# is this a "detergent" m&p base?



## Pawfect (Jul 13, 2012)

Hi  - I'm a newbie to soaping & have been having a go at m&p. So fun!

Anyway I bought some soap bases just to have a play with...marketed for sensitive skin sufferers (eczema, etc), which interested me because I have skin issues. These are vegan with no sulphates inclu SLS. However when i've looked at the ingredients, they aren't exactly all natural either.

Would you call this a 'detergent' bar?


Soap ingredients:
Sodium Stearate (from vegetable fats)
Glyceral Stearate (emollient and emulsifier)
Water
Sodium Myristate (cleansing salt formed during soap making)
Sodium Laureth (Mild Foaming and cleansing surfactant (Not SLS) 5%
Glycerine (food grade) (Humectant & Moisturiser)
Sucrose (organic compound commonly known as table sugar)
Sorbitol (Food Grade) (sugar alcohol)
Sugar (Food Grade)
Sodium Hyaluronic Acid (used for health benefits)
EDTA 4Na (preservative & anti-oxidant)


As a side note, the % of glycerin was purposely low to prevent sweating (so they told me). However they also said that there's no way of telling if glycerine draws moisture from the air to hydrate skin, or from your body, so they keep % low just in case it's drawing moisure from the rest of your body to the skin.

Anyway I'm getting a fair few soaps made & will have to offload some to family to try. Just wondering if these are too full of nasties to give away?


----------



## Genny (Jul 13, 2012)

Sodium Laureth is a sulfate, which is a detergent.

I'm not someone that has jumped on the detergent = bad bandwagon though, so I can't answer about whether or not they're full of nasties.

I am a little interested in this ingredient though
"Sodium Hyaluronic Acid (used for health benefits)"

Did it actually say "used for health benefits"?  The only health benefits I've ever heard of Sodium Hyaluronic being used in was in internal uses.


----------



## judymoody (Jul 13, 2012)

Genny said:
			
		

> Sodium Laureth is a sulfate, which is a detergent.
> 
> I'm not someone that has jumped on the detergent = bad bandwagon though, so I can't answer about whether or not they're full of nasties.
> 
> ...



I use hyaluronic acid in my wrinkle cream!  That is, I would, if I had wrinkles....   I don't know if those benefits would be meaningful in a wash off product.

To answer the OP's question, I think the answer may be both.  The Sodium Laureth (sounds like part of the ingredient is missing here) is a surfactant, or detergent.  The substances ending in -ate are salts derived from fatty acids and lye = soap.  So sodium myristate would be a salt derived from myristic acid.  Make sense?

I don't see why you couldn't give these soaps to your friends.  There is nothing wrong with detergents as a category - some are milder than others, of course.  But they do things that soap can't.  For example, you can formulate a pH neutral cleansing product with detergents but CP soap will always be alkaline by definition.


----------



## Pawfect (Jul 13, 2012)

Thanks for your responses - very helpful! 

The ingredients list was directly cut and pasted from their webpage, so the info in brackets is what they'd written. I specially asked about sodium laureth, and they said that it wasn't SLS, but was used for the same reason - better lather. I'd assume it'd be the same kind of thing though...


----------



## Genny (Jul 14, 2012)

judymoody said:
			
		

> I use hyaluronic acid in my wrinkle cream!  That is, I would, if I had wrinkles....   I don't know if those benefits would be meaningful in a wash off product.




I didn't know that.  I'll have to keep that in mind if I start to get wrinkles some day  :wink:


----------



## judymoody (Jul 14, 2012)

Pawfect said:
			
		

> Thanks for your responses - very helpful!
> 
> The ingredients list was directly cut and pasted from their webpage, so the info in brackets is what they'd written. I specially asked about sodium laureth, and they said that it wasn't SLS, but was used for the same reason - better lather. I'd assume it'd be the same kind of thing though...



Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is not the same as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) but it's still a sulfate, so your assumption is correct.  There's nothing wrong with it, assuming it falls within recommended % rates.  It's commonly found in many shampoos.


----------



## sunny shine (Jul 16, 2012)

Even I am little concerned about using detergents and surfactants on skin. A month ago when I was searching for making a meltable soap I came across this, just wanted to share http://cavemanchemistry.com/HsmgTransMP2012.pdf (well they say chemicals are everywhere  )


----------



## paillo (Jul 20, 2012)

i'm a big fan of hyaluronic acid in facial products, it goes in all my wrinkle serums, which i make only for family, friends an mostly ME  i would think that at therapeutic quantities it would be too spendy in soap, and then you'd wash it off anyway...


----------



## Pawfect (Jul 21, 2012)

Interesting! There must be a reason (other than helping with wrinkles) why they add it. Maybe texture or something.....or perhaps they're just trying to be trendy lol


----------



## pyokochan (Nov 29, 2012)

Hello!  Even if you don't believe the cancerous claims that some mention about SLS' they do tend to dry out the skin and cause rashes in some persons with sensitive skin.  The people that you try to give this to would probably tell you if they experience this type of reaction though, and then they can just pass.  For most people it's not an issue.  Have you noticed that your hands feel tight or dried out at all after soaping all day?  I use a non SLS soap base and have never had that issue.


----------

