Soap nut is the commonly used name for the dried fruit of Sapindus tree which is a genus of about 5 -12 species of small trees and shrubs which are native to India and Nepal. Soap nuts are also known as soapods, soapberries, reetha, etc. They are not actually nuts at all but rather belong to the berry family. They are round, sticky and golden brown in color.



Soap nuts contain saponin (a natural detergent) which makes mild suds when it comes into contact with water. Soap nuts are an environmentally friendly, natural, usually organic, alternative to shampoo, soap, detergent and many other household cleaning products.

They can be used to wash dishes, be made into an all purpose liquid soap, and used for cleaning and detoxifying food. They can also be used to clean jewelery, as a natural pesticide, and for controlling dandruff.

Soap nuts have the ability to treat skin conditions like erasing fine lines, reducing freckles and healing cracks in the skin. Soap nuts have also been used to effectively treat eczema and psoriasis for hundreds of years in India and Nepal and have been used in Europe in the past few decades with very encouraging results.

The major advantage of using soap nuts is that they are hypoallergenic and safe for people who are allergic to even the mildest of cleansers that are available in the market. In a large number of cases, even the products that are labeled for sensitive skin or hypoallergenic or allergy free can cause a problem in people suffering from eczema and psoriasis.

Soap Nuts for Eczema

It is never recommended that anyone with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis should use cleansers for their skin. This is a very difficult advice to follow, considering that cleansers are present in almost everything that is commonly used in and around the house.

Soap nuts are a part of the list of minerals and herbs in Ayurvedic cleansers and shampoos and are used in Ayurvedic medicine for treating eczema and psoriasis. Eczema can afflict both males and females alike, and even age is not a factor. Common symptoms of mild eczema can be dry and itchy skin but in more severe forms of the condition the skin becomes broken, raw and bleeding.

Managing Eczema & Psoriasis

Instead of prescription medicine to manage your eczema and psoriasis, try using soap nuts liquid as it provides a completely natural and hypoallergenic laundry detergent with no chemicals for treatment. Soap nuts are so gentle on the skin that they can even be used for babies and people who develop allergies to commercially available washing products.

This is extremely helpful for people who suffer from skin disorders because many times the clothes that are being washed with conventional detergents or soaps can cause the skin condition to worsen. Soap nuts are a natural product and have a very mild and pleasant aroma. Using them as a laundry detergent instead of usual commercially available detergents is a very simple way of getting relief from these skin conditions.

Numerous studies have shown that people with eczema have had their problems significantly decrease after switching from detergents to soap nuts as a laundry agent and use of soap nuts as a skin cleanser. Soap nuts make soapy foam when they are dissolved in water. Saponin may be able to replace conventional detergents like sodium laureth sulphate which are becoming increasingly unacceptable to the customer due to fears about the safety of the chemicals used.

Since Saponin is a natural product, it is a foaming agent that can be used in any shampoo or shower gel and be gentler on the body and a lot more environmentally friendly. All this is possible because of anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties of the soap nut. Start using eco friendly products to cure your skin condition today.