Ayurveda, the primary form of healing and framework for wellness in
India, is based in a holistic approach to healing. Rooted in early Vedic
culture, Ayurveda translates to "the science of life" and deals with
management of healthy living. Ayurveda provides a template for
wellness in the body, as it relates to physical, mental, social and
spiritual harmony of a person within their environment. Maggie
Dawson, of Maggie's Pure Land Products is inspired by the quality of
life offered by following an Ayurvedic routine. She brings us Maggie’s
Soap Nuts, an incredible offering from this ancient Indian tradition.
Maggie’s Soap Nuts work like a detergent. They contain
saponin, an all-natural surfactant. Conventional detergents are
manufactured, chemical surfactants. Surfactants work by
breaking the surface tension of water so it can more easily
penetrate into fabrics, effectively making water “wetter.” Once wet, the
agitation of your washing machine
shakes the dirt loose from your clothes. Then Soap Nuts’ saponin holds the dirt in suspension in the water (preventing it
from re-depositing on your clothes) until you’ve rinsed it away. Learn more
about
lowering the surface tension
of water. You will notice wet SoapNuts have a 'squeaky' feeling when the saponin
releases naturally from the nuts. Although unscented, the saponin has a natural,
mild freshness which gives your clothes body and softness with a clean natural
brightness. Saponin teams with water to penetrate deeply into your
clothes, lift away grime, and rinse it away. No preservatives, fillers,
chemicals, or artificial fragrance.
The Soapberry tree (Sapindus spp.) sends its roots back as far as the
time of Buddha. The fruit of the tree, called Soap “Nuts” are a model
offering from the ancient healing modalities to our modern lifestyles in
the realms of cleanliness, aesthetics and medicine. Although Soap
Nuts have been used in India for generations and in Europe for
decades, it's uses are new to the United States.
Prized for its handsomeness, the leaves of the Chinese Soapberry tree
are paripinnate and crowd at the end of the branches. On the branch
ends, the "drupes" or berries hang in pairs or triplets. The fruits are
green and smooth when fresh, and when dried become a light brown
with silky wrinkles. The trunk is straight and cylindrical; the bark is
dark to pale yellow with vertical fissures spanning the length. They
can rise to as tall as 25 meters and as wide as 5 meters, the leaves
forming a thick umbrella shaped canopy embedded with green
flowers. For this reason, they are often planted along boulevards in
the way we plant magnolias in the US.
The fruits of this special soapy tree, when peeled from their inner
seed, are primarily used as a cleanser. The leathery fruit skins
release saponin and become a magnificent detergent when immersed
in water. In ancient India these fruits, known in Hindi as reetha, were
used for soap and hair wash powders, used by jewelers for shining
ornaments of gold and silver and used in the laundering of fine silks
and wools.
In Vedic culture reetha is indicated in dravya-suddhi (physical and
spiritual purification) for cleansing blankets. As a measure of hygiene
and purity, Indian Pilgrim Ships required passengers to carry Soap
Nuts onboard.
YOU'LL LOVE MAGGIE'S SOAP NUTS!
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Soap Nut powder is indicated in Ayurveda as the third in the family of
extremely beneficial fruits, along with shikakai and trifla. All three are
used extensively in Ayurveda for the treatment of scalp issues such as
hair loss, dandruff, and to alleviate parasites such as lice. (You can
use a solution of Soap Nuts in the garden to repel pests as persistent
as aphids.) In modern India, Soap Nuts are an essential ingredient in
hair care products to increase luster and softness of hair. The
Soapberry is among the most important trees for beautification in
tropical Asia, aesthetics being an important factor in Ayurveda.
Used topically, Soap Nuts are used to eliminate freckles, fine lines,
chemical stains and cracks in the skin. They are also used
traditionally to treat mild to moderate skin complaints such as eczema
and psoriasis. Soap Nuts are safe for people with sensitive skin, even
people who suffer allergic reactions to store bought "sensitive skin"
cleansers.
Soap Nuts are even safe enough to use as toothpaste and as a fruit
and vegetable wash. A ten-minute soak in a solution of Soap Nuts
removes 95% of the surface pesticides and chemical residues on fresh
produce. Soap Nuts are also useful in the kitchen as a food-safe
cleaner for countertops, appliances, and sinks.
In India the list of uses for reetha is impressive, claiming over 20
medicinal preparations, which alter the fruit to make it either 100%
digestible or emetic. Reetha fruit is so rich in iron it is considered a
hemolytic and is used often to treat anemia. When prepared by an
Ayurvedic doctor it can treat chlorosis and epilepsy. It is also used as
an expectorant for severe lung congestion, and can help to promote
blood circulation in patients with low blood pressure. Reetha is a
sedative to the uterus and is used to ease childbirth. It can also be
prepared as a digestive aid, an anti-venom, or to treat diarrhea,
cholera and paralysis.
Clinical trials have just finished on the use of Sapindus mukorossi as a
spermicide (replacing Nonoxynal-9, which has shown to lead to
widespread sexually transmitted infections.) Recent studies by
Chinese researchers show that the saponins in Soap Nuts inhibit tumor
cell growth in humans. Indian researchers show that a solution made
from the fruit of Sapindus trifoliaus decreases behaviors associated
with migraines in mice. Early Vedic medical texts describe thick
solutions made by crushing and adding water to reetha fruit that were
used regularly to pacify folks suffering from chronic viral infections and
headaches. There is also evidence it was used to treat hysteria.
Certainly, preparations need not be so complex. For example, you can
easily create this traditional Ayurvedic recipe for a relaxing bath:
1 c. raw honey
10 drops lavender oil
1/4 c. papaya leaves
1/4 c. neem leaves
3 T. reetha (soap nut) powder
3 T. shikakai powder
2 t. kastru manjal
2 t. sandalwood powder
Blend herbs by hand with mortar and pestle and pour into bath with
honey and oil.
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