Extremely Dry Skin

[FifthCap]

I haven't made soap in some years, but Im gathering materials back up and am about to place an order for ingredients to make HP soap.

I think the city has changed something in our water as we are getting a lot of hard water stains, my hair is drying out, and my skin is almost alligator like, despite using lotion.
I know the store bought bar soap we buy is not helping either.

What is a good basic hydrating recipe for extremely dry skin?
Or which ingredients would you suggest looking into?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If you have hard water, I would certainly look at using a chelator of some type (sodium citrate, for example) as that will help reduce soap scum and improve how the soap feels on your skin

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with @The Efficacious Gentleman about using a chelator. Even with a whole-house water softener, I can feel a difference on my skin between soap made with a chelator and soap without.

Soap cleans; it is not good for moisturizing, hydrating, or conditioning the skin. You can make a mildly cleansing soap that doesn't remove most of the natural skin oils, however, or a harshly cleansing soap that can strip those natural oils from the skin. Generally a low amount of (or no) coconut oil and similar "cleansing" oils (palm kernel and babassu are two) is important for making a mild soap.

As far as the rest of the fats for making a gentle soap, the field is wide open. There's a scad of recipes on this forum and elsewhere that will make a gentle soap. But some people don't like olive oil soap and others won't use palm and some have religious restrictions about using lard. Etc., etc., etc.

It's best if you can narrow the field a bit -- list your preferences and restrictions on the types of fats and give the ingredients in the soap you are currently using or soap you've used and liked. That gives us a framework to make suggestions that you might actually be interested in.

 

[LynetteO]

I made the soap that @AliOop shared here in SMF for my girlfriends with very dry skin. They also work in kitchens & wash their hands quite often. Anyway, they loved it & want more. I made a tiny batch to test. Here is link to thread:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/a-soap-as-a-drug-from-a-local-soap-maker.85901/post-918173

 

[FifthCap]

I've hidden all my old recipes from myself, but I found one I posted here
Is this a lot of coconut oil?


40% olive oil
31% coconut oil
15% shea
11% cocoa butter
1% bees wax

 

[LynetteO]

I've hidden all my old recipes from myself, but I found one I posted here
Is this a lot of coconut oil?


40% olive oil
31% coconut oil
15% shea
11% cocoa butter
1% bees wax

For me, yes. I have dry skin so my range for soap making with CO goes from zero to 18%.

 

[AliOop]

What I’d like to add isn’t a soap recipe recommendation, as others have already said what I would have said about that.

When I had the same issue with our water changing from mildly hard to very hard, and more chlorinated, installing a filter on each shower head did wonders for my skin and hair, both of which were suffering greatly.

The filters were about $20 at Home Depot about two years ago. No doubt they are double that price now, but worth every penny. No tools needed to install them, either.

 

[DeeAnna]

...Is this a lot of coconut oil?...

And for me a soap with 30% coconut oil would probably be overly drying too.

But please keep in mind this is a personal preference decision. You're going to find people who really like soap with that percentage of coconut oil.

Don't feel like you need to change your recipe because someone else wouldn't care for it. You do your soap the way your skin likes.

 

[Zing]

Might I suggest homemade lotion bars? I do variations on 1/3 each of beeswax, a butter, a soft oil -- plus 1% essential oil and 1% vitamin E oil. You could use coconut oil as your liquid oil which would be moisturizing.

My latest recipe uses mango butter which is quickly absorbed, with jojoba oil and/or meadowfoam seed oil. I really like this one!
Good luck!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I know the store bought bar soap we buy is not helping either.

Don't waste any time to start making soap for yourself and your dear ones -- with or without a chelator, You will be amazed at the difference it makes.

I live in Colorado where a dry climate with low humidity prevails -- except if it's raining or snowing. I have been combating dry, sensitive skin ever since I first started soaping in 2003.

Here are my favorite recipes for dry skin:

Lard Soap - wonderful for all skin issues and easy to make.

Zany's No Slime Castile - I start using it at the 2-week point. Of course it gets better the longer it cures. Hard soap that holds its shape to the very last sliver which I then attach to a new bar. No waste!

Trinity of Oils - Tweak to your heart's content.

 

[FifthCap]

What I’d like to add isn’t a soap recipe recommendation, as others have already said what I would have said about that.

When I had the same issue with our water changing from mildly hard to very hard, and more chlorinated, installing a filter on each shower head did wonders for my skin and hair, both of which were suffering greatly.

The filters were about $20 at Home Depot about two years ago. No doubt they are double that price now, but worth every penny. No tools needed to install them, either.

Thank you for the tip! I was dreading looking into a whole system set up as we don't drink our city water, but buy huge jugs and drink from those. My hair has been looking like a used broom

Might I suggest homemade lotion bars? I do variations on 1/3 each of beeswax, a butter, a soft oil -- plus 1% essential oil and 1% vitamin E oil. You could use coconut oil as your liquid oil which would be moisturizing.

My latest recipe uses mango butter which is quickly absorbed, with jojoba oil and/or meadowfoam seed oil. I really like this one!
Good luck!

Yes, I need a good lotion too! Store bought either sits on my skin and feels greasy and oily all day, or it just does absolutely nothing.

My skin has turned alligator looking on my face, elbows, and the back of my hands. NOTHING is helping.

 

[DeeAnna]

....My skin has turned alligator looking on my face, elbows, and the back of my hands. NOTHING is helping.

If home remedies aren't working, perhaps it's time to see a dermatologist. This might be a bigger problem than just everyday dry skin.

 

[Zing]

I have and have had real good dermatologists -- this blue-eyed Norwegian is a frequent and long-time patient and very thankful for them.

I'll just share my experience which I've posted about several times. For my entire adult life I have had rashes and flare-ups (nothing disabling, mostly annoying and irritating.) I tried every over the counter and prescription lotion and potion. Every dermatologist recommended Dove Sensitive. I got into making soap & lotion bars solely as a creative outlet and was pleasantly surprised by the positive impact on my & my family's skin! I used to apply my prescription several times per day and stashed it at my office, in the car, and every room of the house. Now I apply it just several times per year. Now even Dove Sensitive feels caustic to me. Best wishes to you.