Acne Soap

[Crazy8]

I have been wondering are their soaps that people make for clearing up skin and fighting against acne? I have a niece who gets "chest acne" and being a girl I cant imagine its something she likes, but with me getting into the soap thing now I thought maybe that was worth looking into. I also have a greasy "T zone" which my coconut oil soap works great for but usually after a nice wet shave I tend to get a few pimples popping up by day 2. Anyway of mitigating that kind of stuff or just clearing skin up in general?

 

[Candybee]

We talked a lot about this on another forum. I learned that a soap I was already making was what others used for acne. Also, I had people who had purchased the soap from me tell me it cleared their acne up and was the only soap they could use for their sensitive skin.

It was my lard soap! LOL

It was a basic soap recipe I learned and I loved it so much it is still my favorite soap especially for my face. I use 45% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 25% lard, and 5% castor. It makes lots of creamy lather too. I don't put any scent in when I want to use it for my face. It also makes a great bath soap.

 

[gurdeep]

I use the same resipe bit add seaweed and tea tree eo to the soap

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[Crazy8]

We talked a lot about this on another forum. I learned that a soap I was already making was what others used for acne. Also, I had people who had purchased the soap from me tell me it cleared their acne up and was the only soap they could use for their sensitive skin.

It was my lard soap! LOL

It was a basic soap recipe I learned and I loved it so much it is still my favorite soap especially for my face. I use 45% olive oil, 25% coconut oil, 25% lard, and 5% castor. It makes lots of creamy lather too. I don't put any scent in when I want to use it for my face. It also makes a great bath soap.

WOW!!! Thanks for that recipe. I am going to have to try that and even have my niece try it and see how it works for her. Except hers I could scent since shes a girl, not using it on her face, and girls love anything that smells good and girly...lol:mrgreen:

 

[Obsidian]

I have adult acne, face and body. I've been alternating between pine tar or a salt bar and my body acne (chest area) is really clearing up. I use the salt bar more often so I'm gonna say its responsible.

 

[shunt2011]

I have suffered from acne since I was a teen. I am 54 years old and still struggle with it. However, since I started using salt bars about 3 years ago my skin is the best it's been ever. I have gotten many people to try them with the same results. Also, if I do break out I find the salt helps make things heal faster.

 

[Crazy8]

Thank you Obsidian and Shunt, this is great info. I will be sure to keep that in mind.

 

[shunt2011]

It's certainly a starting point. You just play with things till you find something that works.

 

[judymoody]

I don't have acne issues but I know people who do. Those with body acne swear by salt bars. Those with facial acne - some prefer salt bars and others prefer a gentle bar I make with lots of olive oil and grapeseed oil, green tea, lavender and tea tree EO.

 

[sososo]

Do you think puting charcoal in soap is useful for treating acne?

 

[Crazy8]

Do you think puting charcoal in soap is useful for treating acne?

This is exactly what I had found and think I am going to do. It seems activated charcoal does A LOT of great things, and fighting acne is one of them.

 

[Saswede]

Crazy8, I'm not sure whether a soap with a high proportion of CO is ideal for acne. In general it's recommended that you don't strip the skin of its natural (oily) defenses, as the skin's response to "over cleansing" is to increase sebum (oil) production which causes more acne. And in addition to this, unsaponified CO is comedogenic (i.e. it causes pimples).

There are some herbs that have shown antibacterial effects on the bacteria that cause acne - most notably a tincture of thyme, in a recent clinical study in the UK. But as soap is a wash off product, its hard to say whether using a thyme-infused oil in your soap would have any benefit.

I like the idea of activated charcoal, or you could think about adding a clay ..... Kaolin? Or green clay if your skin is really oily.





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[Candybee]

I love using clay in my soap. I also use activated charcoal. But a little goes a long way so use clay and charcoal sparingly.

 

[lizflowers42]

I was using the Acne recipe from Teach Soap for a while, but found it too drying. I have switched to olive oil only soap, with tea tree and lavender EO, and green clay and it seems to be keeping my skin clear and moisturized!

 

[shunt2011]

My Salt Bars are superfatted at 20% and are not drying at all.

 

[Crazy8]

Well this gives me a few ideas on some things to try. I'm curious about something. I know there is a number of clays out there, I currently have Bentonite clay, other than Bentonite is there other clays that are kind of a standard go to? What clays do you guys use in your soaps?

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[Saswede]

I use mostly French clays because I'm in France ...! And as I try to use only natural ingredients in my soaps, the colored clays are a good option to achieve some of the colors that I can't get with herbs, flowers, teas, etc. I find that clays really add to the cleansing properties of the soap, and they also seem to add to the creaminess of the lather. A lot of people believe that they also play a role in fixing the fragrance of EOs, but I can't swear to this.

My favorite, as someone with a "mature" (ahem!) skin is pink clay - because it's more gentle and less drying than green clay, so is suitable for mature or dry skin. Green clay is excellent for an oily skin, as it draws oils from the skin. Kaolin (white clay) is helpful to whiten/lighten the soap, and can be used for all skin types as it is mildly absorbent - as is red clay. I've recently ordered some Rhassoul clay, but haven't used it yet. But I've read rave reviews about it as a gentle exfoliant ...... So it's high on my soaping to do list!

Just a word of caution about making a soap specifically for acne - be aware that you will not be able to call it an acne soap or make any claims that the soap works as an acne treatment unless you do controlled clinical trials, and have the regulatory agency (FDA, or EMA in Europe) approve the product for this medical use.




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[Crazy8]

Very good point about making claims. Could you however, when placing ingredients on your packaging, say something to the effect "Contains Activated Charcoal which has been know to help with eczema, acne, yada yada yada"? Not sure if "yada" is an actual skin condition but im sure you get the point..lol This way you're not making claims that your product is a solution for these things but rather the ingredients in it could possibly help.

 

[houseofwool]

Very good point about making claims. Could you however, when placing ingredients on your packaging, say something to the effect "Contains Activated Charcoal which has been know to help with eczema, acne, yada yada yada"? Not sure if "yada" is an actual skin condition but im sure you get the point..lol This way you're not making claims that your product is a solution for these things but rather the ingredients in it could possibly help.

I don't think even that is allowed under US law.

 

[Crazy8]

That could be. So now my curiosity is aroused. You can't make claims if it is not FDA regulated and you cant hint at the possibilities of the benefits to skin a particular bar may have due to particular ingredients, dont soap artisans design soaps specifically for the use of clearing up skin, helping with wrinkles, maybe even involving the ones with sun burn and masquito bites and sell them? Im not at all fighting any of the claims being mentioned, just trying to grasp them and understand them in relation to soaps. I know how daunting that FDA stuff can be in regards to hot sauce (foods in general), another hobby I visit when the garden is good.