I appreciate the shout-out. For longtime members, this will sound like a broken record. But maybe for some new forum-ers, it'll help. For DECADES I had dry and rashy skin. In the U.S. Midwest winter, my fingertips would crack and bleed. I literally used Super-Glu on my fingertips proactively and reactively.I'm with you on this one!
I started making goat's milk soap with low coconut oil like 3-5%. I also use oils that give me a very high conditioning value on the soap calc and lower supper fat like 2%, a lower superfat will increase the bubbles. I use about 40-50% Lard, 5%Shea Butter 5%castor.
Then I add sugar, Aloe, and a chelator so I can get more bubbles.
And let this cute for at least 2 months.
I also like ZNSC but I find my high Lard recipe above more gentle on the skin, I was going to try ZNSC with goat's milk like @AliOop recommends but the price of olive oil is scary these days
as for lotion bars, I absolutely love @Zing lotion bars with mango butter, Thank you Zing!!! I live in the north pole and it's brutal in the winter on my skin. Thanks to Zing's lotion bars and homemade soaps. I had no problems last winter.
I dislike the oil residue from lotion bars. So I make my bars with mango butter and oils that are quickly absorbed, I also made then in an oval soap shape. After I shower, and my body is still wet, I super quickly run the lotion bar on my body where it's dry and needs moisturing. The oval shape makes them slide well.
Then I pat dry myself. It just leaves enough of a barrier to protect the skin without leaving a sticky oil residue behind.
I also noticed that yellow less refined beeswax gives my lotion bars better results than the more refined pellets,
The less refined beeswax is better on the skin and the bars are harder and I get a thinner layer of the lotion bar when I use them.
So good luck, keep on trying and experimenting until you find something that will work for you
I got into soapmaking for the creativity and was pleasantly surprised to see my skin health turn around. And then I made lotion bars which pushed it all over the edge. Now in winters, it's been years since my fingers have cracked and bled. I haven't had a hang nail since forever. I play piano and garden and don't take my fingers for granted.
The recipe is simple and easily tweaked to add more or less wax or oil. 1/3 each of beeswax, butter, oil. I add 1% vitamin E oil and an essential oil (check eocal.com). I like mango butter because it's not greasy.