moisterising soaps

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moisterising soaps

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wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun May 22, 05 6:43 pm Post subject: moisterising soaps

I'm (very) new to soapmaking, and I've made a couple of batches which clean fine, but feel like they totally strip my skin and hair of all moisture. I'm a lazy so and so, and can't be bothered with moisterising and conditioning if its avoidable, so does anyone know of any really moisterising soaps or shampoos I could have a go at?

They were both based on olive oil, and I've left them in the airing cupboard to dry out, and see if they improve. Can you add moisteriser to soaps (maybe at trace?) like the dove people reckon they do? or that some nasty chemical process I don't want to know about?!

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun May 22, 05 7:13 pm Post subject:

Soap is a bit of a mysterious beast in some ways. I personally find an all olive oil soap very moisturising, but if perhaps you are not used to using 'real' soap as opposed to 'commercial' soap, it does take a week or two for your skin to adjust. Also, the aging process makes an enormous difference. Three of four weeks down the line the soap will be milder, harder, and less 'snotty' in use. Another really common thing with handmade soap is to use too much in the initial enthuaiasm, and any soap/detergent is drying in quantity, I don't know if any of those scenarios ring any bells, but if not, then you could go back to your recipe and try adding a tablespoon (perhaps- will depend on the actual recipe) of a moisturising oil at trace, when the chemical reaction is already well underway. I know you said you prefer not to moisturise, but while you get used to your particular soap recipe, it may help to keep a small bottle of oil, fragranced perhaps with a nice herb, and use just a drop or two on your skin after bathing to help seal in moisture.

Shampoo bars often benefit from a vinegar rinse, again, it gets better a few washes doen the line in my experience.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun May 22, 05 8:31 pm Post subject:

Thanks Sally - I knew you'd know! maybe I didn't cook it right in the first place. It might just be that I'm not used to soap, as I don't normally use any at all. It is a lot older now, so when the exams are over (I keep saying that - it feels like my life has a cut off next week!) and I don't have to go out in public, I'll give it another go. Don't suppose you know how to make conditioner?

Thanks for the advice. What's your favourite soap - or can't you decide?

Jessevieve

Joined: 22 May 2005
Posts: 44

Posted: Sun May 22, 05 8:50 pm Post subject:

I've added extra oil at trace to give a more moisturising soap but I found it made the soaps more slimey and had a tendency to go soft. I prefer to use a normal soap (without added oils at trace) and then apply moisturisers afterwards, or make yourself some bath oils and put a tablespoon into your bath water. As for shampoo, I haven't yet found a home made one that doesn't leave my hair feeling dry and sticky and looking dull but then my hair does have a tendency to be "difficult".

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon May 23, 05 8:00 am Post subject:

I only add essential oils, scents and the like at trace, along with a teaspoonfull of vitamin e oil.

Generally, I make my soaps 5%-10% superfatted, but as my mix is basically reasonably hard (400g sunflower oil, 400g olive oil, 200g coconut oil) it can cope with that.

Can't see where my soap book has been tidied away to, so I can't look up which oils are meant to be best for moisturising; my own experience is that goose fat makes a fabulous moisturising soap, but you want to add some coconut oil to make it harder. Tallow would probably do too, but that would make a soap that produces very little foaming.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon May 23, 05 12:32 pm Post subject:
I might try the tallow (goose will have to wait until christmas, alhtough I like the sound of it!) not bothered about bubbles, anyway. How much soduim hydroxide do you use for your 400g sunflower oil, 400g olive oil, 200g coconut oil, Cab?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon May 23, 05 1:15 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

I might try the tallow (goose will have to wait until christmas, alhtough I like the sound of it!) not bothered about bubbles, anyway.

You don't want tallow on its own, but it's good for making a nice, hard soap. Be very careful about getting it good and clean! It's good to add with other oils to make a firm bar, especially if you're going to be adding other oils to superfat at trace.

Quote:

How much soduim hydroxide do you use for your 400g sunflower oil, 400g olive oil, 200g coconut oil, Cab?

Errm, I get the saponification values of each and multiply it up. Haven't got my saponification chart handy, I'll look it up later.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon May 23, 05 3:48 pm Post subject:
Thanks - no hurry (I'm supposed to be working!)

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 10:00 pm Post subject:

I did an experiment - I made a batch of tallow soap from the melinda coss book, and split it into four, and added what I reckon is about 5 percent of castor oil, jojoba oil, apricot kernal oil and carrot root oil to each batch - only trouble is, I now have to wait a month before I get to try them!

I plan to try avacado oil in the next lot, as the book says its good - I trekked round all the health food shops etc, and then finally found it in waitrose, next to the olive oil!

I had hours of fun today concocting - himself came home, asked where my pointy hat was, and left for the pub until I rung to tell him it was safe to come home and dinner was imminent!

cab/sally - is it safe to superfat to 10 percent? - Melinda says up to 5, and I have no idea! I don't mean safe, I mean will it work? or will it turn into an unusable mess?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 05 8:41 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

cab/sally - is it safe to superfat to 10 percent? - Melinda says up to 5, and I have no idea! I don't mean safe, I mean will it work? or will it turn into an unusable mess?

I don't think I've ever superfatted quite to 10%: I've put in 5% ish, maybe a little more, and I get away with tat by adding some vitamin e oil.

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