Non itchy soap recipe?

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emerrube

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My mom is needing a soap that won't make her so itchy. I make some soap for her that has vitamin e in it, but she still gets a bit itchy. I'm wondering if anyone has a recipe that they know of that would help her not itch at all.

Right now I do this for the soap I make:

15.5 ounces Olive oil
3 ounces vitamin e
12 ounces Coconut oil
9 ounces Palm oil
1 ounce Shea butter
5.8 ounces Lye
13.5 ounces water

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Lowering or removing the coconut oil would be a good first step. While coconut oil is wonderful for creating bubbles, it is also a very skin-stripping oil.

The mildest of the mild would be a Castille soap, which is 100% olive oil. It takes a very long time to cure (6 months at least). I'd personally recommend a high lye concentration, like 40%, and a low superfat, like 3%. Just olive oil, lye and water. Can't get much simpler than that.

I've also heard very good things about Lindy and Genny's shampoo bar recipes, which can also be used as body soaps. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946
 
Last edited:
Toxikon beat me to the punch and I agree with ^^^ that advice plus...
I am guessing it is the 32% coconut oil. That would certainly make me itch and the high lye. Not sure where this recipe came from but in soap calc this becomes a -2% superfat. Vitamin E is not considered a superfat oil if that is the direction you were going with the 3 ounces of vitamin e. I may have to stand corrected but I have never heard of it being used other than an antioxidant. I would lower the Coconut oil to 15% and split the difference between the Olive and Palm oil. Up your superfat to approx 5% until you gain experience. Coconut oil is a very harsh oil in soap upping the cleansing number. I never go over 17% for a cleansing number. What is really happening is the high CO is stripping the skins natural oils, but it does bubbly nice :). Many here use 20-25% CO with no problems and superfatting in the 5-7% range. I superfat lower and use less CO, because if I use a superfat at 5% or above I find the soap harder to rinse. Soaping is very much about balancing the fatty acids /oils to what you find you and/or mom like. You might also want to try a 100% lard soap if you are not opposed to animal fats, it make a wonderful gentle soap.
 
Is it your soap, or store bought soap, or both types of soap that make her itch?

Right now, I agree with lowering the coconut oil to 15% or less of your oils. You can also make a coconut oil free recipe - which I think Genny's recipe is.
 
store soap is definitely worse, but both are making her itch. I'm looking at the recipe now. :)
 
I am a firm believer in rice bran oil for itchy and sensitive skin. I would try to incorporate it in my recipe.

You do not have to use a lot, maybe if you get down you coconut, substitute the remaining for rice bran oil?
 
Be aware that too much antioxidant can accelerate rancidity in your soap. I don't think this much vit E is a good idea.

I agree with the suggestion to lower the coconut -- in fact, you may have to entirely eliminate it. Some people are also sensitive to shea.
 
I would exchange coconut for a babassu oil , it is expensive but it is for your mom. It lathers the same as coconut oil and of course not more than 15% of this or if you must use coconut oil. With aging our skin become drier, I have returning customers for my milk soaps with shea butter, :)
 
Besides reducing the Coconut Oil, I'd also take into account how long the soap has cured before you mom is using it.

For me and my 68 y.o. skin, I prefer a low cleansing number when my soap is well cured. Even soap with a low cleansing number (see your lye calculator for the cleansing number), when it is fresh it is very drying. For me, if my skin is somewhat dry feeling after washing with the soap, it tends to itch. And that almost always happens with any soap that hasn't had a long enough cure.

Interestingly enough, there is only one soap I make that my skin is okay with a high cleansing number, and that soap also contains egg yolk. But it is the only soap I make that my skin can tolerate when it has a high cleansing number. Most others have a very low cleansing number.

BTW, I checked your formula in soapee.com (lye calculator) and used soybean oil as the vitamin E in order to get your same measurements. In my experience the vitamin E oil in stores is generally mixed into soy oil, although some contains CO as well as Soy. Anyway the cleansing number for your recipe is on the high side (20) so I'd suggest changing the formula to bring it down to about 12 or even lower.

Here is an interesting article about fatty acid profiles of soap that might be of interest:
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/
 
I've found Aleppo soap to be the best for sensitive skin. You should be able to find it locally. If it works for her, then try making some. Like 100% OO Castile it needs a long cure -- 12 weeks minimum. I use 88% olive oil + 12% laurel fruit oil; 2:1 ratio Faux Sea Water; 1% SF; no fragrance. You might also suggest to your mom that she take Vitamin E supplements. Start with 400 IU per day and work up to twice that once she sees how her body reacts to it. I noticed considerable improvement 3 days after starting to take vitamin E. No more itchies!
 
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