Older person soap

[Lee242]

Looking for a recipe for a conditioning soap that is exfoliating and good for Cerepy Skin.
Does shredded coconut work to exfoliate and will it smell like coconut?
Not much on adding fragrance but I will if it works.

 

[Obsidian]

I think shredded coconut would be way too scratchy and no, it won't smell like coconut. For older skin you need a mild soap, I wouldn't use any coconut oil or at least not very much.
I made a 50% lard, 50% olive oil that is nicely mild. For exfoliation, I really like extra fine ground coffee but it can make your soap brown with brown lather. Extra fine ground pumice is really gentle too.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with not using a lot of coconut. I like oatmeal ground into a powder. Maybe add a little honey too. High lard with some olive or avocado would make a lovely soap.

 

[Dahila]

Older skin is always dry and vurnable, it needs really mild soap; I just made a soap (4)weeks ago, and not cured yet but seems very mild, at least on my hands. Buttermilk and zink oxide 75%OO 20% CO and 5% castor. then the soap should follow a good body butter; actually lotion just a bit thicker so it have a staying power

 

[Susie]

I would never suggest that anything exfoliating be used on crepey skin. That skin is so very thin and fragile! I would just suggest a high lard, low CO soap with an appropriate amount of superfat for the person's preference.

 

[TeresaT]

I made an amazing soap with a bunch of butters I had in the house and goat milk as a water replacement. (I actually used powdered goat milk.) I used 10% of each of these butters: cocoa, kokum, shea, and mango. 10% babassu oil, 45% lard and 5% castor oil. I would not suggest you go and purchase these specifically to make a soap because they're a bit pricey; however, if you already have them on hand, they make a great soap when put together. My batch is not fully cured yet, but I've been using a tester bar since I made it and it is lovely on my skin. (I'm 50, so I guess I'm an "older" person.)

 

[Arimara]

I made an amazing soap with a bunch of butters I had in the house and goat milk as a water replacement. (I actually used powdered goat milk.) I used 10% of each of these butters: cocoa, kokum, shea, and mango. 10% babassu oil, 45% lard and 5% castor oil. I would not suggest you go and purchase these specifically to make a soap because they're a bit pricey; however, if you already have them on hand, they make a great soap when put together. My batch is not fully cured yet, but I've been using a tester bar since I made it and it is lovely on my skin. (I'm 50, so I guess I'm an "older" person.)

Lies. You're 35 and that's final.

Seriously, I can't add nothing yet. I need an extra 17 yrs.

 

[earlene]

I would never suggest that anything exfoliating be used on crepey skin. That skin is so very thin and fragile! I would just suggest a high lard, low CO soap with an appropriate amount of superfat for the person's preference.

I agree. As we age our skin's epidermis and subcutaneous tissue layers become thinner, making the skin more fragile. Other factors also contribute, such as smoking, genetic make-up, excessive exposure to the sun, etc. Doctors often advise against use of exfolients in the elderly and people with diabetes.

For my 67 year old skin, I have learned that high coconut oil content or high palm oil content often irritates my skin and makes it feel much too dry. My skin does like soap that feels very moisturizing. When I look at the recipes in SoapCalc it looks like the ones with the higher 'conditioning' numbers are the ones that my skin seems to benefit from the most. Not always, though. There is one I made with a high conditioning number, but my skin 'hates' it. Wouldn't you know, that one was 34% CO, so I see now see why. I didn't know then because I hadn't been soaping for very long and didn't have the experience yet. Of course I am still learning and still have a lot more experience coming my way.

 

[Cindy2428]

I too am trying to perfect an "older" persons skin. I use coconut milk as a water sub and add lanolin - it creates a barrier reducing the cleansing properties of the soap. I also agree with Susie about limiting the exfoliating property to your soap. Fragile skin can bruise with just a handshake. Anyone taking a blood thinner is even more at risk.

Also, remember soap is primarily for cleansing. I would pair a moisturizer with your soap to add as a product to protect/repair the crepey skin.

 

[Bamagirl]

It is not cured yet, but I decided to experiment with my last batch and made a
75% lard/20% OO/5% castor. I made it because my regular bars that have 15% CO dry my sil skin out and that really bugs me, so I decided to experiment. It won't be ready until the end of this month, but I am hoping it will be really gentle.

 

[Susie]

It is not cured yet, but I decided to experiment with my last batch and made a
75% lard/20% OO/5% castor. I made it because my regular bars that have 15% CO dry my sil skin out and that really bugs me, so I decided to experiment. It won't be ready until the end of this month, but I am hoping it will be really gentle.

It will be. That is going to be some rich, creamy lather. Not much on bubbles, but the richness will make up for it.

 

[Bamagirl]

It will be. That is going to be some rich, creamy lather. Not much on bubbles, but the richness will make up for it.

Oh wow, now I can't wait to try it. Now I'm thinking it really needs to be "tested" at 3 weeks lol.

 

[Arimara]

Oh wow, now I can't wait to try it. Now I'm thinking it really needs to be "tested" at 3 weeks lol.

You'll be fine if you do but you might want to endure another 3 week wait.

 

[Susie]

I routinely cure my soaps 6-8 weeks.

 

[Lee242]

What does this look like to you.
1 Castor Oil 4%
2 Canola Oil 10%
3 Coconut Oil, 76 deg 15%
4 Lanolin liquid Wax 1%
5 Lard, Pig Tallow Manteca 50%
6 Olive Oil 15%
7 Sunflower oil 5%

Hardness 37
Cleansing 11
Conditioning 57
Bubbling 14
Creamy 30

I would like to ad some sugar and some salt.

 

[Cindy2428]

I would probably drop the coconut to 9-10% and increase the lard or olive oil. The cleansing number is a little high for gentle soap - I try to keep mine in the 7-8 range and I use a 100% coconut milk sub. BTW- I have done a lot of experimenting with lanolin; try 3% to start- you won't be sorry

 

[Susie]

What does this look like to you.
1 Castor Oil 4%
2 Canola Oil 10%
3 Coconut Oil, 76 deg 15%
4 Lanolin liquid Wax 1%
5 Lard, Pig Tallow Manteca 50%
6 Olive Oil 15%
7 Sunflower oil 5%

Hardness 37
Cleansing 11
Conditioning 57
Bubbling 14
Creamy 30

I would like to ad some sugar and some salt.

I would not add salt, you won't need it.

Why did you want to add canola and sunflower oils? What are they going to bring to the soap that the other oils are missing?

I would add lanolin @ 5% at least, and castor oil, also. I will give my opinion on the rest of the recipe when I understand why the canola and sunflower oils.

 

[Lee242]

canola and sunflower oils from what I read there good for skin.
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-benefits-of-sunflower-oil-for-skin-hair-and-health/
http://vkool.com/benefits-of-canola-oil/

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I read the first link, but it was only about using the oil rather than a soap made with the oil - which is not the same as the oil by any means. How much of the beta carotene and vitamins survive the saponification process, and how much impact would it have in the soap?

It's not always the case that the oil properties are the same as it would be when the oil becomes sodium xxxxate

 

[Susie]

^^^That. Lye has it's merry way with oils, and the "beneficial properties" thereof. If you want to use specific oils to help whomever, think about making a lotion or body butter. It will stay on the skin much longer to help.

OK, I would suggest you make the batch like you wanted, then try this, and compare the two when they are cured:

Castor Oil 5%
CO 10%
Lanolin 5%
OO 15%
Lard 65%

Superfat 5-8%, depending on the time of the year. More for winter soap.