Exfoliating soap ..... advice please!

[Deadgroovy]

Hi everyone
I have made a few batches of cp soap, all basically same recipe (OO, Rapeseed, PO, CO and one with castor), all made using superfatting and lye concentration recommendations from Soapcalc. Still curing, but have tried a couple and I'm very pleased with the results.
Question is, I'm going to experiment with an exfoliating soap, using my basic recipe. I am thinking of using white poppy seeds I've bought from an asian grocer and I have also ground some fennel seeds (smell gorgeous!) and dill seeds. Has anyone used any of these with any success? Any advice on any additional oils or anything else would be greatly appreciated.

 

[artemis]

A quick search of the forum will get you lots of threads on exfoliating soap ideas. For example, this one: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/index.php?threads/30552/

 

[dixiedragon]

Is this for face or hands/body? Take a small amount - less than the size of a lentil - and wet it. Rub it between your fingers. How does it feel? Is it sharp? If for facial use, rub on your face. You may tinker breaking it into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle or spice mill. IMO, the only exfoliant gentle enough for the face is oatmeal. I love soap with coffee grounds on my body, particularly feet.

 

[Kamahido]

Is this for face or hands/body? Take a small amount - less than the size of a lentil - and wet it. Rub it between your fingers. How does it feel? Is it sharp? If for facial use, rub on your face. You may tinker breaking it into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle or spice mill. IMO, the only exfoliant gentle enough for the face is oatmeal. I love soap with coffee grounds on my body, particularly feet.

I too have used oatmeal before that I ground in a coffee grinder. Feels like Lava Soap to me.

 

[Obsidian]

I'm one who finds almost all things too scratchy but I do like extra fine pumice for exfoliation. Poppy seeds aren't to bad if you run them though a coffee grinder first..

 

[cmzaha]

I am the same as obsidian. I like salt bars because they are not scratchy and naturally exfoliate

 

[dibbles]

I've used ground poppy seeds, and I do like them in soap. I have some extra fine pumice to play with - on the list, and I should really get it done. Assuming spring actually does come this year.

 

[elurah]

The only exfoliant in soap my dad likes is calendula petals or clays. Everything seems a lot scratchier in soap form.

ETA: Things I tried that were too scratchy for my taste:

- Bob's Red Mill Oat Flour
- Lavender Buds (also look like mouse poop, as someone pointed out to me)
- anything larger than fine grain salts. Especially large crystal decoration on the top of soaps.

 

[shunt2011]

I use fine pumice coffee or oatmeal as well as my salt soap.

 

[earlene]

I can't guarantee it, but I strongly believe fennel seeds will be far to sharp no matter how much you grind them up. Once in soap, for some odd reason, even the softest feeling things can very scratchy. My chamomile tea soap made with very soft tiny bits of chamomile tea became so rough on my skin that I could only use them on my feet. It only gets sharper with a longer cure, so if you save your soaps for as long as I do, you will discover how rough some of these additives can become. I have had the same experience with ground lavender buds; even powders I have used eventually became rough as the water in the soap evaporated out.

 

[dixiedragon]

I think it's because if you're soaking in the bath your skin feels more tender.

If you are using something botanical, one option might be to cook it, then try to puree it. I like to use colloidal oatmeal vs grinding my own, b/c colloidal oatmeal is ground VERY fine.

 

[soapmaker]

I'm not able to feel colloidal oatmeal at all. If feels like a perfectly smooth bar to me. Some people have elephant hide and some have paper thin skin so each will have a different opinion. Cornmeal is an option that is not too scratchy. Also the amount you put in would make a difference. Poppy seeds aren't too bad but make a mess in the shower. Ground fennel seeds would be very scratchy. You can add exfoliants to any recipe of oils. Yours is fine.

 

[SaltedFig]

I would be cautious about fennel seeds too (and dill, which have the same shape) as they have a hard coating and pointy ends. If you could hull them and use just the insides (roast and grind, maybe?) it could be nice.

I adore salt bars, but I'm currently enjoying fine ground coffee in a half-soleseife ... aside from the color of the "coffee bits", which I don't like, the soap is surprisingly lovely to use, with just a little, gentle scratch but not too much.

 

[soapmaker]

I have never made a salt bar. I would like to try it, but time is the reason....life takes over and I just haven't done it yet.

 

[ItsForrest]

I see a few places that sell pumice powder. Has anyone tried that in their soap? That should be good for a mechanic's soap. No idea how it would be on the face.

 

[Deadgroovy]

This forum is great!! So many quick, friendly replies, thanks everyone.
Dixiedragon: I would probably use it as a bath/shower soap. Is oatmeal same as porridge oats? (I'm in the UK)
SaltedFig: I have ground the fennel really fine. I have got a 6 bay silicone mold, so I might just make one bar of each.
Again, thanks everyone and keep the advice coming!
Roll on summer!

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

I've used pumice in an all purpose working hands bar, along with coffee grounds and coarse sea salt. Everybody loves it where I sell it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it on the face. It is actually marketed as a "working hands" bar, and what I was trying to achieve was a soap that would meet the needs of cooks (with the coffee grounds) and gardeners and mechanics. It also contains quite a high percentage of coconut oil and high superfat. It is very cleansing but is one of my fave recipes.

 

[soapmaker]

I've used pumice in an all purpose working hands bar, along with coffee grounds and coarse sea salt. Everybody loves it where I sell it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it on the face. It is actually marketed as a "working hands" bar, and what I was trying to achieve was a soap that would meet the needs of cooks (with the coffee grounds) and gardeners and mechanics. It also contains quite a high percentage of coconut oil and high superfat. It is very cleansing but is one of my fave recipes.

What would you scent a working hands bar with? I did a lemongrass, spearmint, litsea and rosemary. I really liked that one but would like to try something different.

 

[dibbles]

Tea tree and lavender with or without rosemary. Eucalyptus and orange is another combination I like.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Might not help you in the UK as I never saw until I moved over here to Austria - there is a very finely ground poppy seed product called Mohn which I find perfect for a touch of scrub.