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How to use Soap NutsBody Wash, Shampoo, Laundry Detergent & Hand Soap

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Native to India, Nepal and other South & Southeast Asian countries these shells come from the soapberry trees. They are actually berries, not nuts. When wet they release natural saponins to create a natural, sustainable and gentle cleanser that lathers. 

*A patron of mine introduced these to me and I was so fascinated that I had to try them myself. 


Where to purchase?


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Soap Nut Laundry Detergent 

  • Put 5-10 Soap nut shells in a muslin bag or a tied cotton sock and put directly into the wash with your clothes.

  • Wash clothes as usual, preferably in warm or hot water for best results.

  • If washing cold water some recommend to pre soak the soap nuts in hot water for a few minutes before adding them in your washer.

  • After washing, remove the bag of soap nuts and let dry.

  • Can typically be used multiple times. Ones the soap nuts turn to mush, throw them out and replace with new ones.

  • For tougher stains, pre soak stains before washing. 


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Liquid Soap Nut Base

Disclaimer; Any ratio of soap nuts to water works fine. It is up to you on how concentrated you like the soap. I decided to make mine more concentrated. If you want yours less concentrated, then use more water. My recipe seems to be more concentrated than what I seen others use online. 


Recipe I used (in cups)

  • 1 cup Soap Nuts

  • 2 Cups Distilled water


Recipe I used (in grams)

  • 78 g Soap Nuts

  • 474 g Distilled water


Directions;

  • Place soap nuts in a sieve and rinse with distilled water (I placed the sieve over a bowl to catch the excess water.) Throw out the water. We are rinsing the nuts to remove any dirt or debris that may be on them.  

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  • Next place the soap nuts and distilled water in a pot and let it come to a boil, let simmer for 30 - 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot so it does not boil over. The soap nuts will create a lot of lather that may spill over while heating.

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  • About half way through mash soap nuts with a potato masher to help release more of the saponins.  

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  • Let cool before straining.

  • Strain using a sieve or cheese cloth. 

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  • Store in fridge (good for maybe a week), pour into ice cube trays and freeze, or add a preservative to keep the soap from spoiling.  

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  • Soap nuts can be reused until they are mushy and soft. Mine were only able to be boiled once, but I seen other were able to boil theirs a few times. 

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How to Preserve Soap Nut Liquid

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  1. Check pH of Soap Nut Liquid. (Mine was 4.18) & find a preservative that is active within that pH level. Cheap ph meter you can use or pH strips 

  2. Find the Recommended usage rate of the preservative you use. Geogard 221 (INCI;Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Water) or Geogard ECT (INCI: Benzyl Alcohol & Salicylic Acid & Glycerin & Sorbic Acid) are both good options that are Ecocert Compliant and Natural. Both can be used at 1%. For every 99 grams of soap nut liquid, use 1 gram of Geogard 221 or Geogard ECT or other preservative of choice that is active at 4.18 and is water soluble. 

Note; You may notice settlement in your soap nut liquid, this is a natural cause of the soap nut liquid whether there is a preservative or not. 


Other preservative options: Liquid Germall Plus, TRIstat ECO (INCI; Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate) Iscaguard® PEG (INCI;Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol), Euxyl PE 9010 / Preservative 12 (INCI: Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin), Euxyl K 900 (INCI; Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin) 


*Preservatives with limited solubility in water may mix in with the soap nuts with no issues due to the surfactants present in the soap nut liquid, but mixing the preservative with Glycerin, Propanediol, or a solublizer may produce better results. If your preservative has limited solubility in water Poly Suga®Mulse D9, TegoSolv 61, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20 may all work as options to keep the preservatives mixed in.


 

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How to use as a Hand Soap

  1. Pour Preserved Soap Nut Liquid in a Clean Foaming Soap Dispenser Pump Bottle.

  2. Use as you would a store bought foaming hand soap.


How to use as a Body Wash

  1. Pour preserved Soap Nut Liquid in a Clean Pump Bottle of Choice or a Clean Foaming Soap Dispenser Pump Bottle to make the soap easier to handle. 

  2. Apply soap to loofa or wash cloth and wash body as normal and rinse. 

*Want to learn how to thicken the Soap Nut Liquid into a gorgeous body gel? check out September 2025 exclusive video for the formula. 


How to use as a Shampoo

  1. Pour preserved Soap Nut Liquid in a Clean Pump Bottle of Choice

  2. Wet hair and pump a few pumps of soap nut liquid in hands and massage into scalp. Use as much soap nut liquid as needed to get a good lather. Work into scalp and rinse. Repeat if necessary.  

*Want to learn how to thicken the Soap Nut Liquid into a shampoo with tons of slip and conditioning beneftis? check out September 2025 exclusive video for the formula. 


Sources;




I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I am an affiliate with https://aromantic.co.uk/ meaning I earn money when you click on their links and purchase their items.

I am an affiliate with Makesy.com and some links may be affiliate links.

I am an affiliate with bulkapothecary.com and some links may be affiliate links.



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