Long Lasting Mild Soap

[JeffBez]

Hi! I've been making soap for over 3 years and only now just stumbled upon this soap making forum. After looking around all I can say is WOW! In the past I had formulated my recipes based on the what the large popular blogs recommended. Now after reading some of yall's comments, I've started to realize I've been doing it all wrong! I have psoriasis and had been making soap to try and help soothe it but never had much success. I now realize all my soaps may have too much CO in them and that could be the culprit. My soaps also are not as long lasting as I would prefer them to be. I've now completely reworked my formula and would love to hear yall's feedback. My goal is to make a long lasting soap/not hard (Used to make 100% coconut oil soap, NOT long lasting), and one that is very mild. I've heard lots of great things about 100% Olive Oil, but I'd rather not wait around half a year before I could use my soap.

I would be extremely grateful and so would my skin!

Thanks!!

 

[lsg]

Have you tried using neem seed oil in your soap? It is good for skin conditions. It is smelly and a little goes a long way. Argan oil is supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties.

 

[DeeAnna]

Your proposed recipe looks fine based on the fatty acid profile. I don't know if your skin might be sensitive to the unsaponifiable content of shea .... something to think about.

If you do try lsg's suggestion to use some neem, think of it as being roughly comparable to palm (not palm kernel) or lard. I like it in soap, even though neem has an odd scent that I don't think many people are in love with. But the odor mellows a lot as the soap cures, so I don't find it offensive. Just odd.

 

[GemstonePony]

I'm one that soaps with Avocado oil or Rice Bran oil instead of Olive oil. Some people here find that high-Oleic soaps irritate their skin, and these are both higher in Linoleic FAs than Olive oil.
And I would recommend trying a little of the oils that you use on your skin to see if you react badly to any of them. They could still irritate your skin as soap, of course, but it might be a good idea to see if anything in your superfat is irritating all by itself.

 

[JeffBez]

Have you tried using neem seed oil in your soap? It is good for skin conditions. It is smelly and a little goes a long way. Argan oil is supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties.

I sure haven't! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to look into that now.

Your proposed recipe looks fine based on the fatty acid profile. I don't know if your skin might be sensitive to the unsaponifiable content of shea .... something to think about.

If you do try lsg's suggestion to use some neem, think of it as being roughly comparable to palm (not palm kernel) or lard. I like it in soap, even though neem has an odd scent that I don't think many people are in love with. But the odor mellows a lot as the soap cures, so I don't find it offensive. Just odd.

I wasn't aware that there could be sensitivities to the shea butter. I though it would actually help. I'll deffinitally have to do more research and some some trial and error batches now.

I'm one that soaps with Avocado oil or Rice Bran oil instead of Olive oil. Some people here find that high-Oleic soaps irritate their skin, and these are both higher in Linoleic FAs than Olive oil.
And I would recommend trying a little of the oils that you use on your skin to see if you react badly to any of them. They could still irritate your skin as soap, of course, but it might be a good idea to see if anything in your superfat is irritating all by itself.

Wow thanks for the insight! I wasn't aware of that the High Oleic could be an irritate as well. Sad, because most recipes you find on blogs seem to have those type of profiles. There should really be more information put out for those with skin sensitivities. It sounds like I have some more testing to do!

 

[DeeAnna]

I believe it is high amounts of actual olive oil in soap that some people find is drying to their skin. Other high oleic fats apparently don't seem to be as irritating. I have no idea why this is the case, and it's not a universal thing.

You need to figure out what works best for your skin, and if a soap high in olive oil works for you ... it works.

 

[Hope Ann]

I've heard lots of great things about 100% Olive Oil, but I'd rather not wait around half a year before I could use my soap.

Welcome! This forum is a wonderful resource. I would suggest searching the forum for Zaney's No-Slime Castille. It's a post a zillion pages long but the formula is on the first of them. It cures quickly and is lovely. You could make a small 1 lb batch and see what you think.

Hope

 

[MaryinOK]

Zany's no-slime castille soap is one of my favorites.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Haha. I was going to suggest Zany's No Slime Castile too but @Hope Ann and @MaryinOK beat me to it. I have dry, sensitive, "mature" skin and I use it to wash my face AM and PM. It is long-lasting and seems to keep it's shape to the very end -- as long as you keep it "high & dry" on a soap-saver type dish between uses.

I like the 85% olive oil, 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil variation. You can sub PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) for the coconut.

That being said, your formula looks good and I see no reason not to give it a go. An INS Value of 135 suggests that it may take a little longer than normal to cure, but once fully cured I imagine it will be quite nice!

Since you have all the ingredients, I'd make your formula first. Then, while it's curing, make the ZNSC. It will cure faster, although the jury is out on just how fast that is. I start using it at the 2-week mark but I don't recommend that for everyone. As I told a member recently, "proceed with caution".

 

[winusuren]

Haha. I was going to suggest Zany's No Slime Castile too but @Hope Ann and @MaryinOK beat me to it. I have dry, sensitive, "mature" skin and I use it to wash my face AM and PM. It is long-lasting and seems to keep it's shape to the very end -- as long as you keep it "high & dry" on a soap-saver type dish between uses.

I like the 85% olive oil, 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil variation. You can sub PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) for the coconut.

That being said, your formula looks good and I see no reason not to give it a go. An INS Value of 135 suggests that it may take a little longer than normal to cure, but once fully cured I imagine it will be quite nice!

Since you have all the ingredients, I'd make your formula first. Then, while it's curing, make the ZNSC. It will cure faster, although the jury is out on just how fast that is. I start using it at the 2-week mark but I don't recommend that for everyone. As I told a member recently, "proceed with caution".

@Zany_in_CO

Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe. I would like to replace the water part with home made coconut milk. I'll add salt to it as you've said and modify this recipe with 87% pomace, castor 8%, Shea butter 5%?? I'm afraid to use coconut oil and 0 percent superfat as I'm gonna make it for my kids..kindly provide your valuable suggestions...

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe.

You're welcome.

I would like to replace the water part with home made coconut milk. I'll add salt to it as you've said

@Basil would be a good one to advise on this. She makes goat milk soap with this recipe.
That being said, I would do 50/50 faux sea water to make the lye solution; add the other 50% coconut milk to the warmed oils before adding the chilled lye solution, straight from the fridge.

87% pomace, castor 8%, Shea butter 5%??

2 thumbs up! Go for it!

I'm afraid to use coconut oil and 0 percent superfat as I'm gonna make it for my kids

No need for coconut oil unless you would like more lather. Shea butter is wonderful in soap but is said to provide minimal lather. I would expect 8% castor to help with that. Make a small batch to see what you think. You can always tweak it.

For long-lasting mild soap, my personal favorite ZNSC combo is 85% pomace, 10% coconut oil, 5% castor oil for just the right amount of hardness and creamy lather.

0% SF is there to reduce slime. Have no fear. It's one of the key players in the formula.
Olive Oil is known to contain "unsponifiables", meaning, some of the fatty acid remains after saponification and causes what we refer to as "slime". Soaping at 0%SF addresses that issue.

UNSAPONIFIABLES are a large group of compounds called plant steroids or sterolins. They soften the skin, have superior moisturizing effect on the upper layer of the skin and reduce scars. Oils with the highest unsaponifiables are shea butter, avocado oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and olive oil.

HAPPY SOAPING!

 

[winusuren]

You're welcome.

@Basil would be a good one to advise on this. She makes goat milk soap with this recipe.
That being said, I would do 50/50 faux sea water to make the lye solution; add the other 50% coconut milk to the warmed oils before adding the chilled lye solution, straight from the fridge.

2 thumbs up! Go for it!

No need for coconut oil unless you would like more lather. Shea butter is wonderful in soap but is said to provide minimal lather. I would expect 8% castor to help with that. Make a small batch to see what you think. You can always tweak it.

For long-lasting mild soap, my personal favorite ZNSC combo is 85% pomace, 10% coconut oil, 5% castor oil for just the right amount of hardness and creamy lather.

0% SF is there to reduce slime. Have no fear. It's one of the key players in the formula.
Olive Oil is known to contain "unsponifiables", meaning, some of the fatty acid remains after saponification and causes what we refer to as "slime". Soaping at 0%SF addresses that issue.

UNSAPONIFIABLES are a large group of compounds called plant steroids or sterolins. They soften the skin, have superior moisturizing effect on the upper layer of the skin and reduce scars. Oils with the highest unsaponifiables are shea butter, avocado oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and olive oil.

HAPPY SOAPING!

@Zany_in_CO
Thank you so much for your immediate response. I'm super excited to try the recipe this weekend. Kindly bare with me as I have few more questions.
Won't 10 percent coconut oil be drying for toddlers??
How long should I cure this soap??
Other than the slimy feel, will there be
any other issues if I increase the superfat??
Can I use the normal iodised table salt to prepare the faux water??

 

[Dawni]

@winusuren have you read the whole thread of Zany's? LOTS and lots of info there, to answer your questions and others you haven't thought of lol....

@JeffBez I have nothing to add to the recipe but be prepared to find out if lye based soap just doesn't work on your skin. It happens.

Also, I'm one of those who has skin that doesn't like olive oil. I use rice bran oil instead.

 

[LynetteO]

I’ve made ZNSC. The olive oil & the tweak with 85/10/5 OO/CO/Castor. I’ve made the soap using goat milk. I made the lye solution with faux sea water 1:1 and replaced the .7 of the 1.7:1 water lye solution with goat milk; I’ve also made the recipe exactly as written. All my batches but one have reached a 4 weeks cure mark. IMHO the soap made as written with faux sea water & without goat milk is better. They are for lack of a better word fluffier, bubblier, smell better. The salt water made for a quick cure in all instances. The only time the soap wasn’t ready to unmold within 10-24 hours was the time I soaped too cool & failed to blend until med trace. That batch was a 100%OO & it took 5 days to harden enough to remove from cavity molds. ZNSC is hands down a wonderful recipe.

 

[winusuren]

have you read the whole thread of Zany's? LOTS and lots of info there

@Dawni
I read few pages in the thread. Though Zany has suggested that it could be used for babies I couldn't find any other reviews on how the recipe will be just fine for a baby..I'll make a small test batch to try it with a modified recipe...
87% pomace, castor 8%, Shea butter 5% or increase the butters a little more to add hardness to the soap..

I just thought of adding faux sea water for one portion of water and coconut milk for the other...I'll update after 4 weeks..

 

[Hope Ann]

@winusuren Also, I'm one of those who has skin that doesn't like olive oil. I use rice bran oil instead.

I have a jug of RBO that needs used. Would you suggest 100% or 85% with a smidge of coconut ans caster? Will it cure as fast?

Hope

 

[Hope Ann]

@Zany_in_CO

Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe. I would like to replace the water part with home made coconut milk. I'll add salt to it as you've said and modify this recipe with 87% pomace, castor 8%, Shea butter 5%?? I'm afraid to use coconut oil and 0 percent superfat as I'm gonna make it for my kids..kindly provide your valuable suggestions...

Trust this as written. 100% olive oil at zero SF will be mild and bubbly and clean while feeling soft and moisturizing on your skin. I used this last year on my freshly radiated skin, which I think would be as tender as a baby's skin.

I like aloe juice in my soaps for bubbles and a bit of extra mildness, so I make the water up with twice the additives and then use half water / half alternative liquid. It's worked well for me that way. Or you could add a couple scoops of milk powder to the regular water. I just like it a smidge better with the aloe juice. I agree that milk can give it a bit of smell.

Hope

 

[Dawni]

I have a jug of RBO that needs used. Would you suggest 100% or 85% with a smidge of coconut ans caster? Will it cure as fast?

Hope

Lemme point you to this thread

 

[Basil]

You're welcome.

@Basil would be a good one to advise on this. She makes goat milk soap with this recipe.
That being said, I would do 50/50 faux sea water to make the lye solution; add the other 50% coconut milk to the warmed oils before adding the chilled lye solution, straight from the fridge.

2 thumbs up! Go for it!

No need for coconut oil unless you would like more lather. Shea butter is wonderful in soap but is said to provide minimal lather. I would expect 8% castor to help with that. Make a small batch to see what you think. You can always tweak it.

For long-lasting mild soap, my personal favorite ZNSC combo is 85% pomace, 10% coconut oil, 5% castor oil for just the right amount of hardness and creamy lather.

0% SF is there to reduce slime. Have no fear. It's one of the key players in the formula.
Olive Oil is known to contain "unsponifiables", meaning, some of the fatty acid remains after saponification and causes what we refer to as "slime". Soaping at 0%SF addresses that issue.

UNSAPONIFIABLES are a large group of compounds called plant steroids or sterolins. They soften the skin, have superior moisturizing effect on the upper layer of the skin and reduce scars. Oils with the highest unsaponifiables are shea butter, avocado oil, sesame oil, soybean oil and olive oil.

HAPPY SOAPING!

@winusuren I love zanys no slime soap! I make it with goats milk as she said . I just made 12 pounds of it for people at an assisted living facility. I add the salts to the goat milk rather than water and freeze it. Then I use the frozen cubes for zanys recipe when I make it. It always turns out great. I recently made a batch with 1/2 aloe Vera juice and 1/2 goats milk and added the salt and baking soda and froze. I tried a small piece two days after I unmolded and it’s super nice. It’ll have to cure longer but that says something.
I have an upright freezer for the milk so it’s easier for me to freeze everything and it keeps the lye solution cooler when mixing.