# Milk Soap for toddler and adult with Eczema?



## JayJay (Mar 6, 2015)

Hello All,

I just started making soap and I am totally hooked.  My coworker mentioned that her toddler and her husband both have eczema.  Right away, I offered to make them some soap! I rushed home and started googling. I thought it would be easy to find advice on the best ingredients to use for baby soap suitable for sensitive skin.  I found so much information that I don't feel like I am any closer to making my recipe.  

What I read is that good soap won't necessarily heal the eczema, but it could stop drying it out and stop irritating it.  So thinking along that line, I figure any mild unscented formula would work.  Am I on target?

Couple more questions...

1.  Has anyone had success with milk soap for babies and/or eczema?  If so, does it matter whether it is goat or cow or buttermilk?  I have seen recipes for buttermilk baby soap and I have also seen lots of articles on goat milk.  What's the real difference in terms of what ends up in the final product? 

2.    I am not planning to use any scents or essential oils, but I was planning to use a combination of oils to try and produce some lather. The baby likes bubbles. I was thinking of using maybe 10% CO, and 5% castor oil, and the rest olive oil. Does this seem okay?  Or, is it better to keep it simple and pure with just one oil (100% OO) with no milk?

3. How much should I superfat?  

Any other suggestions or advice? :idea:

Thank you so much in advance.  I will be so happy if this turns out well.


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## Lindy (Mar 6, 2015)

Try a Goat Milk & Honey soap with a 5% superfat.


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## Confused_Penguin (Mar 6, 2015)

I wish I can help you but I have not used milk in any of my soaps yet, but I know a lot about eczema-- been suffering from it for years.

Castor oil does a body good, along with shea butter, coconut oil, Olive oil, avocado oil as well. If you do 100% Olive oil it's going to take a long time for it to cure and if you don't mind waiting 6 months or so then you can do it without milk. 

Oatmeal is also great, just don't put too much or it might make it too scratchy for the baby. I would stick with 5% superfat but please be careful with the honey-- I heard infants/babies cannot use them because they might have a severe reaction. I'm not sure if that is limited to consuming but better safe than sorry. I hope this helps


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## Lindy (Mar 6, 2015)

Babies under 6 months should not use honey as their immunity system is unable to handle it.  Oatmeal will be too scratchy but you can make it into a milk which would also be soothing.  A soap that is high in Olive Oil, around 70%, will cure up nicely in 4 weeks and ready to use.  Include other things like tallow/lard as ingredients and yes castor oil is good too.  On your lye calculator you are looking for high conditioning and creamy lather.


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## mx5inpenn (Mar 6, 2015)

Since you said toddler, I wouldn't worry about the honey.  It's suggested not to give honey only for the first year. 

If no one objects to animal fats, you might want to add lard.  I'm new to making soap, but not new to buying homemade. I've bought for a long time from a friend that doesn't use animal fats.  The first batch I made was 55% lard, 15% coconut, 25% olive and 5% castor with 5% superfat.  It's cured for about 8 weeks now and wow!  I have always loved my friend's soap, but what a huge difference the lard made!!


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the help. 

I think I will combine all the advice here and see how it goes in the morning.

Question- When adding honey, do I need to subtract the weight of the honey from the water amount? Or does it matter if I add it at the end? 

I'm not sure how she would feel about lard. But I can tell you that I am dying to try a batch of lard soap for myself. Thanks for the recipe. This will be my next batch. 

I built a recipe that is mostly OO, with CO, avocado oil, Shea butter and castor oil. According to the soap calc, it is a 28 in hardness, 13 in cleansing and a 69 in conditioning. I hope that translates into a nice soap. I don't have enough experience to know how those numbers translate into real feel in the shower.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 7, 2015)

I would make that with lard instead of olive. Unless she is a strict vegan/veggie/Muslim/Jew then I think she might well prefer results rather than certain ingredients. 

As it stands, your recipe has a lot of soft oils and will need a fairly long cure. Swap the olive to lard and that changes things considerably.

Eta - I might also lower the co to 15% and put the extra 5% in to the olive or lard, depending on your route. Put in sugar at 2% of your oil weight to make up for the lack of bubbles. 

Also, you mention Shea but I don't see it in the recipe itself.


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## cmzaha (Mar 7, 2015)

I would suggest you try to determine what this child is allergic to before designing a soap. If he or she has allergic flareup type eczema it can be dangerous. Ironically with my eczema I am better off with my skin being on the dry side to heal. My skin loves salt in all forms. As a child my mom was told by my doctor to give me oatmeal baths well that sent me to the hospital. Shea has some of the same properties as latex so anyone allergic to latex shea is not a recommendation. I also recently found out that papaya contains latex, now I know why I could never eat papayas. I was recently asked at my booth about a soap for a gals child with rash type eczema. After we finished talking about it she agreed it would be best to talk to his doctor about what should or should not be used. In a nut shell I would NOT rush into making a soap for someone else's child, you are taking on a big responsibility. I sell a lot of soap, but I am the first to admit it is not for everyone. To this day I cannot use handmade soap full body. Sorry for the rant, but I am very very cautious and maybe a bit paranoid when it comes to allergies. If the child likes bubbles find a nice gentle natural melt and pour. My granddaughter is not allowed to use any soap other than our m&p sls free soap. She is very allergic to all other soaps. 
As for your recipe I would certainly lower the coconut oil to 15% or so and lower the castor to 5% maybe add in some lard or palm and lower the OO. Avocado oil is great as long as the user is not allergic to it.


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## Susie (Mar 7, 2015)

If you just started making soap, you are not ready to give your soap away to co-workers for their family.  Especially if there are allergies involved.  You need to understand your oils better, and get your process down before taking this on.

You need to ask your co-worker if they have a list of allergies from the doctor. If so, get a copy and go start looking up all cross allergies to every one listed.  Then avoid using any of those. The list may be quite extensive.  If there is no list from the doctor, I would not make soap for them.  Period.  You are asking for problems.

Then ask if they have tried something like Dr. Bronner's.  It is nothing special, but it is at least true soap, not syndet.


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

Wow, thanks everyone for the good information.  

I am sufficiently scared out of doing this for her. But since I am all geared up to make soap, I will make this batch for me and my husband instead.  

I'm going to swap out the OO for Lard, lower the CO to 15%, add sugar, and see how it turns out.  I also have sensitive skin (not eczema) and I think I would enjoy the batch myself!  I will hold off on scenting it just in case it comes out well and I end up giving her some to try. I asked about allergies for her husband and her son.  One of them has an allergy to  penicillin.  

The Efficacious Gentleman -- When do I add the sugar?

cmzaha -- What makes melt and pour soap safer than homemade (or store brands)?


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## Susie (Mar 7, 2015)

You take one ounce of water out of the total, heat it up and melt the sugar in there, then dump that into your oils.  

Try something like this, I think you will love it.

Coconut Oil 15%
Olive Oil 20-25%
Castor Oil 5%(got to have my lather)
The remainder in lard.  
Superfat 5-8%(I do not like higher superfat, I think it decreases my lather)
Sugar 1 tsp/PPO

Cure minimum 4-6 weeks.  Then please let us know what you think, so we can help you tweak it to your preferences.(Might be wise to start a new thread then with the recipe and what you think of it.)


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

Thanks!   Can't wait!


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## lionprincess00 (Mar 7, 2015)

I wanted to mention, milk is an irritant. Many have dairy allergies, and most young infants are sensitive to it. It can take a toddler until 2 or 3 to stop being "irritated " to dairy. My baby seemed to have a dairy problem as I nursed, and cut out dairy, and she didn't seem to be nearly as colicy as before.

It is considered an inflammatory food as well. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and I've read numerous things on inflammatory foods, dairy being a huge one. I would not do any milk for eczema. It's an inflammation of the skin and milk may in fact irritate it more than help it.


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## pamielynn (Mar 7, 2015)

***slightly off topic***

As always, I'm confused about the warnings about food allergies when it relates to soap. I have several customers and friends with real, diagnosed food allergies (nuts, Celiac's) who use my soap exclusively and have never worried about a reaction since they are not eating the soap. My soaps contain almond oil and milks. They know what's in the soap and still use it without a problem. 

Can someone really explain to me why they warn off about possible food allergens in soaps (honey, milks, nuts, etc). Thanks!


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## lionprincess00 (Mar 7, 2015)

After a short Google, milk is one of the most inflammatory foods. 

Wait, just read you're scared outta doing it lol! Well, Carolyn had great advice, and Susie has a great starter recipe. I'd stick to 20% or less coconut, personally, then see if you like it and adjust from there.


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## lillybella (Mar 7, 2015)

cmzaha said:


> I would suggest you try to determine what this child is allergic to before designing a soap. If he or she has allergic flareup type eczema it can be dangerous. Ironically with my eczema I am better off with my skin being on the dry side to heal. My skin loves salt in all forms. As a child my mom was told by my doctor to give me oatmeal baths well that sent me to the hospital. Shea has some of the same properties as latex so anyone allergic to latex shea is not a recommendation. I also recently found out that papaya contains latex, now I know why I could never eat papayas. I was recently asked at my booth about a soap for a gals child with rash type eczema. After we finished talking about it she agreed it would be best to talk to his doctor about what should or should not be used. In a nut shell I would NOT rush into making a soap for someone else's child, you are taking on a big responsibility. I sell a lot of soap, but I am the first to admit it is not for everyone. To this day I cannot use handmade soap full body. Sorry for the rant, but I am very very cautious and maybe a bit paranoid when it comes to allergies. If the child likes bubbles find a nice gentle natural melt and pour. My granddaughter is not allowed to use any soap other than our m&p sls free soap. She is very allergic to all other soaps.
> As for your recipe I would certainly lower the coconut oil to 15% or so and lower the castor to 5% maybe add in some lard or palm and lower the OO. Avocado oil is great as long as the user is not allergic to it.



I am allergic to dairy which triggers my  eczema. I would never use milk in my soap. I use a castile soap - 100% olive oil. Avocado Oil in a body butter has been my answer. When dealing with allergies, it can be very tricky, because even if you use something that the person is not allergic to at the time a cross allergy can develop to something you are using.

I really try to not get involved with customers who have allergies but advise that they go to a dermatologist.


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## lionprincess00 (Mar 7, 2015)

Well, I see it as milk allergies can cause a systemic reaction, and not just a gut problem. There's been instances where children around peanuts, just getting the oils onto their skin, can cause anaphylactic reaction (in the most extreme cases). Since its the casein in dairy, a protein, that causes allergies and not the fats which would be saponified, I'd be severely reluctant to let a sensitive dairy person rub the protein onto their body.

I'm not talking about lactose, the sugar, sensitive within the gut nor the fats which are turned into a salt, but rather the protein that I have zero idea what becomes of it after saponification. So I'd say be safe rather than sorry. 

Casein sensitivity was my youngest child's problem as I nursed and any dairy ingested on my part caused reactions onto her. A dairy casein issue from breastmilk after I injested it. I had to cut out all dairy and such.


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

Thanks lionprincess00!  That is definitely good to know.  I wasn't going to put it in my soap because I am allergic to milk proteins. But I didn't think about it being an irritant to others.


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## Dahila (Mar 7, 2015)

I consider myself a newbie too,  However is already two years of making soaps and I started from lotions , scrubs, creams........... My grandchild and son suffer with awful eczema and they react very well to lard soaps.  I use OO infused with calendula or camomile.   It seem to help too.  Lotion or cream is more important than soap.  Make a gentle soap, I agree with Efficacious Gentleman  
Add sugar to your water Before lye.  Sugar must be dissolved completely.  You must lower Coconut oil to 15 , it is known to dry the skin,  With eczema it is important to keep skin moisturized.   
BTW do not make this soap for baby, no one should experiment on babies. I think they need lower PH than the cp soap offers. Then allergies ...........
Make the soap for your family take a year or so.  Then you will know a lot and you can gift it to friends or sell.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 7, 2015)

I'm a newbie too and I have rosacea which has similar issues that those with eczema have. I am so excited to see this thread because I have been wanting to eventually create a facial soap for myself that will cleanse while not stripping all of the oils from my skin and inflaming my rosacea. I really appreciate all the sharing you guys do with your recipe knowledge and knowledge of how certain ingredient affect the skin. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to try out a few of the suggestions here and see if I can't come up with something that might finally help me. *HUGS* to all!


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

This family does not have any known food allergies.  Maybe there is an allergy that they don't know about.  Or maybe the irritant is something in the the environment that has nothing to do with food.  The husband had a reaction to a lavender fabric softener once. When she told me about this, I thought that they may be irritated by the ton of additives that are in commercial products.  I just assumed that homemade stuff would be better.  But I see that may not be the case.

I was also going to make them some unscented laundry soap with 100%co mixed with washing soda.  I have made this for myself already and it stopped my own irritation.  I don't have eczema, but I was itchy under my clothes before I switched over to my own laundry soap.   

Either way, I don't want to make the situation worse.    So I will refrain from "helping" them. LOL.


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## JayJay (Mar 7, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> I'm a newbie too and I have rosacea which has similar issues that those with eczema have. I am so excited to see this thread because I have been wanting to eventually create a facial soap for myself that will cleanse while not stripping all of the oils from my skin and inflaming my rosacea. I really appreciate all the sharing you guys do with your recipe knowledge and knowledge of how certain ingredient affect the skin. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to try out a few of the suggestions here and see if I can't come up with something that might finally help me. *HUGS* to all!



Please do, and let us know how it goes! My next adventure will be facial soap.  There is so much to learn isn't there!?!?!


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## Susie (Mar 7, 2015)

pamielynn said:


> ***slightly off topic***
> 
> As always, I'm confused about the warnings about food allergies when it relates to soap. I have several customers and friends with real, diagnosed food allergies (nuts, Celiac's) who use my soap exclusively and have never worried about a reaction since they are not eating the soap. My soaps contain almond oil and milks. They know what's in the soap and still use it without a problem.
> 
> Can someone really explain to me why they warn off about possible food allergens in soaps (honey, milks, nuts, etc). Thanks!



This almost got lost in the bunch of posts.  

Most people won't react to the oils used in soaps.  Probably 99.5% or more.  However, you have that 0.5% chance that they might.  And since anyone can become allergic to anything at any time, without warning, you do not want someone's toddler having an allergic reaction to your soap.  Also, as the percentage of people developing life threatening allergic reactions to foods is at an all time high, I would err on the side of caution and label everything and let the buyer beware.  

The OP is a brand new soaper, and had she been making the soap for herself or her family, I would not have said a single word to the contrary.  However, it was for a co-worker's child and hubby.  Who have eczema already, so there is a high likelihood of some sort of allergy going on.  And, with further information from the OP, it is an undiagnosed allergy.  Which is the worst kind, because neither they nor the OP know what the problem is.  So, she would be basically shooting in the dark trying to figure out what soap is safe.


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## Susie (Mar 7, 2015)

JayJay said:


> Please do, and let us know how it goes! My next adventure will be facial soap.  There is so much to learn isn't there!?!?!



So much to learn!  Every single day I still learn something new about soapmaking.  Every. Single. Day.  It's wonderful!


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## Lindy (Mar 7, 2015)

As far as allergies go, every ingredient has someone allergic to it which is why proper and complete labeling is just sooooooo important.  I'm a bit of a fanatic about labeling because it really is that important.

Steps off "soap" box.


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## pamielynn (Mar 7, 2015)

Lindy said:


> As far as allergies go, every ingredient has someone allergic to it which is why proper and complete labeling is just sooooooo important.  I'm a bit of a fanatic about labeling because it really is that important.
> 
> Steps off "soap" box.



I'm not asking about  labeling - I agree with proper labeling, of course. But anybody can be allergic to anything. Lots of people claim to have coconut allergies (and I don't doubt them), but no one seems to worry about that - so I just wondered why so many worry about the other ingredients. I am NOT trying to start a fight; I really am curious, that's all.

But we can save it for another discussion  I don't really want to hijack this thread - the thought just popped up in my head when I saw the dairy and honey warnings.


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## Jstar (Mar 8, 2015)

Not to derail, but to those who have dairy allergies..has anyone tried coconut milk? I use that in all my soaps now and I love it


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## Lindy (Mar 8, 2015)

JStar that was something I was thinking about as well.


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## jules92207 (Mar 8, 2015)

I'm with Jstar and Lindy, since I have tried coconut milk in my soaps I don't use any other "milk". Highly recommend for your experimenting purposes.


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## Susie (Mar 8, 2015)

pamielynn said:


> I'm not asking about  labeling - I agree with proper labeling, of course. But anybody can be allergic to anything. Lots of people claim to have coconut allergies (and I don't doubt them), but no one seems to worry about that - so I just wondered why so many worry about the other ingredients. I am NOT trying to start a fight; I really am curious, that's all.



I am not quite sure what you mean there, but let me try to answer this. (If I miss what your question was, please correct me!) 

Coconut allergies are part of the whole latex cross reactive list:

http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food

As well as cross reactive for other food allergies:

http://www.aaaai.org/ask-the-expert/potential-cross-reactivity-between-peanut-coconut.aspx

So we go back to the whole 99.5% of people won't react to the oils made into soap from things they are allergic to.  Why?  Because you react to the proteins in the item, not the oil.  The vast majority of oils contain none of the proteins.  Then you expose what protein may remain in the oil to that whole lye/saponification process, and what little was there gets changed to something the body won't react to.  

BUT you still have that 0.5%(or so) percent chance that someone will, in spite of the low chance, have a reaction to the soap.  And that reaction could very well be life threatening.  Not something I would chance on a co-worker's child.

Silk, milk, oatmeal, and the vast majority of other food type additives all contain proteins from the products.  That is why one of the first things we suggest to people who are trying to make soap for their own allergies is not to add anything at first.  They need to figure out if they will react to the saponified oils before complicating the process.  Then you add ONE new factor like essential oil or color at the time.  Let it cure and test it before moving onto another.


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## JayJay (Mar 8, 2015)

Susie said:


> I am not quite sure what you mean there, but let me try to answer this. (If I miss what your question was, please correct me!)
> 
> Coconut allergies are part of the whole latex cross reactive list:
> 
> ...



Okay-- This is one of the things that I was curious about. I know that lye breaks down oil, but doesn't it also break down protein? Isn't it the ingredient in the drain cleaner that melts the hair that is clogging the drain? It is also used in hair relaxers to break down the texture of the hair (I'm not a cosmetologist, so someone correct me if I have misspoken).  So would I be okay using milk in my soap with my milk allergy?  I should also mention that I don't go into anaphylaxis or anything.  All of my symptoms are more like illness than swelling or anything life threatening.  I know that allergies can morph over time, and I know that there is always a chance for a reaction.  I would use it at my own risk.  I guess I want some theoretical hypothesizing.  

AND while we are talking about this, let me ask one more question to make sure that one of my assumptions was right.  I read somewhere that using milk lowers the pH of the soap, which would make it a milder soap.  Is that correct?  If it does not work that way, then I wouldn't even waste my time money adding milk.


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## JayJay (Mar 8, 2015)

pamielynn said:


> I'm not asking about  labeling - I agree with proper labeling, of course. But anybody can be allergic to anything. Lots of people claim to have coconut allergies (and I don't doubt them), but no one seems to worry about that - so I just wondered why so many worry about the other ingredients. I am NOT trying to start a fight; I really am curious, that's all.
> 
> But we can save it for another discussion  I don't really want to hijack this thread - the thought just popped up in my head when I saw the dairy and honey warnings.



Hey I am the OP, moderators may disagree , but IMO this is not a hijack.  It is totally relevant to allergies, eczema, and what is harmful vs helpful vs insignificant.

I am a total nerd so the debate helps expand my understanding.


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## JayJay (Mar 8, 2015)

Jstar said:


> Not to derail, but to those who have dairy allergies..has anyone tried coconut milk? I use that in all my soaps now and I love it



I have used before.... in my first bar, and it was kind of an accident.  My mix got too dry (hot process) and I added coconut milk to add moisture, simply because I love using it for cooking and had some on hand.  I can't really say how it helped or hurt the soap because there were so many other things "wrong" with that batch that there are too many variables to say.  It is my husband's favorite soap so far.  I find it too cleansing, but that is because there was too much CO used. 

Question -- What do you love about coconut milk in your soap?  Does it lower the ph, make it creamy, help lather?  People like using milk (from what I understand) because of the sugar and the lactic acid.  What are the benefits of using coconut milk?


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## Susie (Mar 8, 2015)

Milk will not significantly lower the pH of your soap.  You probably need to be reading this thread if you are even worried about pH in soap:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=498945#post498945

Lye will change/break* some* of the proteins.  Not all.  Which is fine for you to take a risk by making your own soap for your own use.  It is on you if you have a reaction.  And there is a difference between a true allergy and an intolerance for other reasons.  While I don't doubt that you know what you have, other people are not so specific when telling you what they are "allergic" to.

I have made soap with milks, and the same soaps without milks.  I was not impressed with adding the milks.  Your results could be entirely different.  You may want to do some blind tests with willing subjects(aka family) to see whether they can tell the difference of the soap with milk, and the soap without.  Mine could not tell.  That was the end of me adding milk for our personal use.

And I think this is not a hijack, either.  It is entirely on the subject of allergies/eczema.


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## Obsidian (Mar 8, 2015)

Last year a member did a test with milk soap vs non milk. I was one of the testers and honestly, I saw absolutely no difference in the milk soap. The lather, creaminess and skin feel was the same with both bars. I've tried a few other soaps with milk and nothing stands out as being special.
Coconut milk on the other hand, makes a difference, at least to me. It give a creamier, more luxuriant lather and it doesn't discolor or smell icky like animal milk can.


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## Lindy (Mar 8, 2015)

I must be strange but I do see a difference between my goat milk soap and my non-milk soap. I absolutely love milk soaps including coconut milk...

I think the most luxurious bar I ever made had GM, Half & Half Cream, Buttermilk, Coconut Milk, & Yogurt in it. It was a challenge soap on another forum and it was amazing.... People with super-sensitive skin really liked it.


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## Chefmom (Mar 8, 2015)

One of the downfalls with eczema is the fact that it is different with each person.  What works for me doesn't necessarily work for another person.  

I developed eczema on my right hand that covered my palm and between my fingers and around to the top of my hand when I was 20.  In the beginning it would flair up and then seem to almost go away....but it always returned.  I called it my stress hand for awhile because stress made it burn and itch worse than anything I have ever experienced.

Jump forward 20 years, it got worse and worse to the point that it never went away...it was bad and then worse and then less than worse, but horrid just the same.  At the worst cracks developed that were 1/4-inch deep and the skin would flake and bleed and it was painful to just use my hand for anything.  As a cake designer/baker I ended up wearing gloves all the time, and that just made my hands sweat and made it all worse.

In those 20 years I dropped every chemical cleaning agent and went all natural for everything.  I sourced every cream, lotion, over the counter and prescription.  Steroid cream only took the edge off the itchiness, but never ended it...  

My first step in the right direction came from using the homemade soap my aunt made.  Instead of lubbing up with lotion after every time I washed my hands, they felt softer.  The eczema was still there, but it was easier to live with.  I used her soap for a couple of years before finally making my own.  My breakthough didn't come until I finally started learning about herbalism.  

Many simple healing herbs were weeds growing in my yard.  Only after I started picking these herbs and schmearing them onto my hand and did it several times a day for weeks did I begin to see improvement.  It took the entire summer, and I also infused these herbs into oil and made a balm to get through the winter.  It took about 7-9 months total for my hand to look completely normal, no more red itchy splitting skin that burned constantly.

I now make infused oils for my soaps, and for hand salves.  In my experience a good soap helped my skin condition but it didn't heal it.  Once I was actually healed, and my skin had elasticity again, then soap alone helped keep it from returning.  I have never had it flair up again.  In the deep winter I might see a small patch of dry on the base of my palm and I immediately break out the infused oils for a day or so and it is gone again.  I use a homemade salve and an occasional lotion, depending on how much work I'm doing and how I feel, but my days of never being an arms reach from the lotion bottle are gone.

Getting checked out by a doctor is always a good thing.  The first thing they check for is liver issues, many skin conditions are signs of liver malfunction.  Also they usually only prescribe steroid creams, which can't be used long term....and never helped me.

The very first thing I would recommend and the simplest is to infuse chamomile tea bags in almond or avocado oil in a gentle simmering water bath for about 3 hours.  Cool, remove the tea bags, and store in the refrigerator.  Remove a small amount each day and warm to room temp and schmear on the inflamed skin.  Chamomile is a gentle healing herb and the oil is absorbed in the skin.  If you have access to calendula, burdock leaf (spring harvest is best), plantain leaf (narrow leaf or regular), yarrow leaf or flowers and comfrey by all means use any of them or all of them.


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## Dahila (Mar 8, 2015)

Chefmom have you ever infused stinging nettle?  It is very healing especially for allergies, and eczema is a kind of allergy.  I use infused oils in all my body butters.  I do not have eczema but I suffered with atopic dermatitis from the moment I was born;  till I started to make my cosmetics and soap ) Soap will not heal eczema, but gentle soap will not irritate skin 
Soap scum or not soap scum , I would not go back to commercial soaps as long as I am able to make my own


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## Chefmom (Mar 8, 2015)

Dahila said:


> Chefmom have you ever infused stinging nettle?  It is very healing especially for allergies, and eczema is a kind of allergy.  I use infused oils in all my body butters.  I do not have eczema but I suffered with atopic dermatitis from the moment I was born;  till I started to make my cosmetics and soap ) Soap will not heal eczema, but gentle soap will not irritate skin
> Soap scum or not soap scum , I would not go back to commercial soaps as long as I am able to make my own



I have not used stinging nettle...yet.  It wasn't something that I could source myself...meaning it didn't grow wild, and I really didn't want to infuse my garden with a known noxious weed that is difficult to deal with.  I did recently find nettle tea bags in the natural store, so that is on my list to give a go to soon.  
http://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Dahila (Mar 8, 2015)

chefmom some suppliers carry Stinging Nettle leaf , which is much better than the tea


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## Lindy (Mar 8, 2015)

I have a client with eczema that also cracks his hands.  I make a Pine Tar & Lanolin bar (other ingredients of course) and he swears by it for helping.


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## Jstar (Mar 9, 2015)

JayJay said:


> Question -- What do you love about coconut milk in your soap? Does it lower the ph, make it creamy, help lather? People like using milk (from what I understand) because of the sugar and the lactic acid. What are the benefits of using coconut milk?


 


> Obsidian:
> Coconut milk on the other hand, makes a difference, at least to me. It give a creamier, more luxuriant lather and it doesn't discolor or smell icky like animal milk can.


 
^^ This 

I also notice a bit more moisture retention feeling in my skin with coconut milk soaps, compared to ones without...and I get big fluffy lather with loads of bubbles..which I MUST have or Im not happy 



Lindy said:


> I think the most luxurious bar I ever made had GM, Half & Half Cream, Buttermilk, Coconut Milk, & Yogurt in it. It was a challenge soap on another forum and it was amazing.... People with super-sensitive skin really liked it.


 
Ohhhhh that bar sounds amazing! I'd prolly not get out of the bath for hours using that LOL


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## Susie (Mar 9, 2015)

I am willing to try CM or GM soap again, just please tell me how much you use, and how you add it.  I was so excited to try it the first time, only to be disappointed.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 9, 2015)

I too notice a difference in my soaps made with CM, GM and I love Buttermilk and 1/2 & 1/2.   I think it give with soap a creaminess and all together soft feeling to my skin that I don't notice when not using them.


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## Jstar (Mar 10, 2015)

Susie, I use coconut milk at 100%, frozen, {Goya brand in a can}and add my lye to it while keeping my lye container in an ice bath..it gets a bit thick, but thats ok..I mix it a little longer than I would other liquids just to make sure all the lye has had time to dissolve.

Then I add to my oils {I soap cool..90-100} and once its in the mold it goes into the fridge for a few hrs.

What happened with your milk soap?


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## Susie (Mar 10, 2015)

I used that method, with 100% water replacement.  And the split method with evaporated GM.

Nothing bad happened to my milk soaps.  It is just that no one could tell that anything was different from the same recipe made with water.  And I am allergic to doing extra steps for no benefit.  I still have CM and GM that I would like to use up, as a matter of fact, so I was hoping I missed something someone else was doing to improve it.


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