prunellame
Member
I have lurked, and lurked in the forum for months, looking in different sub-forums in order to get a basic understanding of cold process soap making; ingredients, tools and vendor sourcing; and to learn about soap making techniques before ever attempting to make a batch of soap.
My interest in soap making was precipitated by too many allergic reactions to so-called soaps safe for sensitive skin and allergies. For years one of my sisters made cold process for me and my family, formulated specifically to avoid allergic reactions. I had gotten tired of trying to guess which soap would likely be ok for me to use, and then getting those assumptions wrong. My sister's soap was extremely moisturizing, and (mostly) did not cause allergic reactions.
Over the years, I became increasingly more interested in educating myself about soap ingredients in order to make informed decisions when purchasing cleaning products. Initially, I hoped this knowledge could help me get a better handle on what triggers allergic reactions, and ways to avoid surprise episodes. After a spell, I felt that I might have the ability to make my own safe soaps. I spent the last couple of years reading, learning, and talking to my sister about her own experiences making soap, because I knew enough to respect soap making as a process that required more than following a recipe/formula. I knew I would need allergy testing to specifically identify and eliminate allergens in potential ingredients, essential and carrier oils before ever attempting to make my own soap. Stupid me kept putting the testing off, even after increasingly worse reactions to some fruits and rubbers.
I was finally forced to seek allergy testing after I had a very bad reaction to avocado this past September, which required an emergency room visit. After two seperate testing protocols were performed, I was told I have the most serious IgE mediated Type 1 allergy to an assortment of fruits and latex. The doctor says there is no safe way for me to eat or come in contact with the comfirmed allergens. I am heartbroken I can never eat Avocadoes, Carrots, Peaches, Grapes, and tree nuts again!
After receiving my diagnosis, the direction of my soap making education necessarily narrowed and became more focused. When I finally felt confident, I made my first batch of 100% OO soap bars early last month. The first batch turned out so well, I tweaked the recipe and made another batch after learning a little more about latex-fruit cross reactions. The third batch was OO bar with no essential oils, that I can safely use to bathe our dogs.
Since my allergy diagnosis, we have learned that our two sons inherited my allergies, so it is even more important that we only stock cleaning products that we can all safely use at home.
My bars will cure for a minimum of six-months before I will let the family try them in the bath. All of the batches have come out beautifully, and I believe it was due to all the up-front learning and preparation recommended in the Soap Making Forum. While we wait for the bars to cure, I plan to make a 100% liquid OO soap in the next week or so, that we will be able use while the soap bars cure. We have used commercial Liquid Castile soap for years, for a variety of cleaning tasks (dishwasher liquid, laundry, bathroom cleaning, etc.), but what I purchased contains an oil that is a known allergen. We cannot risk anaphylaxis, and I feel pretty confident in my ability to make our own castile soap using just olive oil, water, and potassium hydroxide.
There is nothing fancy about my soap, as I made it to be effective and functional. I have been looking up information on making other soaps and lotions to address the range of skin and allergy issues within my family. For my husband, I want to one day soon make a soap to soothe his psoriasis. I have also been looking at some interesting hair tonic recipes to make my naturally very curly hair shine and bounce. If my initial efforts are half-way decent, I will share them with extended family and friends.
I am so very grateful to the forum members for generously sharing their knowledge and experiences. After everything I have learned to this point, I no longer dread waiting to find out if I will have a negative reaction to body care products, because I know how to read labels to avoid known allergens, and have the knowledge to make my own safe cleaning products. Thank you all.
My interest in soap making was precipitated by too many allergic reactions to so-called soaps safe for sensitive skin and allergies. For years one of my sisters made cold process for me and my family, formulated specifically to avoid allergic reactions. I had gotten tired of trying to guess which soap would likely be ok for me to use, and then getting those assumptions wrong. My sister's soap was extremely moisturizing, and (mostly) did not cause allergic reactions.
Over the years, I became increasingly more interested in educating myself about soap ingredients in order to make informed decisions when purchasing cleaning products. Initially, I hoped this knowledge could help me get a better handle on what triggers allergic reactions, and ways to avoid surprise episodes. After a spell, I felt that I might have the ability to make my own safe soaps. I spent the last couple of years reading, learning, and talking to my sister about her own experiences making soap, because I knew enough to respect soap making as a process that required more than following a recipe/formula. I knew I would need allergy testing to specifically identify and eliminate allergens in potential ingredients, essential and carrier oils before ever attempting to make my own soap. Stupid me kept putting the testing off, even after increasingly worse reactions to some fruits and rubbers.
I was finally forced to seek allergy testing after I had a very bad reaction to avocado this past September, which required an emergency room visit. After two seperate testing protocols were performed, I was told I have the most serious IgE mediated Type 1 allergy to an assortment of fruits and latex. The doctor says there is no safe way for me to eat or come in contact with the comfirmed allergens. I am heartbroken I can never eat Avocadoes, Carrots, Peaches, Grapes, and tree nuts again!
After receiving my diagnosis, the direction of my soap making education necessarily narrowed and became more focused. When I finally felt confident, I made my first batch of 100% OO soap bars early last month. The first batch turned out so well, I tweaked the recipe and made another batch after learning a little more about latex-fruit cross reactions. The third batch was OO bar with no essential oils, that I can safely use to bathe our dogs.
Since my allergy diagnosis, we have learned that our two sons inherited my allergies, so it is even more important that we only stock cleaning products that we can all safely use at home.
My bars will cure for a minimum of six-months before I will let the family try them in the bath. All of the batches have come out beautifully, and I believe it was due to all the up-front learning and preparation recommended in the Soap Making Forum. While we wait for the bars to cure, I plan to make a 100% liquid OO soap in the next week or so, that we will be able use while the soap bars cure. We have used commercial Liquid Castile soap for years, for a variety of cleaning tasks (dishwasher liquid, laundry, bathroom cleaning, etc.), but what I purchased contains an oil that is a known allergen. We cannot risk anaphylaxis, and I feel pretty confident in my ability to make our own castile soap using just olive oil, water, and potassium hydroxide.
There is nothing fancy about my soap, as I made it to be effective and functional. I have been looking up information on making other soaps and lotions to address the range of skin and allergy issues within my family. For my husband, I want to one day soon make a soap to soothe his psoriasis. I have also been looking at some interesting hair tonic recipes to make my naturally very curly hair shine and bounce. If my initial efforts are half-way decent, I will share them with extended family and friends.
I am so very grateful to the forum members for generously sharing their knowledge and experiences. After everything I have learned to this point, I no longer dread waiting to find out if I will have a negative reaction to body care products, because I know how to read labels to avoid known allergens, and have the knowledge to make my own safe cleaning products. Thank you all.
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