Soap and skin observation

[Rusti]

Has it worked this way for anyone else? I've made two batches of soap now and have been using them since they've cured and I realized yesterday morning that the chicken skin (or Keratosis pilaris for the science people) on my arms was basically gone. There's some scarring from it, because I've had it forever, but now my arms are smooth and not bumpy like they were.

I'm really curious why it seems to have worked out like that, with the store-bought stuff never helping or making it worse.

 

[CaraBou]

I don't know for sure what chicken skin is, but I know my shoulders were full of little hard zit-like thingies before I started making and using real soap. A few months into it I realized they were completely gone. I also no longer have flaky legs, which I had thought was unattainable without oodles of lotion. Even if I wasn't utterly addicted to making soap, I'd still be sold on using it.

 

[dixiedragon]

I have had so so many people tell me that their skin conditions - psoriasis, dry skin, etc, were improved by using my soap. I was on another forum totally unrelated to soaping or crafting in any way. A lady on the forum had excema, couldn't find any pine tar soap near here, so I got her address and mailed her a bar. She was blown away by how much it helped.

 

[KristaY]

Congrats Rusti! Isn't it amazing how good, hand-crafted soap can make such a difference in skin issues? I've had SO many people tell me various skin problems have either improved or vanished after using real soap as opposed to synthetic detergents. Many people got their start making their own soap because of these exact reasons and I'm one of them (well, not my skin probs but my hubby's, lol). You're hooked for good now!!!

 

[Arimara]

That's great news. My personal goal hasn't been met (making a soap gentle enough for my daughter with little risks of allergic reactions) but the more I get a feel for the ingredients, the better I feel about what to use. I still haven't made a salt soap yet but I will.

 

[Misschief]

Interesting. Just in this past week, I've had three people tell me that either my soap or my creams have made a huge difference. A friend's future SIL has severe acne. She gave him a bar of my charcoal soap; apparently, it's making a difference and she wants to buy more for him. Two friends have gushed over the creams I've made using emu oil (among a host of other oils); both are waving cash in my direction, wanting more whenever I get around to making it again. I truly believe that making skin care products yourself, using "real" ingredients, is so much better for you than all of the synthetic, "scientifically proven", new best thing EVAH! product out there.

Don't get me wrong... some of them have a place but, for most people, real ingredients, made with care...... it just don't get any better!

 

[shunt2011]

Yep, it's an amazing thing for sure. I have had acne most my life even as an adult and since I started using/making soap my skin is in the best condition ever. My husband has flaky skin and it has pretty much disappeared. I love my salt bars.

 

[Susie]

I "cured" my eczema by switching to hand made soap. It was truly life changing.

I sent soap to my daughter with instructions to share with her friends. They requested a batch of soap each with offers to pay. I told them they could reimburse the shipping, but not pay for the soap. They are reporting vast improvements in acne and eczema.

Here is a good, concise article on "chicken skin" written in layman's terms: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/keratosis-pilaris/Pages/Introduction.aspx (50% of people have this and up to 80% had it as adolescents, so don't be surprised if you can relate)

 

[SparksnFlash]

I sent soap to my daughter with instructions to share with her friends.

LOL! This reminds me of when I sent my daughter about 10 bars of soap and lotion bars. I asked her to try them out, let me know what she thought. She called about a month later, I asked her what she thought. She thought it was wonderful and wanted more - a lot more. When I asked if she was giving it to friends she told me no. Hmmm - I asked if she liked the lemongrass soap. She hadn't tried that one. ??? So, I asked why she needed more soap & lotion bars when she hadn't even tried the lemongrass yet (3 bars). She'd SOLD all but 2 of the 10 bars of soap and 3 of 10 lotion bars. My little business was born.

 

[navigator9]

After having very oily skin growing up, my skin, like most of us, got much drier as I aged. It got to the point where I was slathering petroleum jelly on my face every night, because no moisturizer seemed to work. And of course, I was using Dove to wash, because well, Dove is so wonderful for your skin, right? And still my skin was dry. Once I started making and using my own soap exclusively, there was an amazing change in my skin. There is no more flakiness and I need very little moisturizer to keep my skin nice and soft. So you might say, "Of course, your soap is very moisturizing." But I don't believe that this is the case. My theory, based on personal experience, is that our good, handmade soap just allows our skin to return to its normal, healthy state, simply by cleansing gently. I think commercial soaps, whether it's because of all the chemicals, or because they cleanse too harshly, are the cause of many skin problems. I think our skin wants to be healthy, but often we get in the way, by throwing too much at it. Cleanse gently and moisturize, (I use olive squalane in summer, and avocado oil in winter), and my skin is happy. I cringe to think what shape my skin would be in now, if I hadn't been using handmade soap all these years!

 

[houseofwool]

I don't know for sure what chicken skin is, but I know my shoulders were full of little hard zit-like thingies before I started making and using real soap. A few months into it I realized they were completely gone. I also no longer have flaky legs, which I had thought was unattainable without oodles of lotion. Even if I wasn't utterly addicted to making soap, I'd still be sold on using it.

That is keratosis pilaris.

Mine went away with hand made soap too.

 

[BlackDog]

My keratosis was one of the biggest reasons I began making soap. I tried every lotion/product on the market and nothing made a difference till I bought a bar of handmade soap from the Amish market a couple miles from my place. Then it was like, "I need to make this." One year later, boom. Addicted.

 

[Kismet]

One of the the byproducts of saponification is glycerin. In commercial soap making, the glycerin is removed and sold separately. The result is a long lasting bar of soap, but much harsher.

I think the glycerin that remains in handmade soap contributes to the benefits that people are describing, Glycerin is also an humectant, drawing moisture from the air to your skin and that contributes to skin not becoming flaky.

 

[Kamahido]

My daughter had those bumps on her arms. After making soap myself they very quickly disappeared. Also, my coworker's psoriasis has gone down dramatically.

 

[Susie]

My other theory (other than the glycerin) is that the detergents and other additives in commercial "soap" is actually the cause of the issue. Then there is the whole pH issue...I actually think skin needs the alkaline pH to break the bond the skin oils (acidic) have with the dirt and such.

 

[snappyllama]

It's amazing how much better skin can be if it likes homemade soap. Now, not everyone can use our soap - some skin just doesn't like it. From personal experience with family and friends, I've seen rather amazing results from:

Eczema from HIV treatment disappear using castile (thanks SMF for all the help you gave me with trying recipes for my friend - it really, really helped him)
Cystic acne and common acne almost entirely disappear using pine tar facial soap (my teenagers swear by pine tar and I really cannot make it fast enough since their friends snag bars too)
Dermatitis become manageable using pine tar soap (this was me - my dermatologist was pretty amazed - initially he thought the prescribed $200 stingy/stinky ointment finally started working, but it was just the soap)
Various rashes disappear using pine tar soap (I was told it was a "guy issue" and I didn't want to know more - other than it worked)
Common acne on back disappear using salt bars
General dry or ashy skin go away using bar soap

Now that's just me and my very small group of people. Some of them no longer need to go to the dermatologist. Please don't take my anecdotes as medical advice, these are just the experiences of a very small group of people. If you have a skin condition, seek proper medical treatment from a professional.

 

[snappyllama]

My other theory (other than the glycerin) is that the detergents and other additives in commercial "soap" is actually the cause of the issue. Then there is the whole pH issue...I actually think skin needs the alkaline pH to break the bond the skin oils (acidic) have with the dirt and such.

I think you have something on the combination of humectants + acidic pH being really good for most skin. I keep hearing that neutral pH is the big fad in skincare, but I really cannot wrap my head around it. My skin doesn't feel refreshed/cleaner after bathing in just neutral water. :think: