Benefits of charcoal in CP soap or salt bars

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beckster51

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I have recently started using salt bars, and I have found that they help quite a bit with my rosacea. Even better, they have helped tremendously with the rash on my husband's back! We have been to the dermatologist many times, and although the ointment he gave us keeps it somewhat in check, it has never cleared after a year's use. He is wheelchair bound, and the derm told us it was more likely clogged pores. Hmpf. I am a nurse, and I was dubious that this rash was a result of that since it is somewhat "warty". It was biopsied, and the biopsy was showed only inflammation. Anyway, I digress. The salt bar used daily on his back has begun to dry up this rash quite a bit. Here is my actual question for those of you who use charcoal in your soaps. Does it actually seem to benefit in any way? No research has been done to prove that it helps with topical use. It seems a bit "trendy". I'm thinking of adding it to my next batch of salt bars if you guys think it might help.
 
I’ve used charcoal in salt soap. I didn’t notice anything better happening than just using salt soap without it. I do make a facial soap for myself that I use it in between salt soap with charcoal, tea tree, peppermint and lavender. Not sure if it does anything special but I like it. I think just using handmade soap makes a huge difference.
 
I’ve used charcoal in salt soap. I didn’t notice anything better happening than just using salt soap without it. I do make a facial soap for myself that I use it in between salt soap with charcoal, tea tree, peppermint and lavender. Not sure if it does anything special but I like it. I think just using handmade soap makes a huge difference.
Thanks, shunt! He had been using my CP soap, then we switched to a syndet bar to see if it helped, and it did not. But the salt bars have really helped. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
 
My friends son uses my charcoal bars and LOVES them - he says they are the only thing that make him feel really clean. He lives in the UK, and I live in NZ - so we usually wait until someone we know is travelling over there and load them up with 6 bars at a time :)
 
My friends son uses my charcoal bars and LOVES them - he says they are the only thing that make him feel really clean. He lives in the UK, and I live in NZ - so we usually wait until someone we know is travelling over there and load them up with 6 bars at a time :)
So your bars are regular bar with charcoal or salt bars with charcoal?
 
I use charcoal mainly for coloring, and the one I have is also slightly exfoliating so some of the people in my life love it in their soap.

My teenager's soap has it with neem and blackseed oil. It has helped his acne I have to say, coz anytime he tries using something else he starts getting spots again. Can't say what exactly is helping though lol

My sister does not have an acne problem but anytime she's over she steals his soap and not anyone else's haha

My family loves a brine soap that I make that has moringa and charcoal. Even my moringa is slightly scrubby, given that it's homemade so I guess the get the benefits of salt plus exfoliation.

Don't know if that helped lol I have yet to try it in salt bars though, sorry..
 
Scientifically I believe that the Charcoal must be left on the skin for a certain period of time (like 15 min) for it to DO anything worth while.
So in a soap, wash off, I think it is for label excitement.
I do have a bar with charcoal, don't leave it on but it is just soap ;) Made it for the Label, but personally I hate the grey lather.

Salt bars have always been good for the skin to clear up things like eczema and psoriasis due to the salt. Like the Ocean when these people swim in it every day for a week, see an improvement.
Now, I don't think there are any scientific studies on these that claim that, and I do NOT claim that, but it is what I have heard. I also had a friends child that had moderate eczema and a week at the beach was heaven for him :)

I would use just the salt. You can even try the Salt Brine instead of straight salt but mine seem to come out more scratchy. Don't think you want that for him on his back where it may irritate with the seat all day.
:)
 
I use charcoal mainly for coloring, and the one I have is also slightly exfoliating so some of the people in my life love it in their soap.

My teenager's soap has it with neem and blackseed oil. It has helped his acne I have to say, coz anytime he tries using something else he starts getting spots again. Can't say what exactly is helping though lol

My sister does not have an acne problem but anytime she's over she steals his soap and not anyone else's haha

My family loves a brine soap that I make that has moringa and charcoal. Even my moringa is slightly scrubby, given that it's homemade so I guess the get the benefits of salt plus exfoliation.

Don't know if that helped lol I have yet to try it in salt bars though, sorry..
Thanks, Dawni, I am surprised that there is some sort of soap combination you haven't made. You seem very busy, soap-wise!
 
Scientifically I believe that the Charcoal must be left on the skin for a certain period of time (like 15 min) for it to DO anything worth while.
So in a soap, wash off, I think it is for label excitement.
I do have a bar with charcoal, don't leave it on but it is just soap ;) Made it for the Label, but personally I hate the grey lather.

Salt bars have always been good for the skin to clear up things like eczema and psoriasis due to the salt. Like the Ocean when these people swim in it every day for a week, see an improvement.
Now, I don't think there are any scientific studies on these that claim that, and I do NOT claim that, but it is what I have heard. I also had a friends child that had moderate eczema and a week at the beach was heaven for him :)

I would use just the salt. You can even try the Salt Brine instead of straight salt but mine seem to come out more scratchy. Don't think you want that for him on his back where it may irritate with the seat all day.
:)
I haven't done any research on salt's effects on the skin. Maybe I should do that and share what I find. I am surprised that you found brine soap scratchier than salt bars. I would have thought it would have been just the opposite since the salt is in solution when added. I have never tried a brine bar.

Those were my thoughts about the charcoal. I think there may be some benefit from doing charcoal masks, and I think that there is some exfoliation from some charcoal, but you're right, I don't want to over-exfoliate his back.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Lin. I am just going to stick with a straight salt bar for now, I think.
 
Thanks, Dawni, I am surprised that there is some sort of soap combination you haven't made. You seem very busy, soap-wise!
I'm busier now non-soap-wise haha.. You should see my to soap list. You've gone n put charcoal salt bars in there too :p
 
Hi Beckster, I have found benefits to activated charcoal both in a mask and a scrub. Have never tried it in soap. Would be interested to learn what you discover. I know it is supposed to have great benefits in deep cleaning pores.
 
Hi Beckster, I have found benefits to activated charcoal both in a mask and a scrub. Have never tried it in soap. Would be interested to learn what you discover. I know it is supposed to have great benefits in deep cleaning pores.
It makes sense that it would have benefits in a product that is leave on, like a mask. And I think that it is probably scratchy enough to exfoliate in a scrub, but I haven't found anything or anyone that says charcoal specifically has benefits in soap (other than label appeal). I may yet try it, but for now I am probably going to perfect my salt bars and put that on the back burner. Thanks for your input, Susan.
 
You know, a nice mud on it would be good. Depending on if he needs to lean back or not. Then a good warm warm face cloth on it to help draw out and clean off.
I thought about this last night :)
 
You know, a nice mud on it would be good. Depending on if he needs to lean back or not. Then a good warm warm face cloth on it to help draw out and clean off.
I thought about this last night :)
Great minds think alike, Lin! I scrub his back with a salt bar every morning in the shower, I use beta hydroxy gel on it off and on, and every night at bedtime I put very hot, wet compresses on his back. I think all of this is helping, but I saw the most improvement with the beta hydroxy gel and the salt bar. I don't know if he would sit forward long enough for a mask, but maybe I will attempt that at sometime in the future. (It depends on his mood.) Thanks for the suggestions! It also helped when he could go out in the backyard with his shirt off and sit in the sun. I have thought about getting him a sun/heat lamp for this winter. I think he may have to live with this, but I would like to get it under control as much as possible. It itches like the devil when it is bad.:(
 
I've actually found charcoal in soap to be a bit drying. I've added it along with rose clay in an otherwise trusted, non-stripping recipe. I know some would say that clay can be drying but rose clay and kaolin clay have both been used in previous batches where my skin was not nearly as dry as when I used my soap with the charcoal.
 
What does the back of the wheelchair have for a backing? Is it one of the motorized ones? They usually are thicker and I don't think they breathe much. Most other chairs have that leather backing. Great for long life but bad for breathing when you are in it solid for most of the day.
Anyway to get some kind of Mesh backing? Or a makeshift one? This way the back gets air to help with the moisture.
I have a bottle of Betadine that I use for any scrapes that were from outside - I go into the woods a bit and have had chickens. Every scrape gets cleaned and a small swap of Betadine on it. I can't use band-aids much due to the glue on it :(

LOL the second you said Sun I thought about a Sun lamp. I know they work. When my brother moved to Seattle from Boston he had to get one, said it worked wonders.
 
I've actually found charcoal in soap to be a bit drying. I've added it along with rose clay in an otherwise trusted, non-stripping recipe. I know some would say that clay can be drying but rose clay and kaolin clay have both been used in previous batches where my skin was not nearly as dry as when I used my soap with the charcoal.
That's the feedback I was needing. Thanks. I think most additives like clay and charcoal would be drying, but my skin is so sensitive that I wanted other viewpoints.
 
What does the back of the wheelchair have for a backing? Is it one of the motorized ones? They usually are thicker and I don't think they breathe much. Most other chairs have that leather backing. Great for long life but bad for breathing when you are in it solid for most of the day.
Anyway to get some kind of Mesh backing? Or a makeshift one? This way the back gets air to help with the moisture.
I have a bottle of Betadine that I use for any scrapes that were from outside - I go into the woods a bit and have had chickens. Every scrape gets cleaned and a small swap of Betadine on it. I can't use band-aids much due to the glue on it :(

LOL the second you said Sun I thought about a Sun lamp. I know they work. When my brother moved to Seattle from Boston he had to get one, said it worked wonders.
His chair has a heavy canvas-like back, and it is pretty low. He had a cushion for the back for a while, but we tossed it when he started having this rash. That was months ago. (By the way, I am allergic to most adhesives, too, so I have trouble with band-aids and tape as well. The colloidal strips like band-aids work pretty well for me, although they are more expensive. I have my hands in water constantly, and I can usually get one to stay on at least for a couple of days.) Does your brother have a sun lamp or a heat lamp? And if you don't mind me asking, what does it work wonders for?
 
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