Organic Soapberries-also known as organic Soapnuts, organic washing nuts, or organic Reetha–have been used to make organic washing reagent in Nepal and India since ages. This organic soapberries is a species of a tree under the Sapindaceae family. It is commonly grown around farmers’ homes in lower foothills and mid-hills of Nepal, at around the altitude of 1200-1600 meter. This deciduous plant is usually found in clay soil, grows up to a height of 20 m where annual rainfall is 150-200 cm.
Furthermore, organic soapberries are rich in saponin—which has foaming characteristics is a kind of biochemical usually found in peas, soybeans and some herbs. In addition, the foaming ability of saponin is caused by the combination of a fat-soluble sapogenin and a water-soluble sugar portion of this phytochemical.
Also, due to insect repellent behavior of saponin, no pesticides have to be used during the cultivation of soapberries.