Dry Itchy Skin

[Iridium]

Hi All,

I've been lurking here for a few months but decided it's finally time to register

I recently made a batch of CP soap which I intend to cure for 6 weeks. The wait was too much though (you all know how it is) and I had to try it after just a week. I used it to wash my hands but was disappointed at how dry and itchy my hands felt once they had fully dried.

I read somewhere that CP soap can be a bit harsh before the full cure time is over and give the symptoms mentioned above. I've tested the soap with the 'tongue test' and it's fine. I also tested it 8 hours after pouring so I know what a lye zap feels like!

All my ingredients were measured on a lab grade scale accurate to the nearest 0.01g and the recipe was run through SoapCalc so I know the ingredients aren't out. The batch is also 5% superfatted.

I was just wondering if anyone has any opinions, advice or has experienced this before? Recipe is below:

40% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
30% Coconut Oil
20% Palm Oil
5% Castor Oil
5% Shea Butter


Thanks in advance!

 

[new12soap]

Hello, and welome!

Your soap will definitely improve with a good cure, you will be amazed at the difference between one week, four weeks, and eight weeks! You did use a fairly high amount of coconut oil, which is very cleansing and can be somewhat drying. Some people have no problem with it, some do. Let your soap cure 6-8 weeks and then decide if you like it. If it is still too drying for you, next time just cut back on the CO and increase you palm and/or olive. HTH

 

[Iridium]

Thanks for the quick reply and the welcome

I was hoping that the high percentage of Olive Oil as well as the Shea Butter would balance the Coconut Oil a bit. I guess I'm just being impatient! I suppose I won't be able to fully gauge the soap until the full cure time is done.

Does the cure time really make a difference in your opinion then? I thought it was mainly for water evaporation...


Best Wishes.

 

[Genny]

I've always found that soap is a lot less drying after a nice long cure. But also, how high was your superfat?

 

[strawberryred]

I definitely see a difference in soap that has been cured for at least 4 weeks. I've tried some a few days after it's made and it dries my skin up a lot, but then after a good cure I find it not drying at all.

 

[BubblyRose]

Hello, and welome!

Your soap will definitely improve with a good cure, you will be amazed at the difference between one week, four weeks, and eight weeks! You did use a fairly high amount of coconut oil, which is very cleansing and can be somewhat drying. Some people have no problem with it, some do. Let your soap cure 6-8 weeks and then decide if you like it. If it is still too drying for you, next time just cut back on the CO and increase you palm and/or olive. HTH

I agree about the high CO content. Maybe next time cut the Coconut Oil by 4% and use Mango Butter in its place. I have found that Mango Butter produces a rich lather and I normally don't have to put lotion on right away after I have washed my hands with it. Hope this helps.

 

[Iridium]

Thanks for all your help guys and I used a 5% superfat Genny.

I'll give it another 5 weeks and see how it is then

Best wishes,

 

[Genny]

Oops, didn't see the superfat in your first post.
If after you've let it cure for 3 or 4 weeks and it's still drying, I'd up the superfat. I know 5% is the norm for superfat, but my skin prefers a higher superfat, like 8-10%.

 

[Iridium]

Will definitely give that a try Genny!

I was worried about rancidity with going higher than 5%, but I'll be using the bars in a fairly short amount of time and I've got a feeling my skin will prefer a higher superfat as well.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Lynnz]

Was just having a read of this link and love the idea of avacado oil in soap these are recipes Hazel posted and they look great
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=32476

 

[Genny]

Will definitely give that a try Genny!

I was worried about rancidity with going higher than 5%, but I'll be using the bars in a fairly short amount of time and I've got a feeling my skin will prefer a higher superfat as well.

Thanks for the advice

I've done 30% superfat before with out any problems with rancidity.

 

[judymoody]

Kevin Dunn's experiments in Scientific Soapmaking have verified that SF % does not affect incidence of DOS.

IME, I think that using stable oils and avoiding humid conditions are the best preventative measures.

 

[judymoody]

Another soaper mentioned to me that it's possible you might be allergic to one of your base oils. Shea allergy is fairly common, especially if you are allergic to latex. You might want to try a patch test with each of your oils (a drop or two on the skin) and see if you have a reaction to any of them. It's possible to go from mildly sensitive to severely allergic with repeated exposure. Hopefully that's not the case, but better safe than sorry.