What are Soap Nuts?
Soap Nuts, also known as Reetha Soap Shells, are actually the shells of fruit grown wild in India and Indonesia on the South Indian Soap Tree, “Sapindus Trifoliatus” and the Chinese Soapberry Tree, “Sapindus Mukorrosi”. The fruit produce their own soap-like saponins, which coat the shells. When the fruit ripens and falls from the trees, the locals remove the outer shells and dry them in the sun. No chemical processing or manufacturing is necessary. The natural saponins released from the shells on contact with water, act as surfactants, freeing dirt, grime and oils from clothing, skin, hair and even jewellery. In India, soap nuts have been used for centuries for personal care and in Ayuverdic medicine. Indian jewellers use them to remove tarnish from silver.
