# Has soap ever burned you in the nether regions?



## Soul_Healthy (Nov 22, 2014)

Ok. TMI...but I think the thread name provides enough info. My soap recipe is at 7% superfat with 35 coconut, 35 palm, 25 olive, and 5 shea butter. Is this the cause? What am I doing wrong? Have any of you experienced this? (Hp soap)


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## DWinMadison (Nov 22, 2014)

Any peppermint in your fragrance?


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## IrishLass (Nov 22, 2014)

I've personally never experienced that happening, but I've heard from a few other soapers that having too much cleansing power from coconut oil in their recipe will cause a bit of irritation down in the nether regions. Does it burn any other part of your body? If so, it's possible your soap could be lye-heavy. Have you checked for zap?

I took a look at your recipe on SoapCalc and it has a pretty high % of cleansing action going for it, with a fairly low amount of conditioning in comparison. Everyone's skin is different and some might be perfectly happy with that much cleansing power, but it looks to be too cleansing for my own likes. 

 This is just me, but if I were to make such a soap, I think I would want to superfat it by at least 10%.

 Also- Daryl brings up a good point about peppermint. That'll do it, too. My hubby tried one of my peppermint soaps once, and once was enough. He calls it my 'evil soap'. Nuff said.  



 IrishLass


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## Obsidian (Nov 22, 2014)

Peppermint soap is the only one I've experience that with but I'm sure other EO's could also cause it, things like cinnamon or clove.


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## Soul_Healthy (Nov 22, 2014)

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I have used peppermint before and I have no issues with it. This particular soap has clove essential oil in it and orange with real cinnamon. Do you think it's the clov or the superfat? My peppermint soap doesn't bother me, and it's probably a 6% or 7% sf.


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## IrishLass (Nov 22, 2014)

Real cinnamon is a well-known skin irritant, so that could be it.


 IrishLass


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## DWinMadison (Nov 22, 2014)

Soul_Healthy said:


> Thanks for the tips, everyone. I have used peppermint before and I have no issues with it. This particular soap has clove essential oil in it and orange with real cinnamon. Do you think it's the clov or the superfat? My peppermint soap doesn't bother me, and it's probably a 6% or 7% sf.



Peppermint will "put a tingle in your dingle," but cinnamon certainly can too. It would not be due to the superfat.


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## JustBeachy (Nov 22, 2014)

Yeah, I'm thinking you might have been a little heavy on the cinnamon. Cinnamon goes great on toast, not so much on the privates.


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## Soul_Healthy (Nov 22, 2014)

Could it be the clove? I used cinnamon in another recipe, but it didn't bother me. It was used along with nutmeg, clove, allspice and ginger. It was a pumpkin spice blend from the grocery store. This has straight up cinnamon, but not even a whole  half a teaspoon probably. I used a good two tablespoons of the pumpkin spice blend in the other soap. What gives? Is it the clove EO?


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## Obsidian (Nov 22, 2014)

It could be a combo of all the above. I made a orange Cinnamon and it burned my face.


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## Susie (Nov 22, 2014)

To even be able to guess, we are, at the very least, going to need the total amount of oils and the amount of clove EO.


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## new12soap (Nov 22, 2014)

Sounds like you have a lot of factors working against you, there. Kirk's Castile is 100% coconut oil soap and I can't use it, it is way too harsh for me. It could be your recipe, could be the cinnamon. I used a soap with too much Fragrance oil that had cinnamon as one component and it burned my hands, thank heaven I didn't use it in the shower! Could be the clove, could be a combination of everything.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 22, 2014)

Clove bud EO it is not recommended for skin use above 0.5%. Not only that, but the eugenol in clove will accelerate trace when making soap.


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## jules92207 (Nov 22, 2014)

Yup, high coconut, cinnamon and clove - could be a bit much depending on your percentages.


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## Soul_Healthy (Nov 23, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies.


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## Soul_Healthy (Nov 23, 2014)

I gave the amount of oils on my first post. I did 1/2 ounce clove and 1/2 ounce orange. This was for a two pound batch.


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## new12soap (Nov 23, 2014)

Yikes!

If my math is correct (and it may not be, haven't had my coffee yet), it looks like you used something like three times the maximum safe amount of clove! Uh, yeah, I think that may be the problem!

To be honest, I would leave things like clove and cinnamon in the kitchen. They are so very potent you can only safely use a very small amount, and even then someone with sensitive skin might still have a problem.


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## cmzaha (Nov 23, 2014)

I cannot use even my mildest soap in some areas, even the soap with no fo, eo with 0 cleansing. I have one daughter that cannot use handmade soap anywhere, she has to use surfactant based bars. Unfortunetly handmade soap is not an answer for everyone.


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## grumpy_owl (Nov 23, 2014)

Sounds as if our very smart forumites spotted the problem--high amounts of irritant EOs like cinnamon and clove. But in general, check the properties of the FO or EO you're buying and caveat emptor, or caveat soaptor. For me, I've had eye-opening results with my peppermint soap on the bathing-suit areas. Not my finest hour.


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## cmzaha (Nov 23, 2014)

grumpy_owl said:


> Sounds as if our very smart forumites spotted the problem--high amounts of irritant EOs like cinnamon and clove. But in general, check the properties of the FO or EO you're buying and caveat emptor, or caveat soaptor. For me, I've had eye-opening results with my peppermint soap on the bathing-suit areas. Not my finest hour.


Ouchie...I pout warning labels on my peppermint soaps


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## Susie (Nov 23, 2014)

It could be either, or it could just be soap.  Some women are extremely sensitive to any type of cleanser "there" and it becomes a water only cleansing zone.


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## MarisaJensen (Nov 23, 2014)

I haven't had soap burn me in any region but when I use mentha piperita EO I always get a cooling tingle in my skin and a special tingle where the sun doesn't shine. Family makes fun of me and says I should make a lube to go with the soap. lol


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## Soul_Healthy (Nov 24, 2014)

Soapcalc.net says an ounce of FO or EO for every 2 lbs. I thought I was on the safe side because I only used half an ounce. (Of clove). And I only used just 1/8 of a tsp or so of actual powdered cinnamon. So that's like a horrible amount?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 24, 2014)

Pretty much. The safe amounts for some EOs are well below the safe amounts for others. 

I think for clove it is 0.5% of the oil weight - don't take my word as gospel, though


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## new12soap (Nov 24, 2014)

The soapcalc default is half an ounce per pound of oil, but that does NOT indicate safe usage rates.

Essential oils and fragrance oils have usage rates that are considered "safe" based on their components. Some fragrance oils are not skin safe at all and can only be used for candles or home fragrancing, some are safe for skin but only in very small amounts, and some are safe at higher rates than you would probably ever need.

Same with essential oils. Some can be used "neat" or full strength, some can only be used in very small amounts, and some are just not a good idea for use on skin at all.

Clove oil contains strong irritants and should not be used at a rate any higher than zero point five percent, one half of one percent, so less than one-sixth of the amount soapcalc defaults to.

Please please PLEASE everyone, check with your supplier for safe usage rates! If they do not list them on their website, email them and request it. If you cannot safely determine the correct maximum usage rates, LEAVE IT OUT. I would not put something that I do not know for certain is edible in my food, I will not put something I don't know for certain is skin safe into my B&B products! Oh, and being able to eat it doesn't make it safe to use on skin, either.

Okay, stepping off soapbox now...


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## Logansama (Nov 24, 2014)

jules92207 said:


> Yup, high coconut, cinnamon and clove - could be a bit much depending on your percentages.




I agree, I only have that issue with soaps that are a bit higher on the coconut and lower on the olive. I don't make spice soaps anymore for the same reason.


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## lenarenee (Nov 24, 2014)

Lemongrass eo can be irritating for women. Haven't heard about men.


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## biarine (Dec 29, 2014)

My husband had face irritation with bergamot eo before sometimes citrus oil can irritate skin even the lovely lemongrass and geranium


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## normajean999 (Jan 2, 2015)

Hi. I am just starting out too but I was just wondering this same thing.  Funny that I found this thread.  I made two batches of CPHP. One was 100% EVOO and the other was 50% EVOO and 50% CO 76 deg.  I didn't put in any fragrance as I have sensitive skin and I also figured I wanted to wait until I have some solid experience before I tried adding any.  Anyways after a week cure I tried the 50/50 bar. I mainly made it for my DH as he doesn't care about it drying his skin.  I tried it on my body (but not my face as it is the most sensitive area for me) and it was fine.  But as soon as I used it on as you said the nether regions - instant burning!  Today I tried the 100% EVOO on face and the other area and no problem.  So for me anyways the CO was definitely an issue.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 2, 2015)

As I said in the other thread, 50% co at 5% sf is above the limits for most people! Give it the full 4+ weeks cure (hp needs a full cure, regardless of what some people might think) and see how it improves


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## normajean999 (Jan 2, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> As I said in the other thread, 50% co at 5% sf is above the limits for most people! Give it the full 4+ weeks cure (hp needs a full cure, regardless of what some people might think) and see how it improves



Will do. Thanks!


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## hud (Feb 17, 2015)

From dealing with specialists when I was working in the medical field those areas are not supposed to touched with any type of soap at all.


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