Ingredients for Sensitive Skin

[whitewitchbeauty]

My friend is in the Army and is overseas. He has sensitive skin and just asked me to make him soap. Any suggestions for a simple recipe, links, oils to avoid would be greatly appreciated. He likes Lavender so I'm using that as my EO. I have some clear m&p but can make CP too.

 

[rparrny]

My friend is in the Army and is overseas. He has sensitive skin and just asked me to make him soap. Any suggestions for a simple recipe, links, oils to avoid would be greatly appreciated. He likes Lavender so I'm using that as my EO. I have some clear m&p but can make CP too.

Well since a CP will take a couple of months to cure, you might want to start out with a simple glycerin soap with some added calendula glycerite and possibly a small amount of rosehip glycerite (too much will cause burning).
Then you can make up some CP (I'll leave suggestions for that recipe to others) and it will be ready for the holidays.

 

[snappyllama]

Oils to watch out for

I'd stay away from mango butter altogether and keep CO to below 15%. High lard soaps are lovely and mild. If he has very sensitive skin, try a naked castille and wait at least 6 months - he might love that one too.

Of course, he might be fine with any CP recipe. A lot of folks find their skin just prefers CP over the detergents they had been using.

Nice Water Substitutions

Calendula: either infused with OO (oil) or brewed into a tea (water)
Aloe Water
Goat Milk
Yogurt: I hear this is nice, but I haven't tried it yet.

Other Stuff

Some people have issues to clays though kaolin and rose clay seem to be tolerated pretty well.
Colloidal Oatmeal (not ground) is nice and soothing

Does he have eczema? If so, check out the pine tar thread.

 

[snappyllama]

I got really great recommendations when I asked for a recipe for a friend with eczema. He ended up like castille or bastille bars the best.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=51426

 

[cmzaha]

You need to double check with him on using fragrance, it is very strict on what can be sent depending on where he is stationed.

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

Thanks, i will ask him!

 

[Trix]

I second the castille soap, mind you this is usually only good after a six month to a year of making it. But when mybskin used to act up, this was the only thing that would calm it down and not cause further problems.
Lavender eo is usually safe even for sensitive skin, but do double check with him.
Also check the kinf of temprature of where he is stationed as different ingridients seem to work better for sensitive skin in hot rather than cold weather!

 

[Susie]

I had eczema. I love lard soaps. I do not love castile/bastile soaps. Every person is unique in what they will love and tolerate.

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

I can make a few for him to try.

He is in the Middle East.

 

[Obsidian]

I would ask why he has sensitive skin. Does it get red and irritated from fragrances or is it just really dry and itchy? I'm also one who does not like a lot of OO, it makes me itch and irritates my skin. I like lard, I use 50%-75% in my soaps.

I would stay away from most additives, they are just more things that could be irritating. Aloe juice and calendula are ones I would feel safe using.

 

[Trix]

I can make a few for him to try.

He is in the Middle East.

If he just developed he sensitive skin when he got there it could be the water. It is hard water with almost everything from chlorine to fluoride to other chemicals added there, such they just reuse seawater.

Olive oil has worked for millenuims for that areas weather. Other oils u may want to try are avocado oil, though check with him first. Also it f he gets time off tell him to go lookmfor aleppo soap in some of the markets, i am yet to find anyone this soap hadnt worked for over there. Alternativley find some laurel berry oil and do some yourself.

Oh and be sure to use a chelating agent as given the water structure, using 'real' soap without it will create scum like he hasnt seen at any other time of his life! Hope this helps!

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[penelopejane]

My DH has eczema and loves 100% OO Castile soap but can't have any fragrance at all. No EO or any chemical FO.

I have allergies and can't use OO. I can't tolerate a lot of natural fragrances/additives but some chemicals are fine. But I am not the norm so hopefully your friend isn't either.

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

I just purchased pine tar, activated charcoal, and more lard & oils. I have a friend with psoriasis and she just asked me to make her something. I have successfully made five batches of CP soap. I hope it is ok to make something for her at this point. I thought a rosemary infused water, charcoal, goats milk and pine tar would b good. Im not going to use any FO or EO in it.

 

[Obsidian]

Honestly, I think for psoriasis you are better off using less additives. If she has a reaction to one, you won't know what it is. Maybe make 1 batch pine tar and 1 batch goat milk, see which helps more.
Definitely wouldn't use any herbs, they can be quite irritating to some skin conditions. I don't see charcoal doing a thing to help either.

 

[Susie]

^What Obsidian said! The less additives the better! If you make a GM soap, use nothing other than base oils, lye, and GM. If you make a pine tar soap, use nothing other than base oils, lye, water, and PT.

Have the friend use one soap for a whole month before deciding if it helped or not. Then she can switch to a different one. Be cautious about her using multiple recipes in a short period of time, because if she reacts badly to one, y'all will have a much harder time figuring out what it is.

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

Thanks, that makes sense. I will update as I make it and later with her results. I have sensitive skin too, think i will try these as well.

 

[penelopejane]

I think it's wise to start with a basic recipe because rosemary infused oil or water could be just as irritating to someone who is sensitive to it as an EO or FO.

I only recently found out how incredibly potent some of the herbs can be for someone sensitive to them. I used to sprinkle Herbs willy nilly over most of the meat and chicken I ate until I realised I was making myself sick. : So disappointing.

 

[Nevada]

My friend is in the Army and is overseas. He has sensitive skin and just asked me to make him soap. Any suggestions for a simple recipe, links, oils to avoid would be greatly appreciated. He likes Lavender so I'm using that as my EO. I have some clear m&p but can make CP too.

A Simple Salt Soap may work too.
Coconut 80%, Olive Oil 20% SF 20% 50% Sea Salt.

Thank Him for His Service Hoo Ahh!

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

Thanks i will check that out