Coarsest exfoliant you've used

[CrisMaz]

Hi everybody!
I have a half and half bar in the works (half regular, half scrubbie, that is) and I've been reading a lot in the forum about exfoliants and what everybody uses...

Personally I'm an exfoliation freak, especially when it comes to my body (I use much gentler scrubbies on my face skin) and the coarser the better. For a little bit of TMI, I use this clinical strength deodorant that I think kind of leaves some residue on my underarm skin at the end of the day, so when I shower I always go to town (haha) with my pouf before I actually cleanse.

That said, I really enjoy a rougher exfoliation, so I was wondering what suggestions or experience with such additives you've all had.
My best guess would be coffee grounds and they would probably work best with the overall idea I have for these bars. We own a Keurig brewer so I may look into opening the capsules and reusing those grounds.

As usual, all your wisdom is greatly appreciated and never lost on me
I may not remember what I cooked for dinner last night but I remember soaping facts I read here months ago lol

 

[Obsidian]

Folgers coffee was the roughest I've used. Even my hubby with rhino hide complained it was like washing with gravel.

 

[Meganmischke]

Coffee is the most abrasive for sure. Poppy seeds are nice, scrubby but not scratchy.

 

[marilynmac]

Oatmeal can be really scrubby, esp when you don't grind it down to powder. You wouldn't think so, but it is. The flakes get hard like a razor blade so you want to grind it some. My daughter got some soap from Lush that had sand it in (not pumice, it was like sandbox sand) and that was very scrubby, too. Both of these were "scratching the mosquito bites" scrubby and felt great. Not for everyone I'm sure, and a half-half bar would be great.

 

[CrisMaz]

Folgers coffee was the roughest I've used. Even my hubby with rhino hide complained it was like washing with gravel.

I really got spoiled using a Keurig, it's like I have nothing to do with actual coffee, I just pop the k-cups in and then throw them out.
Maybe I can try to do some research to find out the differences in coarseness, although that seems to be awfully specific lol
I searched the forum for K-cup grounds used in soap but it seems no one has tried it and posted about it.

 

[CrisMaz]

Coffee is the most abrasive for sure. Poppy seeds are nice, scrubby but not scratchy.

I thought about poppy seeds, since they're so readily available and look so good in soap, imo, but I'm just not feeling them for this specific project...

I will definitely use them soon for a soap for my husband, though, so that's something to look forward to!

 

[Seawolfe]

I have a bar of HP lavender soap where I mixed in coarsley ground dried lavender buds, and I find it nicely scrubby on my grubby paws. It's bumpy, so when I wash my hands it bumps the grime off, but it's not sharp or painful. I have yet to make a soap with coffee grinds, so I can't compare.

 

[Obsidian]

Folgers is what hubby drinks so thats what I used lol. Now I buy the grind it at the store coffee if I need some for soap. I grind it on the finest grind and it makes a great scrubby without being to tough on my sensitive skin. I'm sure the Keurig coffee will be fine.

Poppy seeds aren't really scrubby at all since they are so smooth. They look pretty but just seemed to be in the way.

 

[newbie]

The coffee in Kcups is ground very fine. You will feel it but I think it may not be scrubby enough for you. Getting a small amount of coffee at the grocery store and grinding it for a percolator should be very scratchy, indeed. Maybe a french press grind? Ha! They could have a special grinder for us-sensitive skin, the back scratcher, skeeter bites, rhino hide, your armpits.

 

[Aline]

I thought walnut shells or ground bamboo would be more exfoliating that coffee grounds?

 

[DeeAnna]

I ground bean coffee as fine as I could, then passed the ground coffee through a fine strainer to get the "boulders" out. I then made a 1/2 and 1/2 bar by splitting a batch of nice bath soap and putting the coffee in half and leaving the rest plain. A light, thin cocoa pencil line to define the boundary. Turned out nice -- scrubby but doesn't leave scratches. Here's how it turned out:

 

[KatieShephard]

I ground bean coffee as fine as I could, then passed the ground coffee through a fine strainer to get the "boulders" out. I then made a 1/2 and 1/2 bar by splitting a batch of nice bath soap and putting the coffee in half and leaving the rest plain. A light, thin cocoa pencil line to define the boundary. Turned out nice -- scrubby but doesn't leave scratches. Here's how it turned out:

That's really pretty DeeAnna

 

[Meganmischke]

Adzuki beans are really nice too if you can get your hands on some.

 

[snappyllama]

Adzuki beans are really nice too if you can get your hands on some.

I haven't tried them in soap, but they make a great facial scrub. I get mine at whole foods in the bulk-bin section. I grind them and store as a powder. When ready to use, put a quarter-size amount in hand and add a little water to make a paste. It makes skin super soft and gets rid of any blemishes.

For incorporating within soap, would I need to worry about spoilage?

 

[Meganmischke]

No I just grind them up and put them in. I have never had any problems with spoilage.

 

[HorseCreek]

I make a coffee ground soap and also a pumice soap. Sometimes I put cornmeal in with the coffee ground soap. The coffee ground soap is great for the hands. My husband loves it for body soap. He's a farmer. i also really like the cornmeal/coffee mix. I love love the pumice though. It's just the right level of scratchiness for me.

 

[CrisMaz]

Oatmeal can be really scrubby, esp when you don't grind it down to powder. You wouldn't think so, but it is. The flakes get hard like a razor blade so you want to grind it some. My daughter got some soap from Lush that had sand it in (not pumice, it was like sandbox sand) and that was very scrubby, too. Both of these were "scratching the mosquito bites" scrubby and felt great. Not for everyone I'm sure, and a half-half bar would be great.

I did not know this about oatmeal! I've never used it in soap and actually I don't even like to eat it (shocking, I know). I will have to search for some pictures of oatmeal soap that contains a coarser grind, I would like to see what it looks like, especially in lighter vs. darker soaps.

 

[CrisMaz]

I have a bar of HP lavender soap where I mixed in coarsley ground dried lavender buds, and I find it nicely scrubby on my grubby paws. It's bumpy, so when I wash my hands it bumps the grime off, but it's not sharp or painful. I have yet to make a soap with coffee grinds, so I can't compare.

Thanks, Seawolfe!
I'm one of those people who can't stand lavender scented products, but my grandmother is absolutely obsessed with it, so if I ever make her some soap, this is such a great idea

 

[CrisMaz]

They could have a special grinder for us-sensitive skin, the back scratcher, skeeter bites, rhino hide, your armpits.

Wouldn't that be the best, most descriptive way for soapmakers to grind coffee at the store?
Of course the armpits category would raise a lot of eyebrows haha :razz:

 

[lionprincess00]

My mom gave me some Scottish oatmeal soap before I began actually cp soaping (i specify Scottish because being from and in the states, everywhere seems exotic lol!).
It was quite painful in the shower. Great for dirt, but honestly it's too darn scrubby for my hands too. It is coarse ground, and the term 'like razor blades' is fairly accurate.

I used 100% milled golden flax seed from the breakfast aisle. It's scrubby, and I learned I don't like scrubby much personally, but as a whole it worked wonderfully. I didn't need to grind it down or anything. Feels like powder in the hands, then after soaping it adds a great golden colored scrub factor. I used 1 tbs ppo and have an entire bag sitting in the freezer. I bet it'll keep a yr or better that way. It costs some money compared to other things, but using so little and freezing it for future batches (and not needing a ton), it worked well for me. It isn't something I see often, so I thought it'd be neat to see what it adds to soap.