Sapindus mukorossi is a fairly large deciduous tree, native to Asia including India, particularly in the warm and tropical regions. The fruit of S. mukorossi is commonly called Indian soapberry, washnut, or soapberry. It has been used as a natural washing agent and soap for thousands of years in Asian countries.

Soapberries are used as an ingredient in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers and also used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. In Chinese and Korean folk medicines, it has been used as an expectorant, emetic and for the treatment of head lice and migraines. Due to the high content of saponins, which are a natural surfactant, soapberries are becoming a popular natural ingredient for laundry detergent, soap, shampoo and cleansing products.