Soap recipe for older thin skin

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artemis said:
So....
Some colorants are only mean for MP soap. The "lye monster" can mess with them. If it came in your MP kit, that's likely what happened.

Also, you just made it right? Yesterday? This is just a terminology issue, I'm sure, but your soap is not cured yet. It has saponified, but it won't be cured for a few weeks.
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It was made this past Sunday. I’ve read about colors changing and different types of colorants doing different things but wasn’t focused on that aspect. Getting to this point with something resembling actual soap and not a gloppy mess was the target. My daughter enjoying the melt and pour soapmaking was a bullseye.

From what I understand, it needs to cure 3+ weeks. One recommendation was as long as 8 weeks. Which makes me think I need to read up on curing some more…
 
Getting the first cure is the hardest. It helps if you continue to make soaps on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. That way, when the first batch is cured (I'd give it 4 weeks) and you start to use it, the other batches will be curing and probably by the time you get into the 2nd or 3rd batches you will have 6-8 weeks of a cure in those.

I can't seem to tell the difference after about 8 weeks of cure, but it is nice to be able to pick any bar of soap on my shelf and know that I don't have to worry that it is not fully cured. My last batch of soap is now 8 months old, although I have some ends that are over 2 years old...it just seems nicer to put a whole bar in the shower rather than an end cut.

Good luck on your soaping quest. I hope that it treats you like it has treated me. I'll never go back to the commercial bars again...never found one that was worth a dime. I'm gathering up my oils and tools today to make a batch of hubby/grandson soap...and just maybe another one for me and my daughters.
 
Quilter99755 said:
Getting the first cure is the hardest. It helps if you continue to make soaps on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. That way, when the first batch is cured (I'd give it 4 weeks) and you start to use it, the other batches will be curing and probably by the time you get into the 2nd or 3rd batches you will have 6-8 weeks of a cure in those.

I can't seem to tell the difference after about 8 weeks of cure, but it is nice to be able to pick any bar of soap on my shelf and know that I don't have to worry that it is not fully cured. My last batch of soap is now 8 months old, although I have some ends that are over 2 years old...it just seems nicer to put a whole bar in the shower rather than an end cut.

Good luck on your soaping quest. I hope that it treats you like it has treated me. I'll never go back to the commercial bars again...never found one that was worth a dime. I'm gathering up my oils and tools today to make a batch of hubby/grandson soap...and just maybe another one for me and my daughters.
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Thanks for the well wishes. Getting these first bars cured out wil be the tough ones for sure but I cut one bar into 4 pieces so I can see the difference as the cure progresses. I’m trying to keep things simple as far as ingredients and stick with a primarily lard soap until I gage some results but there are sooo many options that sound good. One thing about this hobby, we use soap every day so unless I really hose something up it will not go to waste. My daughter has jumped on the aesthetic aspects, wife has scents, so I get to focus on recipes. 🤓
 
I have to laugh at your enthusiasm! I went down plenty of rabbit holes when I first got into soaping which was about 15 years ago. Now I am into KISS....even though it might seem like a great recipe or fun to make tomato soap...I keep it 3-4 ingredients or less. But then I'm also 15 years older! I no longer even think about doing swirls or other decorative stuff....still drool over the monthly challenges, but no desire to join in. It is nice that your whole family is interested in parts of soapmaking...what I hear from hubby is "what? another batch of soap? How many bars do we need?" He has changed his tune since he started using the soap...he was a Dial Gold man and only recently started using my soaps. Have fun, embrace all the rabbit holes you enter into!
 
Quilter99755 said:
I have to laugh at your enthusiasm! I went down plenty of rabbit holes when I first got into soaping which was about 15 years ago. Now I am into KISS....even though it might seem like a great recipe or fun to make tomato soap...I keep it 3-4 ingredients or less. But then I'm also 15 years older! I no longer even think about doing swirls or other decorative stuff....still drool over the monthly challenges, but no desire to join in. It is nice that your whole family is interested in parts of soapmaking...what I hear from hubby is "what? another batch of soap? How many bars do we need?" He has changed his tune since he started using the soap...he was a Dial Gold man and only recently started using my soaps. Have fun, embrace all the rabbit holes you enter into!
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This started as just a way to use excess lard. As I read up on making soap I saw recipes to help irritated skin, Lupus, and other conditions. My wife has Discoid Lupus and I’m on medication that is not nice to my skin. Our skin is the largest organ we have so anything we do to improve our skin or at least reduce its harm has to be a good thing. Plus, when my daughter is interested in learning something I’m an all-in geek with OCD. 🤓
 
Quilter99755 said:
I have to laugh at your enthusiasm! I went down plenty of rabbit holes when I first got into soaping which was about 15 years ago. Now I am into KISS.
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It seems to me like there are basically two types of soapers, the swirlers and the purists. I'm a swirler, the best part of soaping to me is seeing what lies in the cut, and always finding something (hopefully good, sometimes bad) that I didn't expect. I use FOs because they are cheaper than EOS, stick better, and they are fine for me and my giftees (no allergies/reactions to FOs in soap.) Re your analogy to recipes, I love cooking Asian food of all types, so am consistent there as well (last night's dinner was a curry with about 20 ingredients mixed in over about 10 steps/phases!).

The purists get the most joy from the simplicity of the creaminess of an often ungelled, naturally colored and EO scented bar, the delicate aroma of a natural fragrance even if it costs more and sticks less. I don't know if they are likely to be that way with food - @ Zing, any input here :)? I know that some people go back and forth between the two, or mix it up by, eg, doing a one color soap with a heavily piped top but it mostly seems like an "East is East" thing. Even when you love the results from the other side. I keep meaning to do a series of KISS soaps, then get distracted by a new swirl.

They both result in beautiful soap and immense satisfaction, I think.
 
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not_ally said:
It seems to me like there are basically two types of soapers, the swirlers and the purists. I'm a swirler, the best part of soaping to me is seeing what lies in the cut, and always finding something (hopefully good, sometimes bad) that I didn't expect. I use FOs because they are cheaper than EOS, stick better, and they are fine for me and my giftees (no allergies/reactions to FOs in soap.) Re your analogy to recipes, I love cooking Asian food of all types, so am consistent there as well (last night's dinner was a curry with about 20 ingredients mixed in over about 10 steps/phases!).

The purists get the most joy from the simplicity of the creaminess of an often ungelled, naturally colored and EO scented bar, the delicate aroma of a natural fragrance even if it costs more and sticks less. I don't know if they are likely to be that way with food - @ Zing, any input here :)? I know that some people go back and forth between the two, or mix it up by, eg, doing a one color soap with a heavily piped top but it mostly seems like an "East is East" thing. Even when you love the results from the other side. I keep meaning to do a series of KISS soaps, then get distracted by a new swirl.

They both result in beautiful soap and immense satisfaction, I think.
Click to expand...
Not sure I'd call myself a purist, but I do like simplicity. I seldom use EO's, love most scents that turn my soap darker...and it stays that way. I've tried a couple of swirls in my early soaping years and it was okay, love the way the soaps come out from the pull tool but not enough to buy one, or make one. Cooking has lost it's appeal...totally! After all these years of cooking my taste buds have changed and all I want to do is get it over with so something goes in my stomach.

However, I do have another hobby, quilting, which gets my attention. I love to try new things, although at my age I always try to make do with the tools I already have (along with You Tube vids) to see if I like a new process. I'm down to just three groups that I belong to plus a small group that gets together for a mini retreat each year. That's when I get out of my plain Jane mode and love to shine. It is where my "swirling" comes through. So I can be both a swirler and a purists, just not with the same hobby.
 
I am about 70 and have had thin skin for years. I also had HORRID allergies to just about anything I handled, some years I had to soak my hands in oatmeal before I could use them. (If you sew, be aware there is formaldehyde, toluene, etc in the fabric finishing. Washing fabrics before use will help a lot)

Anyway, I recently started making my own soap - came across this recipe using Olive, Coconut, Shea & Castor oils. It's a recipe from Almost Off Grid - Click here

I subbed aloe juice for the water (Walmart $10/gallon), divided the batter in half added some bentonite clay & turmeric in one part & activated charcoal in the other half just so I could try the swirly thing everyone is always doing LOL

I call it my 'detox' soap - I wash my hands probably 20 times a day (dogs/rabbits/chores/cooking/etc) MY HANDS ARE BETTER THAN THEY'VE BEEN IN DECADES! They look like 'normal' hands! No more bloody claws. It makes a nice soft thick lather.

The coconut oil is organic (Sam's Club, very cheap) also the Castor oil, but the others are just normal. I highly recommend this recipe.

Warning - it makes softish soap, so I rotate a few bars, allowing them to dry out after being at the sink about a week or so. Also, the SF is 5%, which I might lower to 3% on the next batch.

Hope this is helpful.
 
not_ally said:
It seems to me like there are basically two types of soapers, the swirlers and the purists. I'm a swirler, the best part of soaping to me is seeing what lies in the cut, and always finding something (hopefully good, sometimes bad) that I didn't expect. I use FOs because they are cheaper than EOS, stick better, and they are fine for me and my giftees (no allergies/reactions to FOs in soap.) Re your analogy to recipes, I love cooking Asian food of all types, so am consistent there as well (last night's dinner was a curry with about 20 ingredients mixed in over about 10 steps/phases!).

The purists get the most joy from the simplicity of the creaminess of an often ungelled, naturally colored and EO scented bar, the delicate aroma of a natural fragrance even if it costs more and sticks less. I don't know if they are likely to be that way with food - @ Zing, any input here :)? I know that some people go back and forth between the two, or mix it up by, eg, doing a one color soap with a heavily piped top but it mostly seems like an "East is East" thing. Even when you love the results from the other side. I keep meaning to do a series of KISS soaps, then get distracted by a new swirl.

They both result in beautiful soap and immense satisfaction, I think.
Click to expand...
Not sure what you mean by purist? I think of myself as a purist because I use mostly organic, no artificial colors, no additives - but I think swirling is super cool LOL.... I just made shampoo with charcoal - swirled black/white :) beautious as my mom would say!

IMG_20240214_133651617_BURST000_COVER.jpg


I don't sell it I just make labels for myself so it looks expensive LOLOL
 
Love your swirls but don't think the soap would like me...olive oil and anything higher than 5-10% coconut oil in soaps give me horrible itches. I have no allergies to the ingredients but in soap they do not treat my skin well at all...even with a long cure.

I do wash all of my fabrics prior to using them in quilting and the same with new clothes prior to wearing. It is my understanding that formaldehyde is used in fabric that is wrinkle free...mostly garments and draperies in cotton...but that most of the chemicals are removed by washing first. It is nice that you have found something to counteract your allergies.
 
Quilter99755 said:
Love your swirls but don't think the soap would like me...olive oil and anything higher than 5-10% coconut oil in soaps give me horrible itches. I have no allergies to the ingredients but in soap they do not treat my skin well at all...even with a long cure.

I do wash all of my fabrics prior to using them in quilting and the same with new clothes prior to wearing. It is my understanding that formaldehyde is used in fabric that is wrinkle free...mostly garments and draperies in cotton...but that most of the chemicals are removed by washing first. It is nice that you have found something to counteract your allergies.
Click to expand...
The swirly soap is not the detoxing one. Interesting how everyone reacts differently. I wash my hands with 100% Coconut / 0% SF dish soap (which is AWESOME) and have no problem. But the one with the 4 oils is wonderful & softening. Oddly I bought the shea butter to use for lotion, and it made my hands break out. I couldn't use shea butter by itself, but in soap, it's great & now I don't even use any lotions at all. I wonder if you tried organic if it would help? My hands used to be cracked & bleeding, they're great now. So glad I'm not sensitive to olive & coconut!
 
PaintyLiz said:
The swirly soap is not the detoxing one. Interesting how everyone reacts differently. I wash my hands with 100% Coconut / 0% SF dish soap (which is AWESOME) and have no problem. But the one with the 4 oils is wonderful & softening. Oddly I bought the shea butter to use for lotion, and it made my hands break out. I couldn't use shea butter by itself, but in soap, it's great & now I don't even use any lotions at all. I wonder if you tried organic if it would help? My hands used to be cracked & bleeding, they're great now. So glad I'm not sensitive to olive & coconut!
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I have no problem with olive or coconut oil on my skin. or ingested..but cannot tolerate it in soap. As they say, everyone's skin is different just as everyone reacts different with scents. I'm glad I found my sweet spot with soap and lotions
 
I think a lot of people have trouble with CO in soap, it is probably the most problematic oil with respect to skin response (as opposed to, eg, OO, where people don't react to it as much but a lot of people just don't like the way it feels past a small percentage.) I love the CO bubble effect, but since I have dry skin I limit it to 20% max, and really I probably should reduce that. I know many people here, like @Quilter99755, have to go considerably lower.
 
PaintyLiz said:
I am about 70 and have had thin skin for years. I also had HORRID allergies to just about anything I handled, some years I had to soak my hands in oatmeal before I could use them. (If you sew, be aware there is formaldehyde, toluene, etc in the fabric finishing. Washing fabrics before use will help a lot)

Anyway, I recently started making my own soap - came across this recipe using Olive, Coconut, Shea & Castor oils. It's a recipe from Almost Off Grid - Click here

I subbed aloe juice for the water (Walmart $10/gallon), divided the batter in half added some bentonite clay & turmeric in one part & activated charcoal in the other half just so I could try the swirly thing everyone is always doing LOL

I call it my 'detox' soap - I wash my hands probably 20 times a day (dogs/rabbits/chores/cooking/etc) MY HANDS ARE BETTER THAN THEY'VE BEEN IN DECADES! They look like 'normal' hands! No more bloody claws. It makes a nice soft thick lather.

The coconut oil is organic (Sam's Club, very cheap) also the Castor oil, but the others are just normal. I highly recommend this recipe.

Warning - it makes softish soap, so I rotate a few bars, allowing them to dry out after being at the sink about a week or so. Also, the SF is 5%, which I might lower to 3% on the next batch.

Hope this is helpful.
Click to expand...
Your oil choices are my basic recipe. I cook soap, so obviously I am not a swirler, lol. I do use persimmon oil for my personal soaps for my aging hormones. I have mild psoriasis, and the above oils appear to agree with my flairups.
 
Mommawolfe said:
Your oil choices are my basic recipe. I cook soap, so obviously I am not a swirler, lol. I do use persimmon oil for my personal soaps for my aging hormones. I have mild psoriasis, and the above oils appear to agree with my flairups.
Click to expand...
Forgot to mention...I replace most of the coconut oil with tallow for my persimmon soap...
 
So far organic coconut oil has been working very well for us. I hope it continues because it's a very economical source. Tallow is quite expensive and lard has ingredients I do not want in my soap like preservatives etc
 

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