Colorado (or any other very dry) climate

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eyeroll

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I know there are some Coloradans on the forum, but anyone else who lives in a dry, desert climate, I welcome your suggestions. It's turning to winter and this is when I generally turn into an ashy, itchy, shriveled up husk of a human being due to the cold and 0% humidity. I would compare myself to a raisin but I honestly think a raisin contains more moisture than I do at this point.

The soaps I made and loved this summer (OO, CO and castor) aren't cutting it now. A high percentage OO soap moisturizes really well and I've already made a castile I will use next winter, BUT I'm looking for something I can make now to help. What are your favorite heavily moisturizing ingredients and/or combinations for extremely an dry climate?
 
I don’t have much experience, but what about a lotion or a whipped body butter to put on after you shower?
 
I see 2 options: you could up the SF from say 5 to 8 or you might made some milk soaps. I live north of you and it is very dry. My milk soaps do the trick every time. And yes, I do feel a difference between regular and milk soaps. The other thing I do is rub my bod with almond oil after I shower. I really don't need to use lotion but do so sometimes. Even with the rock hard water, my skin feels good.
 
I don’t have much experience, but what about a lotion or a whipped body butter to put on after you shower?

Sorry, I should have specified: I hate using lotion (I know that's odd). I may have to go that route, but I'm hoping to be able to make a soap that will be moisturizing enough that I won't need any other body products.
 
I like 8-10% super fat, apricot kernel oil and shea butter. I sure miss Colorado, but that dry climate is a killer!
 
Sorry, I should have specified: I hate using lotion (I know that's odd). I may have to go that route, but I'm hoping to be able to make a soap that will be moisturizing enough that I won't need any other body products.


:wink: Soap is cleansing, not moisturizing. "Less stripping" at most.
If it's that bad, I'm afraid there's no way around a moisturizer. You could make a light/dy oil spray.
I don't like lotions and creams either, but using an oil spray on wet skin and wiping off the excess with a dry wash cloth is pretty okay for me.

You could try something with a low amount of coconut, up to 8% castor, lard and olive oil.
 
I just made this recipe to try out as a shampoo bar. It works nicely on my skin too. I used SL to harden the bar. It still gets me clean and doesn't make me the dry husk I usually am in the Winter. :) Hope you find something that works for you.

Avocado Oil: 30%
Castor Oil: 10%
Olive Oil: 40%
Shea Butter: 10%
Cocoa Butter 10%
 
I hate "lotioning up" too, just too lazy. I have found my new salt bar to be wonderful! Leaves my skin feeling great with no need for lotion.


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We clearly have the same issues. I'm always on the lookout for SOMETHING that will help my dry winter skin. Awhile ago I made the shampoo bar recipe that's floating around somewhere on this forum. I'll confess that it did not work for me as a shampoo bar, but it makes a wonderful conditioning soap! I think it's going to be my favorite come winter.


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We clearly have the same issues. I'm always on the lookout for SOMETHING that will help my dry winter skin. Awhile ago I made the shampoo bar recipe that's floating around somewhere on this forum. I'll confess that it did not work for me as a shampoo bar, but it makes a wonderful conditioning soap! I think it's going to be my favorite come winter.


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That's exactly what happened to me too! :razz:
 
Thanks for all the great suggestions. It would never have occured to me to use a shampoo bar recipe.....


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I made a soap last winter that seemed to help against the dryness my hands would get from being outside a lot. I upped the superfat on one of my regular (high conditioning) recipes just a single percent, (up to 6) and then I added half a pureed overripe banana per kg of oil and a few Tbs colloidal oatmeal at trace. The banana seems to me to have the effect of being a superfatter in itself, so I didn't want to go overboard and add too much extra oil, that's why I kept the SF relatively low.) I didn't add any colorants or fragrance and the soap came out a golden tan colour, with tiny little black speckles from the banana seeds. (The banana and oatmeal make the soap heat up loads when gelling, so keep an eye on it!)

One of my friends has psoriasis and she gets some terribly dry patches on her skin and despite all the what-nots of my other soaps, she likes the banana soap best.
 
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You've already had some great suggestions, eyeroll, but I wanted to add one ..... I make soaps with cocoa butter for the winter, because I do find them to be less drying than anything else. I noticed that a few people said they're using the shampoo recipe that's high in CB and shea butter (10% of each) as a shower soap, and that's about what I'd use in my "winter soaps".


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Sugar scrub! I've lived in CO and just moved to UT and it's my secret weapon. I've tried a recipe similar to this (I can't find the actual recipe I used) subing a new (like 2 day old) bar of handmade soap for the 'bar of soap'. Mine fell to bits but was still really usable. In fact, I need to bust it out again, all the kids and the DH have been complaining about itchy skin.
 
That's exactly what happened to me too! :razz:

Exactly what happened to me, too :) I heavily tweaked my shampoo bar recipe, and am using the original for a really nice winter soap.

Funny about the lotioning-up, I'm not a lotion or cream person either. I love lotion bars for spot therapy, and I make lotion that a number of people love, but I just can't get into the habit of using it. Too lazy, I think. Now Vit C eye serum, that's another thing, I can't be without that in the winter. But that's a whole 'nuther thing to make!
 
Greetings from New Mexico! Is that dry enough for you? ;)

For me, it's all about superfat. I SF at 8-10% and never get DOS due to the aridity and keeping my combined linoleic/linolenic at below 15% on soapcalc.

My base recipe is 20-25% coconut, 5% castor, 5-10% shea or cocoa or kokum butter, at least 40% olive, and the rest is up for grabs. Avocado oil is nice, especially the virgin stuff if you can get it. Alternately, you can stick blend a few TB of avocado puree per lb of soaping oils for a nice conditioning bar.

That said, my hands and feet still get dry and my heels can crack in the winter. I use whipped shea on my feet and for hands my own lotion (thanks swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com !) which is mostly avocado and rice bran oils plus a butter in small %

I also agree that CP shampoo soap can be a very nice body bar. I didn't have any luck with them for my hair but they worked well in the shower.
 
I swear by Avocado oil in my soap. I make one with a higher AO percentage than my regular recipe and it makes my skin nice! I'm out on the plains in Colorado, so it's never anything but dry here. Apricot Kernal Oil is also nice as a moisturizer just alone.
 
I live in the high desert mountains of northwest colorado. It is just that, high desert. My soap that i make is similar to yours, but i also do an after bath routine of applying rose hip seed oil (Approved by the FDA as an anti-ager) with essential oils that are said to do the same. I also have those same EO's in a cream that i buy. I think i have average dry skin. My husband, his skin is so dry that i have to use lanolin, deer tallow, etc is his soaps, and with that, he doesnt have to apply lotion. Hope this helps. Oh, FYI, with the regiment that i use for myself, i only have to apply lotion after showering (We have incredibly hard water here).
 
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