Jelly Soaps Feel

[Sukida]

I am trying to perfect my jelly soaps but I am using a melt and pour base (stephensons). I find that while it is very easy to use, the resultant product leaves my skin feeling a little dry. Is there a way to add a small amount of a skin softening agent to the melt and pour without destroying the base?

 

[lsg]

Here is a recipe for jelly soap that I got several years ago from Ponte Vedra Naturals. It needs no refrigeration


Ingredients: (Recipe makes 3 lbs.)
All ingredients are weighed unless specified

• 16.5 ozs Distilled Water
• 15 ozs Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (liquid)
• 12.5 ozs Liquid Glycerin
• 3.5 ozs Propylene Glycol
• 1.5 ozs Carrageenan (IOTA)
• .7 ozs Fragrance
• 1/4 tsp. Preservative (Methylparaben)
• FD&C or iron oxide colors as needed (powders only)

Supplies:

• Stainless steel pot that will hold at least 6 cups
• Stick Blender
• Thermometer
• Glass Measuring Cup
• Spatula
• Plastic Bowl
• Mold or plastic container big enough to hold 3 lbs. liquid

Directions:

1. Add water and SLS to the stainless steel pot and put on stove top.
2. In a glass container, warm propylene glycol and methylparaben in microwave for 10-20 seconds until methylparaben is dissolved. Then add it to water/SLS mixture and start heating the mixture on medium heat to 175° F.
3. In the plastic bowl, add the glycerin and carrageenan and mix until smooth with spatula. Add whatever color/s you want at this time and mix in with the stick blender until smooth and incorporated.
4. Add glycerin/carrageenan/color mixture to the pot on the stove top, stirring continuously until mixture starts to thicken – 185° F. You can also mix with the stick blender, but be careful not to create too many bubbles.
5. Remove from stove top and blend slightly with stick blender – add fragrance and stir until incorporated.
6. Pour into mold/s. Refrigerate to cool quicker. Once it is cool you no longer have to keep it in the refrigerator.

FYI – Your mold can be a plastic shoe box container or any plastic that will withstand 185°.
This is not a difficult recipe, but we don’t recommend substitutions on any of the ingredients other than color and scent.

 

[Sukida]

Ooh! I will have to try this one out.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Hi @Sukida ,
Originally I started with MP soaps as I was leery of working with lye. There are a few i still make. One is made with 24 oz of Shea MP base, .5 oz Jojoba Oil, and .5 oz Shea Butter. I have never had any problems with these separating or doing anything weird. Of course, these are more solid oils and might turn a clear base milky. I continue to make this soap because my daughter-in-law loves it; she has very dry skin and she says it leaves her skin feeling moisturized.
What I would do is a little experimenting. Great thing about MP is you can truly make one bar at a time. Keep track of the oil you add and the ratio to the soap base; then test them out in the shower. So the percentage above is 1 part extra oil to 24 parts MP base, or 4.2%. You may want to start with more liquid or soft oils as those might not change the clear look of the soap.
So let's say your mold holds 3 oz maximum, then use 2 oz of the base and about .08 - .1 oz added oil like sunflower, olive, sweet almond, etc. That's 4-5%. See what happens.
Please give us a follow up and let us know how it goes. I'm really interested in the outcome.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I won't find the reference on the quick, but if I remember correctly, I've seen a jelly soap recipe some time ago, that works with ordinary (lye-based or whatever you have around) liquid soap, and uses locust bean gum and xanthan as thickeners. This way the soap properties of the jelly soap are the same as the LS, and you have full flexibility with the ingredients.

My love to M&P has cooled down when I realised that the recipes really don't give you much headroom for milder, more conditioning, less stripping action. M&P is a saturated FA game, with all its downsides.