Gentle liquid soap for shower

[AliOop]

Thank you for the detailed pics and updates, @Tara_H! This has been on my Try List for sooo long - now you have inspired me, and I simply must make this!

Was actually going to give it a go tonight, but a slip of the drill while installing a blind just put a screw deep into the pad of my index fingertip. Yowsa! Gotta wait for the bleeding to stop, darn it. Thankfully it's the non-dominant hand, and I am up-to-date with my tetanus shot.

 

[Tara_H]

Thank you for the detailed pics and updates, @Tara_H! This has been on my Try List for sooo long - now you have inspired me, and I simply must make this!

Was actually going to give it a go tonight, but a slip of the drill while installing a blind just put a screw deep into the pad of my index fingertip. Yowsa! Gotta wait for the bleeding to stop, darn it. Thankfully it's the non-dominant hand, and I am up-to-date with my tetanus shot.

Oh no! Hope it heals quickly for you!

Let me know if you like this soap as much as I do when you give it a try

 

[Kcryss]

Well, I went ahead and gave that recipe a try, I have other less soapy gifts available also, but I'm hoping this will be a hit.

Was it the @IrishLass recipe that you tried?

 

[Tara_H]

Was it the @IrishLass recipe that you tried?

Yep, the one from the first post - I never figured out if it's 'officially' meant to be a good body wash, but my testing has convinced me it's good for that. In fact, I'm looking forward to using my test samples again tonight

 

[Kcryss]

Good to hear! I think I will be trying it soon as well!

 

[Kcryss]

Does anyone know what the high amount of castor oil provides in this recipe? Just curious.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

My guess: you don't have to be stingy with castor, since “soft, slimy and soluble”. Unlike with bar soap, these are qualities that are highly valued in LS. And its lather boost is always welcome! Castor is also clarity friendly (however, this is unnecessary in case of GLS).

At least these are the reasons why many of my LSs contain 10…20% castor. Haven't challenged these reasoning yet if it is worth to further increase castor content. But lovely LSs are possible without any castor at all.

 

[Juggsy]

Does anyone know what the high amount of castor oil provides in this recipe? Just curious.

I assume it's for lathering reasons.

It's good in transparent LS.

Castor oil differs from most other soft oils in its fatty acid composition; 80 to 85 percent of castor oil is ricinoleic acid.

Castor also stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. So maybe it's high in castor for that?

One other reason might be castor oil traces quickly.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Does anyone know what the high amount of castor oil provides in this recipe? Just curious.

To add to Owl's comments above, 3-5% Castor is the recommendation for hard bars. Any higher, and you risk having a sticky result.

Due to its high latherability, in LS, it can replace Coconut or PKO at a rate of 10-30% of total oils in a liquid shampoo. It also has nutritional qualities all by itself. TIP: Add therapeutic essential oils to the castor oil in your recipe an hour or more before soaping. In its presence, the EOs will be quickly absorbed by the body and scalp.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Oops. Double Post. Deleted.

 

[Aromasuzie]

@Zany_in_CO , I think you'll find that the essential oils will be quickly absorbed due to skin hydration. Castor oil would actually slow down absorption due to its viscosity

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@Zany_in_CO , I think you'll find that the essential oils will be quickly absorbed due to skin hydration. Castor oil would actually slow down absorption due to its viscosity

Actually I've used the technique of adding EOs to castor oil before soaping (CP hard bars) with good results for scent retention. Today, I happened to be researching liquid shampoo as a scalp treatment for stimulating hair growth. I have not tried it yet.

Source: The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch
Castor oil, like avocado oil, is active within your final soaps. This thick, viscous oil is soothing and lubricating and is absorbed quickly by the body. In its presence, less easily aborbed materials are more likely to be absorbed. This is an advantage if the other ingredients are pure and therapeutic.

If this isn't the case in your experience @Aromasuzie, I stand corrected and thank you for your input.

 

[Aromasuzie]

@Zany_in_CO Thank you for that info. As an Aromatherapist, we were taught that the more viscous the oil, the lower the rate of essential oil absorption into the skin. Cold pressed castor oil on it's own does not absorb into the skin at all. Thick and viscous does not equal quickly absorbed. If the carrier oil is not being absorbed, but are trapped within the oil, then the essential oils would take longer to evaporate. As soon as other carrier oils are added, viscosity would be reduced and it could be more easily absorbed or evaporated that way.

I searched through my books and found "Liquid Sunshine, Vegetable oils for Aromatherapy by Jan Kusmirek". Under Castor oil, it states "it does have emollient properties on the skin, and due to its viscosity can be considered where moisture needs to be locked in or out...it's many industrial uses include softening materials, treating leather, waterproofing and so on. It finds little use in Aromatherapy, being very thick and viscous. When sulphonated or hydrogenated, it does form the base of a common dispersant in water and so occurs carrying essential oils in many natural bath oils, breath fresheners etc. Hydrogenated forms are used as emulsion stabilisers."

I use castor oil in all my cp recipes at 5%. Next time I make soap, I'll try adding the essential oils to the castor oils first and see if it makes any difference. It will certainly be an interesting experiment.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

When sulphonated or hydrogenated, it does form the base of a common dispersant in water and so occurs carrying essential oils in many natural bath oils, breath fresheners etc.

Thank you for that information. I had forgotten about sulphonated castor, aka Turkey Red Oil! It is miscible in water and, as such, usable in liquid soap as an additive.

I look forward to reading results of your experiment.

I make more LS than CP hard bars these days. The exception is ZNSC. My favorite combo is 5% castor + 10% coconut + 85% olive which I make often for myself and a few special requests.

 

[Aromasuzie]

@Zany_in_CO , I've heard of Turkey Red Oil, mystery solved Your ZNSC recipe is on my list to try! I hope you don't mind me asking why you've made the change from cp to liquid soap? I find it quite fascinating how we head down one path, only to be diverted by another.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I hope you don't mind me asking why you've made the change from cp to liquid soap?

Haha It's just that I have way more CP soap on hand than I'll ever use up! Plus, I have foamers at every sink, I make my own hair & body shampoo, laundry soap, etc. and it seems I'm always running out of one LS or another.

I find it quite fascinating how we head down one path, only to be diverted by another.

Me too!

 

[Tara_H]

The final product(s)!

Despite y'all making me jealous with your cricut machines, I think I did ok with the labels

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Wow. Just add a fake barcode, and anyone will believe you that it's store bought!

Type best-before dates on labels with a mechanical typewriter to create maximum illusion.

 

[Tara_H]

Wow. Just add a fake barcode, and anyone will believe you that it's store bought!

Type best-before dates on labels with a mechanical typewriter to create maximum illusion.

I do want him to believe I made it, all the same