Cleansing values for facial soap

[Happysoap]

I am trying to make a gentle facial soap. What would be the cleansing value to aim for? Some say 0. Is this true? Does this mean to skip things such as coconut oil in soap and just aim for a conditioning value of 50ish? Any thoughts?

PS. I would like to stay away from castile/bastille soaps that is to say from olive oil at the moment. I have spent a large part of my soaping budget on what turned out to be altered olive oil from reputable sellers. This has happened so many times that I am thinking to reformulate my recipe so I don't use olive oil because it has cost me so much money and frustration so far.

 

[seven]

coconut is considered comedogenic. i've used beeswax and/or stearic acid for hardness. those 2 are considered non-com. have you look at this:

http://soapnuts.com/noncomo.html

a list of non-com oils to help you. there are a lot of olive alternatives there.

in regards to cleansing properties, i would let the more experienced soapers to chime in.

 

[Ruthie]

That is too bad about the oo. How reputable can a seller be if they sell you that?!!

As far as the cleansing value, the numbers are just a guideline. I'm not sure a 0 is necessary, though keeping it low might be a good thing.

Unless you have an aversion to animal fats, I'd recommend using a good portion of lard. It feels so nice on human skin. Some added goat's milk might be helpful, too.

 

[yadonm]

How about avocado oil?

 

[juliab86]

It really depends on the skin type. Some people use salt bars as facial soaps and it really works for them. Those are mostly coconut oil. The facial soap I've been using for a few months has 25% coconut oil and I really love it. I also have a high superfat for this bar and use other oils, including avocado

 

[seven]

It really depends on the skin type. Some people use salt bars as facial soaps and it really works for them. Those are mostly coconut oil. The facial soap I've been using for a few months has 25% coconut oil and I really love it. I also have a high superfat for this bar and use other oils, including avocado

i guess it is. i've used salt bar and soap made with CO, and my skin was fine. the CO was in really low value though. on the other hand, starting 2 nights ago, i started to wash my face with an unscented GOH (30% CO in it). i've yet to see an unwanted reaction, but perhaps it's too soon. i do like the feeling of it on my skin so far though.

 

[Candybee]

I second the lard soap. I've had customers swear it gets rid of acne, and that it is the only soap they can use that is gentle and doesn't give them itchy skin. When I recommend it to my customers for a facial soap they always come back for more. Its a fast seller for me. I use 45% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 25% lard, 5% castor. You can sub some of the olive for sunflower oil.

 

[Happysoap]

Oh, don't get me started with the OO/reputable seller deal. I can ramble for days.

Hmmm... I will give lard a go. Sounds interesting. I always think of lard for frying but I have never tried it in soap.

 

[Ellacho]

I second the lard soap. I've had customers swear it gets rid of acne, and that it is the only soap they can use that is gentle and doesn't give them itchy skin. When I recommend it to my customers for a facial soap they always come back for more. Its a fast seller for me. I use 45% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 25% lard, 5% castor. You can sub some of the olive for sunflower oil.

Hi Candybee, I just found the lard at Chinese grocery today:grin:! I am going to make your acne lard soap for my kids. I can make all sorts of soaps but I have not yet to make a perfect soap for my kids. .

You see...three of my four kids are having cystic pimples big time, my son's the worst... His entire face is covered by cystic pimples(i am not kidding!), even my youngest daughter who is only 11 has cystic pimples all over her forehead. They are countless... a poor little girl. She told me that "if these pimples go away, then, I would be more prettier...sigh...

This is my very first time making soap with the lard. I am going to SF about 5%. Hope this recipe does a wonder for my kids ! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I made OO, lard and castor oil facial bar. It's very gentle, I made recipe to be 1 on cleansing scale. I've tried CO in facial bars, and for me at least, they were way too harsh. But I have sensitive skin. I've read too high SF can clog skin pores, and my recipe was for only 2%SF and I love it, not harsh and too oily.
If you don't want to use OO, and have no problem using lard, you can make majority of the recipe to be lard, mine was 50% and squeeze few other gentle oils in the rest of the recipe.