Advice for formulating a CP soap for sensitive skin?

[Hawksquill]

Hi! I'm currently trying to create a CP soap for a friend who has very sensitive skin. It won't have any colorants and will only have a little fragrance, an EO that I know she likes, isn't allergic to, and reacts well on her skin.

This is the recipe as it currently stands. I was planning to have a superfat of 8% to make it more moisturizing:

35% palm oil
18% coconut oil
15% canola oil
10% olive oil
10% sweet almond oil
7% borage oil
5% castor oil

Does this recipe sound okay? I've run it through SoapCalc and am happy with all the values and qualities. It looks like it will be on the softer end, but still within the acceptable range, so I might just let it cure a little longer to make sure it firms up okay.

My other question is about the borage oil. I haven't used it before but I've read that it's amazing for sensitive and dry skin. However, I've read that it can sometimes smell weird/bad and that this smell can linger in the final soap product. Because I'm not planning to use very much EO at all, and because my friend has some sensory sensitivities, I'm worried that she won't be able to use the soap if the borage oil makes it smell foul. Has anyone worked with this oil before, and did it make the soap smell bad? Should I add more EO to try to mask the borage oil? I don't want the soap to be pungent and reek of either borage oil or way too much EO. I could alternately eliminate the borage oil, replace it with more olive oil and/or sweet almond oil, and experiment with the borage oil in a separate batch.

Many thanks for any advice or suggestions!

 

[Misschief]

I'd leave the borage oil out. It would be a waste, really, as soap is a wash off product. Your friend will simply be washing it down the drain.

One thing you'll read here over and over is that soap isn't moisturizing. It can be less cleansing but won't moisturize.

Welcome, by the way. I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback on your recipe.

 

[Aquamarine56]

I'd be using goat milk for sensitive skin, no fragrance and no colour. Also, aloe vera would be a nice additive as well. And honey.

 

[reeeen4]

I know that for baby soaps they use 100% olive oil (Castile) since it's the most gentle soap there is I think, maybe look at this formula Zany's no slime castile

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

When formulating, always remember that the oil is not the same as the soap made from that oil. So even with the borage, you need to look in to what it is as a soap rather than what it is as an oil.

The best example is coconut, so I always use this one - as an oil it will be quite good for the skin all things considered. As a soap, it'll strip the natural oils from the skin and leave it a dry and barren wasteland if not used with forethought.

 

[artemis]

Maybe you've already tried this: a quick search of the forum will find you lots of info on sensitive skin and the recipes people have tried in the past.

 

[shunt2011]

And I'm one who doesn't recommend 100% Olive oil. I find it very drying to my skin. I don't have super sensitive skin but it doesn't like olive oil.

I agree with Borage, I would leave that out and save it for a leave on product. Usually a simple recipe is best. If you search for Genny's shampoo recipe on the forum it makes a lovely facial soap. Another possible concern would be the amount of coconut oil in your recipe. For a facial soap I would keep it at 10% or so.

 

[midnightsoaper]

I think Genny's shampoo bar is a good place to start too. Using your recipe, I'd switch out the borage and part of the coconut for another oil, preferably a butter for hardness. Maybe...

35% palm oil
13% coconut oil
15% canola oil
10% olive oil
10% sweet almond oil
12% cocoa butter (or any butter)
5% castor oil

Maybe even 15% butter and 10% coconut (this is what I use in my current favorite recipe).

 

[dixiedragon]

Is her skin dry, and irritated from that? or is she sensitive to certain things? Those may look the same - red, irritated, itchy - and have very different causes.

I would make a couple of different things - a 100% lard bar among them, and let them age well (3 months) then let her test.

 

[Hawksquill]

Thank you all for your helpful advice! I know that coconut oil can be quite harsh, so I tried to decrease the amount but was having a hard time formulating a recipe that would still be hard enough without using too much palm oil. Adding a butter to get some of that firmness is a great suggestion, and I'm not sure why I didn't think of it!

She lives in another country and the next time I'm seeing her will be too soon to try a castile soap, and I'm a little scared of them anyway, but maybe another time! My first objective is to formulate a base recipe that works for her skin that I can then adjust based on her requests for things like scents, natural colorants, and additives. I also haven't made all that much CP, so I think I'll keep it simple for now.

I think I'll take out the borage oil, since that seems to be the consensus here. So I understand your suggestions, are you saying that this ingredient would best be used in something like a face soap? I haven't made any face or shaving soap, so I just wanted to check.

Thank you again!

 

[penelopejane]

Thank you all for your helpful advice! I know that coconut oil can be quite harsh, so I tried to decrease the amount but was having a hard time formulating a recipe that would still be hard enough without using too much palm oil. Adding a butter to get some of that firmness is a great suggestion, and I'm not sure why I didn't think of it!

She lives in another country and the next time I'm seeing her will be too soon to try a castile soap, and I'm a little scared of them anyway, but maybe another time! My first objective is to formulate a base recipe that works for her skin that I can then adjust based on her requests for things like scents, natural colorants, and additives. I also haven't made all that much CP, so I think I'll keep it simple for now.

I think I'll take out the borage oil, since that seems to be the consensus here. So I understand your suggestions, are you saying that this ingredient would best be used in something like a face soap? I haven't made any face or shaving soap, so I just wanted to check.

Thank you again!

No they are saying use borage oil for lotions and moisturising creams not soap.

 

[Hawksquill]

Ahh got it, thanks!

 

[penelopejane]

Ahh got it, thanks!

You could make Castile and tell her to use it in 9-12 months.