Any tips for exfoliating soap for the body?

[CreativeWeirdo]

Hi all!

I'm wondering if anyone has some advise on creating an exfoliating soap for the body, as opposed to just the hand/feet.

I make a gardener's soap that is my normal soap recipe with added Superfine Pumice Powder and Soy Scrub (Soy seeds). Would that be too abrasive for the delicate skin of the body that hasn't had callouses? Or do you think that would be fine? Also, do you think the superfine pumice powder would damage the finish of the tub?

I've been asked to make an exfoliating body soap for a friend who is "very hairy dude"; his words. I'm afraid to give him one of my gardener's soaps in case it's too harsh.

Thanks so much!

 

[Misschief]

Hi all!

I'm wondering if anyone has some advise on creating an exfoliating soap for the body, as opposed to just the hand/feet.

I make a gardener's soap that is my normal soap recipe with added Superfine Pumice Powder and Soy Scrub (Soy seeds). Would that be too abrasive for the delicate skin of the body that hasn't had callouses? Or do you think that would be fine? Also, do you think the superfine pumice powder would damage the finish of the tub?

I've been asked to make an exfoliating body soap for a friend who is "very hairy dude"; his words. I'm afraid to give him one of my gardener's soaps in case it's too harsh.

Thanks so much!

I have a few customers who love my Gardener's Hand soap for their bodies. One has told me that he'll take all the scrubbiness I can give him. Mine has pumice, poppy seeds, lemon peel, and cornmeal. It's pretty scrubby. That said, if you want something a little "gentler" but still scrubby, coffee grounds work well.

 

[FrayGrants]

Also, do you think the superfine pumice powder would damage the finish of the tub?

People use pumice stones to clean porcelain tubs, so there is no way it would damage the finish.

 

[Catscankim]

After a few batches of scrubby soap, I have decided that the only one ingredient that I can use on my body without using a washcloth etc, is pumice as an additive.

I think coffee in soap is sharp. Oatmeal, unless it is colloidal oats, is scratchy. Any botanicals in soap (to me) is too scratchy. Himalayan salt is like glass. Mind you, I am talking about rubbing the soap directly on my skin.

These same soaps are good as long as I either lather up in my hands, or in a cloth or scrubby. But then it is almost not useful to put the scrubbies in your soap then.

Pumice feels nice to me. I don't use that much in my batches, so maybe that's why.

These are only my opinion on my skin, so YMMV.

 

[basti]

I've been asked to make an exfoliating body soap for a friend who is "very hairy dude"; his words. I'm afraid to give him one of my gardener's soaps in case it's too harsh.

It wouldn't hurt give it a try. It might be perfect or he might find it too scratchy and leave it just for his hands. If it doesn't work for him, you can always find something slightly less exfoliating to try.

As a guy, I'm totally fine with exfoliants in body soap. It feels nice, even if it's a little scratchy. Also, if he's a "very hairy" guy, that will sort of... soften the point of contact that the soap makes with the skin. Like a built in washcloth

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'd go for ground oatmeal and/or ground orange peel.

 

[penelopejane]

What about a salt bar? With 50% weight of batter in salt mixed into the batter. Sea salt definitely not Himalayan salt.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I think salt works well. I made a batch of mildly exfoliating soap last fall by adding fine sea salt at 5% of total fat weight at trace. I used a slightly modified version of one of my regular recipes. The superfat was 5% and I used slightly less hard fat (lard) than I usually do. The bars aren’t scratchy and lather nicely. I also used AC as a design element/colorant in the soap. The AC creates more of a fine polishing texture for lack of a better term.

 

[Zing]

I love using my gardener's soap occasionally as a body soap, it's invigorating. Mine is chock full of shredded loofah, poppy seeds, and coffee grounds.

 

[melinda48]

People use pumice stones to clean porcelain tubs, so there is no way it would damage the finish.

I think pumice would damage fiberglass tubs however. Cast Iron or porcelain over steel is good but fiberglass scratches rather easily.