What Is Cinnamon Soap?

Cinnamon soap typically contains the essential oil that is taken from cinnamon leaves. It is a naturally scented soap that smells sweet and spicy like cinnamon and any other fragrant ingredients that are used, such as nutmeg, orange, or cloves. Cinnamon-scented soap can be purchased from a variety of merchants, or it can be made at home. Like most fragrant soap, cinnamon soap is intended to provide a number of aromatherapy benefits and may even be mildly exfoliating if ground cinnamon is also used to make the soap.

One of the biggest benefits that soap makers ascribe to cinnamon soap is the wonderful scent. Anyone who enjoys the smell of cinnamon may like using this type of soap. In most cases, these types of scented soaps provide a mild to strong fragrance while they are being used but will not leave the skin scented for more than a few minutes. The intensity of the fragrance and whether it lingers on the skin very long generally varies by brand.

In terms of aromatherapy, the scent of cinnamon is said to help reduce irritability and help a person feel refreshed and relaxed without feeling sleepy. The essential oil from the cinnamon leaf may also add antiseptic properties to the soap. Pure cinnamon oil is antibacterial in its undiluted form, making it ideal for use in soap. Those who want truly antibacterial soap, however, should choose cinnamon soap that contains other bacteria-fighting ingredients because the amount of the essential oil included may be small.

Cinnamon soap is also often recommended as a shaving soap. A higher concentration of essential oil may be used to make shaving soap to help stimulate the skin and provide a tingling sensation. The soap also is said to help soften and lift the whiskers to make it easier to get a close shave.

Many different types of cinnamon soap contain obvious specks and swirls of cinnamon. These contain actual ground cinnamon, such as the kind one might use to cook with in the kitchen. The addition of the ground spice provides texture that helps exfoliate the skin by removing dead skin cells. The added ground cinnamon also gives cinnamon soap an even more intense scent and heightens its antibacterial properties.

Essential oil from cinnamon leaves can be highly irritating to the skin if too much is used. Those who want to make their own soap should use only proven soap recipes. Careful measuring is also crucial to avoid adding too much cinnamon to the mixture. Someone who is not practiced at making soap may want to gain more experience before attempting homemade cinnamon soap.