coffee soap clears acne (!) but needs bubbly tweak

[cm4bleenmb]

@Earthen_Step: You are right about the time factor. I found a bar of soap from 18 months ago that I thought was a dud. It has bananas, milk, and oatmeal in it, and I colored it with a little bit of yellow oxide. It’s still ugly but it lathers well and leaves my skin feeling nice.

@JayJay: My post concerned increasing the bubbles with as little change to the original formula as possible, so I think your question fits right in. And it seems to me that people on this forum love it when you get a good discussion going. :-D I know the bubbles don’t have anything to do with the efficacy of the soap, but I don’t know much about the form and function of lather, and I would be interested in learning more about it. I find myself fascinated by the darnedest things since I’ve joined this forum. If you want to read a fabulously helpful and informative discussion about the Soapcalc numbers, check this out: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=33563&page=2


@lionprincess00: You hit the nail right on the head. Scummy drag and soap residue would be nice to avoid. I was actually trying to figure out how to see if there was a thread discussing the idea of formulating your soap based on water type (hardness, basically.) So you’d make one version of your recipe for use in soft water, and one version for use in hard water.

@lenarenee: I’m glad you brought that point up. I grind the coffee very fine, and then I sift it to make sure I only get the finest grounds because heavy abrasion was not what I was after—but it still gives a pretty good scrub, so I agree that it would be a good idea to be cautious. To be honest, I don’t know if he actually rubs the bar on his skin, or just works up lather on a washcloth and uses that. I have no idea what it is about this soap that works for him. I’ve read some interesting things about caffeine, but I don’t believe there is any conclusive evidence one way or the other. (And does the actual caffeine even survive saponification?) Maybe I need to make one batch like the original one, one without the grounds but still use coffee for the lye water, and one with no grounds or coffee, and let him test all three.

@Soapmage: Is AC apple cider? Do you use that in the lye water? I was under the impression most people used them on their feet so that’s what I told the people who got one of the few salt bars I made. I am intrigued, guess I’ll just have to make some of those too!

 

[dixiedragon]

I'd try:

10% CO
5% castor
60% Crisco (with palm)
10% hemp oil
15% shea butter

PPO: 1 oz finely ground coffee, 1 teas cornstarch, 1 TBSP heavy cream

 

[dixiedragon]

Of course, it doesn't actually need a bubbly tweak. Bubbles don't clean or help reduce acne or anything like that. They are used for making funny beards and that it about it - we like them, some more than others (I'm looking at Susie here) but bubbles don't actually do much when all is said and done.

I've always assumed that bubbles were a reflection of cleansing ability, because the oils that add lather (coconut and palm kernel) are also the better/harsher cleansers.

 

[lionprincess00]

Ac is usually activated charcoal.

 

[cm4bleenmb]

Ac is usually activated charcoal.

Well, that makes a little more sense. Thanks.

 

[not_ally]

I have the hardest, scummiest creating water on earth. This thread really did change my soap, I use EDTA in all my soaps now and the difference is pretty dramatic. I keep it in a squeeze bottle and just add the required amount at trace, obviously if you making the batch for soft water you'd just omit the EDTA.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=52456&highlight=irish+lass+edta&page=2

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I've always assumed that bubbles were a reflection of cleansing ability, because the oils that add lather (coconut and palm kernel) are also the better/harsher cleansers.

Aye, but the bubbles in themselves don't do anything as such. My point was that a soap that works perfectly well for what is needed but doesn't have many bubbles does not actually NEED bubbles, as bubbles are just bubbles, and that changing the working recipe to produce more bubbles could well reduce the efficacy of the soap for the original purpose.