# Some soaps burn my skin



## Ana C (Sep 19, 2009)

Does anybody know, why some soaps irritates the skin? I thought the lye is gone and turn into a chemical changed after lye is poured into the oils. Why soaps still burn your skin? I had a very bad experience yesterday after shower.


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## cleanwater (Sep 19, 2009)

Not sure in this particular case... Made correctly, the lye is all reacted with the fats, so no leftover lye to burn the skin.  Is this soap you made?  Or was it given to you/bought by you?  Do you have the recipe?
Some people are sensitive to different EOs or FOs.  Some EOs or FOs can be particularly irritating (some of the mints in strong doses for example).  Some herbs/spices can be irritating (cinnamon for example).  Some folks are even sensitive to different oils in heir soap, I know a couple of people on the forum can't even use coconut oil.


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2009)

if you made it yourself , did you check it for zap (excess lye ) ?


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## dagmar88 (Sep 19, 2009)

Like Cleanwater said; when handmade soap is made by a experienced soapmaker following a well checked recipe, there shouldn't be any lye left. You can test your soap for being lye heavy by licking it. When it is, it will 'zap' you.
My guess you have experienced a sensitive or allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients. Did this soap have an INCI (ingredient list)? If it does, or if you are able to get this info from the soapmaker, that would be very helpfull.


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## ycartf (Sep 19, 2009)

I use ph paper to test a couple random bars from each batch (once mine are cured) and none of them have ever exceeded ph 8, whether SF 5% or 1-2% (got tired of tasting soap - zap test) LOL.

That said, out of the many (>50) friends, family, and coworkers I have shared with, two have said it irritated their skin.  Other people in the *same household* as these two would use the *same soap* with absolutely no irritation at all.  I use no added scents/colors as far as FO EO - just the smell/color that honey or milk may give those bars.  I am guessing some people just have problems with a slightly higher ph or problems with some type of oil.  I have never used peanut oil, not sure what it does in soap, but I have heard an allergist Dr. say that more people have severe reactions associated with peanuts than all other food allergy reactions combined.

On an off-note, I did have one fellow fireman/paramedic say that his sample "burned when he got it in his eyes."  In true fireman form, I told him you weren't supposed to wash your eyeballs with it! LOL

Take care!


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2009)

I had one bar that I had a terrible reaction with, out of ooodles of batches. I believe it was too lye heavy. It really hurt my personal areas.   Not trying to be gross, just saying that we really need to triple check out recipes with a soap calc. and do the zap test. In fact, doing a few zap tests is a great idea I think. I really pay attention to my recipes and make sure that NOTHING distracts me during the entire process now.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 19, 2009)

is it possible you are sensitive to certain ingredients?  ie., some are sensitive to nut/seed oils, and as stated, FO's/EO's, etc.


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## carebear (Sep 19, 2009)

ycartf said:
			
		

> I use ph paper to test a couple random bars from each batch (once mine are cured) and none of them have ever exceeded ph 8, whether SF 5% or 1-2% (got tired of tasting soap - zap test) LOL.


The pH of soap is 9.5-11.5.  Paper strips don't give accurate readings.

The SF shouldn't impact the pH unless you mis calculated and one is actually lye heavy.


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## IanT (Sep 19, 2009)

yeahhhh I agree 100% I check check and recheck everything 3xs to be extra sure.... I also mark off on my recipe as i add each ingredient and double check the scale caliberation every time with my 100g weight... 

I use a very accurate scale... down to the 100th of a gram... what can i say... the Biology-major days of my schooling have stuck to me 

Ive learned from experience... shirts/shoes and pants are required for soaping... got some lye solution in my belly button once.... that SUCKED....

it was sore for days....


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## IrishLass (Sep 19, 2009)

Ditto what Carebear said. If your pH strips give you a reading of _anything_ below 9.5 when you test your CP soap, then the strips are lying to you and are not to be trusted. You might get tired of zap testing yoour soaps, but when compared to pH strips, the zap test is truly a much more reliable indicator of lye heavy soap. It's also gives you instant results and costs nothing.


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## holly99 (Sep 19, 2009)

I have learned through soapmaking that I am sensitive to cinnamon, clove, and mint. It can be fine on most of my body but some more sensitive areas just can't handle it. Most soaps with cinnamon in it turn my skin bright red.


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## ycartf (Sep 19, 2009)

IrishLass said:
			
		

> Ditto what Carebear said. If your pH strips give you a reading of _anything_ below 9.5 when you test your CP soap, then the strips are lying to you and are not to be trusted. You might get tired of zap testing yoour soaps, but when compared to pH strips, the zap test is truly a much more reliable indicator of lye heavy soap. It's also gives you instant results and costs nothing.



Then what can we use to test the ph accurately?  I can stand to do the zap test well enough, but to get a really accurate reading what would one use?  We use the exact same test strips in dealing with Hazardous Materials in the municipality I work in and I have never before heard that they were unreliable?  (Scratching head)


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## Paula58 (Sep 19, 2009)

P.H. strips do work but not for solid soap.  Unless you make a solution of distilled water and the soap you will get an inaccurate reading.  And even a solution is not going to be precise.   The best test for lye heaviness is the zap test.  Just wet a spot of soap then rub it with your finger then touch your finger to your tongue.  No zap means the soap ph is not too alkaline.

If you have to have an exact reading of a material you should use a ph meter.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 19, 2009)

ycartf said:
			
		

> IrishLass said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i've heard before to get an accurate reading you would have to liquify it.

the easiest and cheapest way is the zap test.  *sigh*

i feel like i've said something naughty everytime.  reminds me of Ralphie and his bar of Lifeboy

It was....... soap... poisoning.  Duh, duh, duh..........


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## JenniferSews (Sep 19, 2009)

I have pH test strips too and have experimented with many different ways of testing.  My conclusion is that the zap test is really the litmus (ha ha) test for soap pH.  I have still used the pH if I suspect a bar is oozing lye and really don't want to chance it.    Hubby is a chemist and always double checks my crazy thoughts.  He HATES when I do the zap test but it never fails.  I've had soap say 9 on the pH strips but still zaps like crazy!

I agree with everyone else though- 1- lye heavy 2- your own personal sensitivity to an oil or 3- sensitivity to an additive.  Cinnamon makes my skin very unhappy, I'm sensitive too.

Posting your recipe may help people trouble shoot.  I'm sorry your skin is unhappy though!  :cry:


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## Ana C (Sep 20, 2009)

Hi everybody, and thank you for the answers. 
I didn't make this soap. This was the lemon verbena Whole Foods soap. 
Then for testing the soap where do I get those PH stripes or Ph meter? 

Another question in my mind... 
So I go to buy many kinds of hand made soaps in Whole Foods and I am trying them all, so for the majority of them I get after shower this white powder all over my body... I HAVE to use lotion. So does anybody know what is that? where does it come from? the lye maybe or the goat's milk? 
:?


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## JenniferSews (Sep 20, 2009)

Dry skin, unless you aren't rinsing at all.    My legs and arms get like that in the winter sometimes, especially if I take long very hot showers.  You can order the pH test strips online.  I wish I hadn't wasted the money on them though.


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## Ana C (Sep 20, 2009)

I have dry skin but the white residue is different, its like a powder from the soap. And yes, I take a long showers with hot water even in summer. I was thinking maybe is a reaction of hot temperature or high PH. I was reading in other postings the same particular case, and some people don't notice that and some does. :?


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