The use of soap for constipation has several main indications that should not be overlooked in the treatment of any form of constipation.
So, severe forms ailments, which are accompanied by additional symptoms, require the intervention of a professional gastroenterologist, who will prescribe a full-fledged complex treatment.
Accompanying symptoms in which you should not use soap:
- Modification of the forms of feces;
- Increased gas formation;
- Heaviness and bloating in the abdomen.
In adults, it can be used only with a slight violation of bowel function. Soap acts on the intestines as an irritant, which provokes a reaction that forces it to push out everything that is inside.
A person must be sure that he is not sick with a more serious disease that could lead to the formation of constipation.
What are the risks and dangers of using soap?
It should be noted separately that soap for constipation can only be used as an additional help. Regular use of soap can easily cause disorders that can turn into irritations, burns of the intestinal mucosa, ulcers.
Soap in its composition assumes the presence of alkali and fats. With frequent use of soap, alkaline compounds leave traces behind. By choosing ordinary toilet soap, you run the risk of getting tenesmus, which suggests a false urge to defecate, caused by irritation of the nerve plexuses of the intestine.
A single use of soap can help achieve the expected relief, but it is absolutely impossible to use it on a regular basis. Constant constipation indicates the presence of a certain disease, so it is better to postpone the soap for later and go to the doctor.
A single constipation is a malfunction of the body, which can manifest itself with malnutrition or insufficient fluid intake. Also, cases of constipation are not uncommon when using certain types of medicines.
For the procedures, soap is used, which does not contain synthetic additives that can aggravate our problem. So, economic and children's sparing soap will do.
Ways to use soap for obstipation
If you decide that your intestines are completely healthy, but require a little shake-up, then you can use the main two methods that most quickly and accurately relieve constipation:
1. Soap candle.
Should be made from a piece laundry soap candles small size. Give them an elongated shape and insert into the anus. Natural soap and candles from it act for 30-35 minutes.
Trying to get rid of constipation in newborns using soap does not promise anything favorable. Chemical burns, irritations, chronic ulcers- a small list of ailments that threatens when using soap candles.
Today, there are a huge number of drugs designed specifically for the treatment of constipation in infants. You can also buy special glycerin candles, completely abandoning soap.
Soap in the treatment of constipation in pregnant women
Pregnancy involves taking and using a narrow range of medications. Restrictions are also imposed on remedies for constipation and bowel problems. Soap to eliminate constipation during pregnancy is used in extremely rare cases.
This method is traditional and has been tested by many young mothers, its effect on the body can be purely negative.
A pharmacy may offer to purchase a variety of products for pregnant girls. However, if constipation during pregnancy arose due to changes in hormonal levels, then baby soap can help in solving this delicate problem.
Stearin(French stearine, from Greek stear - fat) - an organic product derived from fats. Consists of stearic acid with an admixture of palmitic, oleic and other saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Used in soap making, paper, rubber, textile industries, for the manufacture of candles. A mixture of kerosene and stearin is used as a lubricant in molding work. As a component is part of the wax used in the foundry industry.
Try making your own stearin candle using a bar of laundry soap.
With a knife, cut about half a piece of laundry soap and put in a clean tin can or in an old saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the soap chips, and place the mixture in a water bath. Stir the contents of the saucepan from time to time. wooden stick so that the soap dissolves quickly in the water.
When this happens, remove the vessel from the heat and pour the vinegar into it. Under the action of acid, a thick white mass will stand out from the solution and float to the surface. This is stearin - a translucent mixture of several substances, mainly stearic C17H35COOH and palmitic C15H31COOH acids.
It is impossible to name the exact composition, it is different and depends on the substances that went into the preparation of soap.
It is known that candles are made from stearin. Or rather, they did it before, because now the candles for the most part not stearic, but paraffinic - paraffin derived from oil is cheaper and more accessible. But since we have stearin at our disposal, we will make a candle out of it.
When the jar is completely cool, scoop the stearin off the surface with a spoon and transfer it to a clean bowl. Rinse the stearin two to three times with water and wrap in a clean white cloth or filter paper to absorb. excess moisture.
When the stearin is completely dry, let's start with a candle. Probably the simplest method is this: a thick twisted thread, for example, from a kerosene wick, dip repeatedly into slightly heated melted stearin, each time allowing the stearin to harden on the wick. Proceed in this way until a candle of sufficient thickness grows on the wick. This good way, although somewhat tedious; in any case, in ancient times, candles were often prepared in this way.
There is an easier way: immediately coat the wick with stearin heated to soften (you can even just cooked it, not yet cooled down). True, in this case the wick will be worse saturated with fusible mass, and the candle will turn out not very good, although it will burn.
For beautiful figured candles, manufacturing methods are not easy. First of all, you need to make a form - wooden, plaster, metal. In this case, too, it is desirable to impregnate the wick first with one or two layers of stearin; then it is fixed in the form so that it passes exactly in the middle. It is desirable that the wick be slightly taut. And after that, hot stearin is poured into the mold.
In this way, you can make candles from paraffin, i.e. from purchased candles, melting them and giving them the shape that you like.
You can do exactly the opposite - make soap from a stearin candle:
Making soap from stearin
From paraffin candle soap is not available. Only a stearin candle is suitable, natural beeswax is also suitable.
Heat a certain amount of stearin in a water bath, hot enough, but not brought to a boil. When the stearin is completely melted, add a concentrated solution of washing (soda ash) to it. The resulting white viscous mass is soap. Hold it for a few more minutes in a water bath, and then pour the still hot mass into any form.
The soap was received, but we do not know how pure the substances that were part of the candle were, so this soap is extreme case, or for washing.
Vintage stearin candles - how to make
Production of stearin candles without the use of presses and other expensive machines
Heat 10-12% good fat in clean boiled water. When melted, put out the fire and let the fat stand until a thin film forms on the surface. Then add 2% soda solution 30 ° Baume and stir until the mass acquires the consistency of cold soap. Re-ignite the fire and bring the mixture to a boil. When boiled, the soap decomposes again and a flaky precipitate is formed, containing impurities contained in the fat. If you let the fat stand for a while, it becomes transparent and almost colorless. In this state, it can be successfully used to lubricate machines, but for the manufacture of candles, it requires further processing, since it still contains traces of soap. It is placed in a copper cauldron and cleaned with acidified water 1-2% B. As long as the fat contains traces of soap, a foam appears on the surface that does not dissolve.
Acidified water is added until the foam completely disappears. But it is better to make a test to be sure that the soap has decomposed. For this purpose, take a small amount of liquid from the bottom of the boiler and test it with litmus paper. If it does not turn red, then boiling should continue with the further addition of acidified water. If the litmus paper turns red, then the fat is allowed to settle, after which the acidic water is drained off and the fat is boiled again with fresh water.
The olein and stearin are then separated as follows: a double-bottom kettle is taken, which is placed at a distance of 10 cm from the actual bottom of the kettle. The double bottom is equipped with holes 1.25 cm in diameter, and there is a tap between the bottoms.
Equal parts of lard and boiling water are placed in the cauldron and the cauldron is covered with a lid to prevent too much cooling. The mass is allowed to stand for two or three days, depending on the quantity, until the thermometer, immersed in upper layer fat, will not show a temperature of 22-25 ° C. Then the faucet opens and first water flows out of the lower room, then olein, while the crystallized stearin remains on the double bottom and is ready to be molded from it into candles. This is done in the same way as making tallow candles, but with more high temperature. A mass that looks like milk must be stirred all the time.
Make your own candle!
Complexity:
Danger:
Reagents
Safety
Put on gloves before starting the experiment.
Do the experiment on a tray.
Remove gloves before lighting a candle.
General safety rules
- Avoid getting chemicals in your eyes or mouth.
- Do not allow people without goggles, as well as small children and animals, to the experiment site.
- Keep the experimental kit out of the reach of children under 12 years of age.
- Wash or clean all equipment and accessories after use.
- Make sure all reagent containers are tightly closed and properly stored after use.
- Make sure all disposable containers are properly disposed of.
- Use only the equipment and reagents supplied in the kit or recommended in the current instructions.
- If you have used a food container or experiment utensils, discard them immediately. They are no longer suitable for food storage.
First Aid Information
- If reagents come into contact with eyes, rinse eyes thoroughly with water, keeping eyes open if necessary. Seek immediate medical attention.
- If swallowed, rinse mouth with water, drink some clean water. Don't induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention.
- In case of inhalation of reagents, remove the victim to fresh air.
- In case of skin contact or burns, flush the affected area with plenty of water for 10 minutes or longer.
- If in doubt, consult a doctor immediately. Take a chemical reagent and a container from it with you.
- In case of injury, always consult a doctor.
- Improper use of chemicals can cause injury and damage to health. Carry out only the experiments specified in the instructions.
- This set The experiments are only intended for children 12 years of age and older.
- The abilities of children differ significantly even within an age group. Therefore, parents conducting experiments with their children should decide at their own discretion which experiments are suitable for their children and will be safe for them.
- Parents should discuss safety rules with their child or children before experimenting. Special attention should be given to the safe handling of acids, alkalis and flammable liquids.
- Before starting experiments, clear the place of experiments from objects that may interfere with you. Storage should be avoided food products close to the experiment site. The test site should be well ventilated and close to faucet or other source of water. For experiments, you need a stable table.
- Substances in disposable packaging should be used completely or disposed of after one experiment, i.e. after opening the package.
Other experiments
Step-by-step instruction
Take ordinary laundry soap (a medium-sized bar weighs about 200 g). Toilet soap is also suitable for the experiment. However, the less additives and fragrances in your soap, the better. Make notches on a bar of soap, dividing it into 6-8 equal parts. Grind with a knife or grater about 30 grams of soap (one part).
Pour the soap shavings into the beaker up to the "75" mark. If you don't have enough soap shavings, grind some more.
Pour water into the glass up to the "75" mark. Better to use warm water.
Now you need to achieve the dissolution of soap in water. As a result, you will get a homogeneous thick soapy mass. To do this, place a glass of soap chips and water in a heated water bath. Stir the soap with a plastic stick.
A water bath is easy to make from a deep plate or a small saucepan. To do this, it is enough to put them on a heat-resistant surface and pour boiling water over them so that when you put a glass of soap in a container, the water level outside is slightly below the “75” mark.
If the water bath is cold and the soap has not yet dissolved, remove the beaker from the bath (only hold it by the top, which has not been immersed in water!). Carefully drain the cooled water from the bath and pour fresh boiling water.
It will take you 30-40 minutes for the soap to completely dissolve.
Attention! Take precautions when handling boiling water.
When the soap has dissolved, wipe the plastic stick with a paper towel: you will need it in the next steps.
Take the plastic cup from the starter kit. Pour into it the contents of a jar of anhydrous citric acid C 6 H 8 O 7 (10 g).
Half fill a glass of citric acid with water.
Stir the contents of the glass with a plastic stick for 1-2 minutes until the citric acid is completely dissolved.
Pour the contents of the plastic cup into the glass beaker with the dissolved soap.
Stir the resulting mixture for 2-3 minutes with a plastic stick.
Leave the mixture for 10 minutes. Then carefully drain the water from the glass. If the mixture has not separated, wait another 10-15 minutes, then drain the water.
Use a plastic stick to scoop out the contents of the glass onto paper towels. Leave the workpiece to dry for 1 day.
Make sure the piece is dry. First, treat the wick with the resulting substance: apply a small amount of the mixture to the wick. Fill the candle mold with the substance obtained by inserting the wick, as shown in the figure. Tamp the substance in the mold.
Attention! Remove protective gloves before lighting the candle.
Light a candle.
Expected Result
By isolating stearic acid from soap, you have a homemade candle.
Disposal
Dispose of experiment waste with household waste.
What happened
What is soap and what is it made of?
Soap is a well-known solid or liquid detergent. What does it consist of and why does it help cleanse the skin of dirt? As strange as it may sound, soap is a mixture of fairly complex molecules. One such molecule in its composition has the already well-known positively charged sodium ion Na + (potassium K + in the case of liquid soap) and a large negatively charged organic fragment (anion).
These anions are arranged, almost like tadpoles: at one end they have a negative charge, and the rest of them is a long chain of carbon atoms (15-20 atoms), a kind of tail. When soap is dissolved in water, the charged tips of these anions are easily immersed in water and try on the same “water coat” as, for example, some Cl -.
But the long tail of the molecule feels very uncomfortable in the water and strives to slip out of it. It turns out that most of the dirt is arranged in much the same way as this tail, and therefore it is so poorly washed off with water. When dirt gets into soap solution, like is drawn to like: anions from soap turn to small pieces of dirt with their tail, and the charged “head” is left in the water. Thanks to this mediation, dirt is much better washed off with soapy water than with ordinary water.
Molecules like the one described above, along with the familiar copper sulfate CuSO 4 or ammonium chloride NH 4 Cl, are called salts by chemists. Salts usually easily decompose in solution into positively and negatively charged fragments:
NH 4 Cl → NH 4 + + Cl -
CuSO 4 → Cu 2+ + SO 4 2-
NaCl → Na + + Cl -
It's funny that ordinary table salt, the very substance that we used to call salt (and not some copper sulfate!) Is sodium chloride NaCl, which also belongs to the class of salts. It's hard not to get confused!
And the complex molecules that make up soap are called salts of fatty acids. But more on that later.
What is stearin?
In our case, stearin is the basis for the candle. If you replace sodium ions Na + with protons H +, then the mixture of those very complex organic molecules from the previous question will turn into ... stearin - a mixture of so-called fatty acids! They are arranged as follows: at the end of the molecule of such an acid is a group of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms, which, in fact, makes it an acid. And the rest of the molecule is a long chain of carbon atoms, like a tail. By changing just one atom in each of the large molecules, we got two very different substances: one is able to wash off dirt, and the second, after a little processing, turned into a candle!
What do we use citric acid for?
Soap is a salt of fatty acids, and a candle should consist of stearin, that is, from these acids themselves. So, to create a candle, we need to act on the soap solution with some kind of acid. In this case, the following reaction takes place: citric acid takes Na + from fatty acid salts and gives them H + in return, converting their fatty acids (in other words, into stearin). It is very poorly soluble in water and forms a thick sticky mass. After the stearin is dried, a candle can be molded from it.
Why is it important to dissolve soap before adding citric acid?
In order for citric acid to turn into salt, and salts of fatty acids into these acids themselves, it is necessary that nothing prevent them from getting to each other. If the soap is poorly dissolved, then part of it in large pieces will not be able to come into contact with citric acid and will remain unchanged. After all, stearin is formed on the surface of such pieces. And it is insoluble in water and isolates the remaining soap, stopping the reaction. This is why it is so important to dissolve all the soap before adding the citric acid solution.
By the way, heating and stirring carried out in the experiment are just necessary in order for the soap to quickly dissolve in water.
A small child often behaves restlessly, from which the parents conclude that something hurts him. If he was recently fed, watered, he is dry, then there is a problem with the tummy, this is how the whole range of problems that the crumbs may have is most often classified. And the fact that he still has a head and all other organs is somehow not remembered.
And what could be wrong with the tummy? There are two extremes: diarrhea or constipation. If the first is not diagnosed, then the matter is in the second. The problem has been found, we will treat it, and quite often in these cases, young mothers put soap in the child's ass instead of a candle. How safe the tool can be, why it helps and what can be considered a worthy analogue, we will talk with you now.
What can be considered constipation
This is where every mom should start. Before giving the baby drugs or performing certain manipulations with him, you need to find out what is wrong with him. Maybe you are going to treat the wrong symptom. Soap in the ass can be put a little later, if it is really necessary. There are criteria and certain signs by which you can tell if everything is in order with the baby.
Main criteria
First of all, you need to evaluate the frequency of the stool. To do this, you can keep a record so as not to panic ahead of time. It is normal for a breastfed baby to have a bowel movement every 1-5 days. And here everything is individual. You need to monitor the condition and behavior of your baby. If he is cheerful, eats normally, the tummy is soft, then you do not need to take any additional measures. As soon as a fecal sausage of sufficient size is formed, it will leave the intestines on its own.
Constipation in a newborn with artificial feeding is a more common occurrence. At the same time, the timing of the act of defecation here is from 1 to 3 days. Less often - this is a reason to consult a doctor. The fact is that mixtures are absorbed worse, which means that there are more substances left for disposal. As we have already noted, everything is individual. If the child did not go to the toilet every other day, but at the same time systematically cries, pushes hard, grunts without a visible result, then this may well indicate constipation.
Additional factors
What to Consider
Only a few of the listed factors indicate that the child has constipation. Therefore, if the feces appear in the form of hard balls, with a delay of 1-2 days, and at the same time the baby cries a lot, this is constipation. If emptying does not occur every day, but the consistency of feces is within the normal range and the child groans and strains at the same time, this is normal. Most babies kick their legs a lot and tense up with their whole body, pushing the feces out. For the first year of life, this is a variant of the norm, since intestinal functions are just being formed. Therefore, if a child behaves calmly and smiles, eats and farts regularly, then he does not need any additional stimulation, and even more so, there is no need to put soap in his ass.
Possible causes of constipation
In small and large, bowel function can sometimes be disrupted, as a result of which episodic constipation develops, which then also goes away on its own. In this case, the children look healthy, develop properly and gain weight well. Changes in the nature of the intestines, not associated with any diseases, can be caused by the following reasons:
- Insufficient liquid. This moment is especially important for artificers. Not in vain, when complaining of rare acts of defecation, pediatricians recommend giving children more water.
- Maternal malnutrition. Sometimes the same principle underlies baby food. The baby from six months begins to receive semolina, buns, rich, thick broths. The abuse of bakery products, rice, semi-finished meats and refined products provokes constipation in children and adults.
- Reception medicines. These can be antibiotics and anticonvulsants, antispasmodics and NSAIDs.
- Constipation in a newborn with artificial feeding may be associated with the wrong selection of a mixture that does not suit him.
Soft stools and constipation
Sometimes it happens. The child constantly experiences anxiety, cries, but cannot go to the toilet. After stimulation, parents find that the stool is very soft and even watery. Does the child really have constipation and what to do? Yes, this happens with congenital diseases, defects in the development of the intestine, diabetes and adrenal insufficiency. This also includes disturbances in the work of the digestive organs, most often the pancreas and liver or gallbladder.
If the stool remains soft, and the child is lethargic and lethargic, and at the same time he has difficulty defecation, rickets and lactose deficiency, hypothyroidism and some other problems can be assumed. Do not forget that only a qualified doctor should make a verdict that the child has constipation. What to do - it will be clear during the examination.
How can you help
Soap for constipation is a reliable measure, but long outdated. Today there are many more effective methods to help resolve the issue. An examination by a pediatrician is the first thing you need. In parallel, try one of several ways:
Emergency relief of constipation
The first thing you must remember is to eliminate the cause, and not fight the effects. Stool retention for more than a day, accompanied by anxiety and crying, should be the reason for calling the local doctor. Any recommendation that soap should be injected into a child's bottom should be rejected outright. At the very least, refer to the fact that you will first consult with a specialist.
In ancient times, candles were made from stearin, so it is logical to assume that having obtained it, we will be able to make a candle on our own. Stearin can be easily obtained from the well-known laundry soap. And then we'll take the candle. This is an interesting activity, besides, a soap candle made by yourself is a great gift! So let's get started.
Getting stearin from soap
In order to isolate stearin from soap, you need to take:
- laundry soap,
- unnecessary pan,
- table vinegar,
- wooden spoon for stirring.
Prepared laundry soap (half a piece is enough) finely cut with a knife into some old unnecessary (but clean) pan. Then add water in such a way that the soap shavings are covered with it. We begin to melt the contents of the pan in a water bath. Stir the mixture from time to time for better dissolution. wooden spoon. When the soap is completely dissolved in the water, remove the pan from the heat.
Now carefully pour the vinegar into the mixture. Gradually, a yellowish mass will appear on the surface of the mixture. This is stearin. After cooling with a spoon, collect it from the surface. Then rinse it under running water and wrap it in paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
Stearin
DIY soap candle making
Now let's start making candles. Melt the stearin (you decide how it is more convenient to do it yourself). Then take a sufficiently thick rope and dip it into the melt. Wait until the stearin on the wick hardens. Repeat the process until the soap candle is the desired thickness. Soap candle is ready! The method that we have given, of course, requires perseverance, but it was in this way that candles were made before!
Making candles from stearin at the Havi Oy Ab factory (Vyborg, 1830s) A soap candle can also be curly. But for its manufacture you need a form. We prepare the form, impregnate the wick with a couple of layers of stearin, fix the wick and pour in the melted stearin, which completely fills the form. After hardening, you will get a curly candle made of soap. As you can see, nothing too complicated!
Do you know that?
Stearin is a mixture of various fatty acids, mainly stearic, palmitic, oleic, etc.
Currently, most candles are made not from stearin, but from paraffin, which is extracted from oil. Vaseline is also obtained from paraffin.
