins are natural detergents.

Well then doesn't bubbles indicate that detergents are present? Of course, the whole liquid is filled with saponins, but there is still an enormous body of water there, with this or that consternation of saponins. After all, the foam is the same soapy water, with defenite consistency of detergents.
I also agree with Mille, is seems more affective to use the foam that stay and pops where you apply it instead of liquid that runs down your hair in seconds.

I just had a shower, and I used our fancy new foam method with the soapnuts. I shook real good the ex-conditioner bottle and turned it with the opening up (so that the liquid won't pour out) and squeezed the foam out on my hand and applied to my hair and scalp. When there was no foam left I closed the bottle, shook again and squeezed the foam out with the opening up and so on.
It is indeed much easier to apply this way but I was afraid I'll run out of hot water while standing there while shaking and squeezing the bottle so I ran the rest of liquid as it was through my hair.
My hair had that great velvet feel to it again, so I'm happy. I oiled my scalp with enhanced EVOO before the shower but as much as I can tell right now (my hair's still wet) it's not oily or greasy anymore.
I can't wait to see how the foaming container would work for you Millie, it's ridiculously cheap!

**ktani** · December 19th, 2008, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Heidi_234

Well then doesn't bubbles indicate that detergents are present? !

Yes, the foam does indicate the presence of saponins, and yes they are in the liquid.

I am glad that this is working well. All I am saying is, that lather is not what cleans primarily and low to no lather detergents can clean as effectively as high lather detergents.

**ktani** · December 19th, 2008, 12:32 PM

Wiki is not one of my favorite sources of information, but this article on the history of shampoo is pretty good, IMO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shampoo

I am unfamiliar with this fruit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bael

Interesting, IMO
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/bael--01.html

More here
http://www.naturalstandard.com/index.../baelfruit.asp

**tina1025** · December 19th, 2008, 08:42 AM

The website you included seems pretty cool and very cheap. Keep us updated on the bottle.

I only use 2oz liquid without shaking it and cleans my hair pretty well and i think i have longer then Mellie..BUt your hair seems a lot thicker then mine and thats why your hair requires more liquid. If i create foam may be i will need less liquid?!?!?! My hair feels a lot thicker, shiny and i think i see new growth too.

**mellie** · December 19th, 2008, 09:06 AM

I think what the foam is doing perhaps is helping to distribute the cleansing power better, since the liquid is so runny otherwise. With this I have more control over where it goes. It certainly is working WAY better for my greasy roots and the hairs near my face!

**mellie** · December 19th, 2008, 11:16 AM

I can't wait to see how the foaming container would work for you Millie, it's ridiculously cheap!

I know, right? It's just 55 cents!

**mellie** · December 20th, 2008, 07:06 AM

FYI - I've been trying to keep up research on the safety of using soapnuts, and I came across this today:

http://www.archive.org/stream/indian...41mbp_djvu.txt

Sapindaceae

(Soap-nut Family)
Saponins, cyanogenetic compounds.

59- Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. (Vern:-S.-Phenila, H. B. & Bo.-
Ritha), S. trtfoliatm Linn. (Vern:-S.-Phenila, H. B. & Bo.-Ritha,
M.-Ponnan-kottai)

Both are fish poisons, emetic, purgative and are used for
procuring abortion.

And also here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3ZZ...sult#PPA335,M1

I can't copy text from it but it also lists S. mukorossi as an abortifacient and uterine stimulant.

Also here:

http://medicinalplantindia.com/index...dumetorum_Poir

Fruit—nervine, calmative, antispasmodic, emetic, anthelmintic, abortifacient.

ETA: Here's some more references I found:

http://envis.frlht.org.in/botanical_search.php?gesp=1851|Sapindus+emarginatu s+VAHL.

Botanical Name: Sapindus emarginatus VAHL. Family: SAPINDACEAE HabitTreeThreat: StatusLow Risk-Least Concerned/Regional Used In: Ayurveda, Folk and Unani ...

Common Uses: Induces vomiting, abortion and laxation....

That last one is for S. emarginatus which is a slightly different species than S. mukorossi, however, it is still used for detergent and washing purposes.

http://books.google.com/books?id=9jY...m=10&ct=result

"Said to act on the uterus and is used to bring on abortion"

http://db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/exec/ic...gRecordDisplay

5) when the methanol fraction of Sapindus trifoliatus was administered orally in rats on pregnancy Day 4-5, it inhibited implantation on 100% of the rats suggesting that it acts mainly as a blastocystoxic agent.

So, maybe it would be best to not use soapnuts for shampoo during pregnancy?