Do you all make different soap for different body parts? I understand "specialty soaps" in terms of shaving soap and shampoo/conditioning bars, but do you purposely make different soap for your hands, or your body, or your face? Please feel free to go into as much detail as possible! I love reading about other people's experiences.
Body soap vs. Face soap vs. Hand soap
- Thread starter CreativeWeirdo
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
violets2217
Well-Known Member
I do not... I make a solid oil cleanser for my face. So my bars are used everywhere!!! because sometimes I'm too lazy to even grab my face cleaner and just use my bar of soap. No harm No foul. Since I've started adding Citric Acid to my soaps, I've even been just grabbing an end piece of random soap on my curing rack and using it for dishes. Works just as well. Honestly I'm just really in love with my recipe and how well it works everywhere. I enjoy more figuring out my additives and designs. I'm still making 100% CO/ 0 SF solid & liquid soap for my laundry detergent and liquid dish soap, household cleaners etc....but I make that like once a year. I'm boring... Sorry!
I mostly make all purpose soap. I’ve made the recipe discussed in this thread as a facial soap. It’s nice and gentle. I also make Gardener’s soap that I like to use on my feet!, salt bars (mostly because they’re fun to make and they have their devotees) and ZNSC with coconut and castor for the OO devotees.
Last edited:
I use whatever for whatever. I do like my 50% lard recipe for my face. But I also love that same recipe on my body. Similar to @violets2217 I’ve stopped using liquid dish soap to wash dishes and use bar soap (scraps of soap and such). Any recipe will do, honestly.
Right now I make three soaps: Goat Milk, Regular and Mechanic’s (regular w/pumice powder). The first two can be used all over. Now I do make a smaller bar for the sink, but so far it’s just been for family. I have some round cavity molds and originally bought them to salt soap with, but SS and I don’t get along so I was using them for overflow and really like the size for the sinks.
The only difference in mine is that the soaps where I've used EO that might be tingly or spicy on delicate parts, those soaps are reserved for hand washing only.
I don't use soap on my face anyway, so basically have a split between bath Vs sink soaps.
I don't use soap on my face anyway, so basically have a split between bath Vs sink soaps.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
My skin of the face and neck/back dislikes lauric soap. Initially an incidental discovery, I now always have a non-lauric (0% coconut/PKO/babaçu) soap (bar or LS) at the bathroom sink and in the shower. The rest of my body doesn't care that much, and I grab whatever I'm into right now, or what is far enough into cure to be evaluated.
I admit that I'm still on store-bought syndet dish soap at the kitchen sink (too lazy to wipe soap scum ever so often).
, so I don't have to worry.
I see it as a sporting ambition to tweak non-lauric recipes to be on par with CO-bearing soaps, hardness/texture/lather wise (which is surprisingly difficult). Yes, I'm doing this on purpose, but not primarily on the purpose of the future use cases of the soap.
I admit that I'm still on store-bought syndet dish soap at the kitchen sink (too lazy to wipe soap scum ever so often).
Yes and no. I'm currently more or less abstaining from lauric oils altogether. But it's not purposely to distinguish between different soap uses. I homehow just happen to have enough lauric soaps awaiting being used up
, so I don't have to worry.I see it as a sporting ambition to tweak non-lauric recipes to be on par with CO-bearing soaps, hardness/texture/lather wise (which is surprisingly difficult). Yes, I'm doing this on purpose, but not primarily on the purpose of the future use cases of the soap.
First, just to be clear, I do not sell, so I make soaps designed for my comfort or specifically for family with particular needs/desires.
I do have some specialty soap I would never use on my face if I were to use any soap on my face, which I don't:
Blacksmith soap for my brother, the blacksmith. It contains Pumice and Borax, which gets the stains of blacksmithing off his hands & fingers quickly as opposed to having to wash his hands repeatedly for several days before the stains came out of his hands using commercial brands. The blacksmiths in my family (there are two) and mechanics, use this as a hand soap only.
Anything with exfoliants (pumice, walnut shells, even dried tea leaves, etc.) I will only use on my feet, not even on my hands usually, because the bottoms of my feet are quite calloused, but my hands and face and the rest of my body are not. So even when I give these soaps to family, I recommend them as foot soap only. Exfoliant soaps may work fine for others, but because my skin is so sensative to them, I don't make them very often anymore.
I do not specifically make face soap because I do not use soap on my face.
I do have some specialty soap I would never use on my face if I were to use any soap on my face, which I don't:
Blacksmith soap for my brother, the blacksmith. It contains Pumice and Borax, which gets the stains of blacksmithing off his hands & fingers quickly as opposed to having to wash his hands repeatedly for several days before the stains came out of his hands using commercial brands. The blacksmiths in my family (there are two) and mechanics, use this as a hand soap only.
Anything with exfoliants (pumice, walnut shells, even dried tea leaves, etc.) I will only use on my feet, not even on my hands usually, because the bottoms of my feet are quite calloused, but my hands and face and the rest of my body are not. So even when I give these soaps to family, I recommend them as foot soap only. Exfoliant soaps may work fine for others, but because my skin is so sensative to them, I don't make them very often anymore.
I do not specifically make face soap because I do not use soap on my face.
Ladka
Well-Known Member
It surprises me how many have written they do not use soap on their face. I thought I was an exception not using soap on my face. Since I noticed soaps specifically designed for use on face in cosmetic cleansing collections I wondered why on earth should I use any soap on my face.
Carly B
Well-Known Member
I use the same soap everywhere. The only exception is if I've added scrubbies, such as pumice or jojoba beads or walnut shells or whatever. I don't use those on my "lady bits" because I wouldn't want to inadvertently leave any scubbies on my private parts.
Will add that I very rarely wash my face with soap.
I’ve been playing with my recipes constantly, but my face is the most sensitive so I use my soap everywhere including my face. If I walk out of the shower and my face feels ok then I’m good. I figure the rest of my body will be fine too then. I’ve added additives for soaps for heels, gardener hands, extra bubbles , etc to a few recipes that I like if I want to change it up for a specific purpose. I guess my goal was to find a recipe I could use that would give basic mildness, creamy and lather and not disappear in a week. I try to keep cleansing at 13 or 14 and below. I have friends with eczema and so far that seems fine for them. I super fat at 2% but I use goat milk too, so I know it’s probably higher. I may start using 1% routinely but haven’t got there yet.. me being OCD. I make @Zany_in_CO no slime Castile and it’s one of my daughters’ favorite soap ! And they use everywhere. I would like to make a specialty face soap just for my daughters but I haven’t figured that one out yet. I’m going to sell and the thought of printing a ton of different ingredients is really challenging! I’ve learned that too 
. Lengthy response!
. Lengthy response!
Last edited:
Peachy Clean Soap
Well-Known Member
I'm a "No Bar Soap On Face" But I use lots of facial skin care products 
.
I have one Bar Soap 'we'll several' I use in shower & sink's though my recipe is forever changing like the wind. I would like to make a "Garden / Grime removal Soap" i've seen some interesting post & i'd like to try @Zany_in_CO no slime olive soap' both are on my bucket list just to name a few among many.
.I have one Bar Soap 'we'll several' I use in shower & sink's though my recipe is forever changing like the wind. I would like to make a "Garden / Grime removal Soap" i've seen some interesting post & i'd like to try @Zany_in_CO no slime olive soap' both are on my bucket list just to name a few among many.
Last edited:
I’m so glad I have company!
I only make soap to be used on the body, not the face. I use a face-specific cleanser on my face. But I've used it on my face and it's ok, I just prefer to have something that won't clog my pores, or leave a residue- not sure if my bar soap would do that- but I've began to be quite vain about my face lol!
I have always used my regular body soap on my face ( even when I used commercial soap). I have done that all my life. Consequently, I make the one recipe and sell it as 'soap'. People can use where they wish
Similar threads
