Looking to make a really nice face soap

[mrsserena]

What do you think of this recipe? I'm looking to make a nice face soap, so I thought adding rhassoul clay would be nice. I've also read that avocado oil was nice in soap.

 

[Gerry]

Looks fine to me, but not for me. I have terribly oily skin! But I think for the average normal to dry skin person, this would make for a great facial soap.

 

[Susie]

I use my regular bath soap on my face. No fancy oils, no special additives. Just lard, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil. Occasionally I throw some GV shortening (tallow and palm oil) in the mix, but no fancy expensive oils. Why? Because I have tried all those fancy oils, and I and everyone else preferred the high lard soaps to all of them.

But you need to make soap that your skin likes. Try that recipe, then try adding the amount of avocado oil to the lard, and try that. Then try adding clay to a separate batch. See what you like.

 

[lenarenee]

Not because of any specific reason, but 6% SF might be unnecessary. Unless you have extremely dry skin, 10% coconut is fine. For the face, I wouldn't use a high sf to "moisturize" (in case that's what you had in mind). Just something for you to think about.

 

[mrsserena]

Thanks! I was thinking extra moisturizing for this batch, as my skin is really dry in the winter.

That's a great idea, I'll try my normal soap with clay just to see if the avocado oil makes much difference.

Thanks!

 

[cmzaha]

With such low coconut oil you are better off with a lower superfat in my opinion. I have always found with the cleansings oil low and high superfat they do not rinse off well and feel oily. For moisturizing use a nice lotion. Even with 15% CO which is my average for mens soaps I use a 3% superfat and my soaps are not drying

 

[mrsserena]

OK, so now I have two batches to try, my normal soap with clay, and this recipe, but I'll change to 3% superfat. Maybe also this recipe without clay, then I can try them all and see which I like best.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Dahila]

Thanks! I was thinking extra moisturizing for this batch, as my skin is really dry in the winter.

That's a great idea, I'll try my normal soap with clay just to see if the avocado oil makes much difference.

Thanks!

I am sorry but soap does not moisturise , it is wash off product, If you need something gentle make a face wash using very gentle sufracants, I made one and is it very good, not dry skin after washing. I still wash my face with my activated charcoal high lard soap at least twice a week, I finally got rid of oily tzone and I do believe it is charcoal balancing the skin oils

 

[mrsserena]

Yes, I used the wrong words there. I know it doesn't moisturize, I just wanted to make something hopefully more gentle, so I was trying a less cleansing recipe, so my natural oils won't be stripped. I want to try activated charcoal too!

 

[Obsidian]

There is a shampoo bar recipe floating around the forum that makes a really nice face bar for dry skin. Its in the first post here
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946&highlight=lindy

personally I remove the soybean and replace it with coconut. You could also replace the shea with lard but I quite like the shea in this.

Here is another recipe that I came up with some time back, its a bit odd but it a very nice facial bar. Its all my 73 yr old mother uses now. Next time I make it, I will leave out the coconut milk and use aloe juice instead. If you don't have palm kernel flakes, use coconut oil.
http://www.evernote.com/l/ANh3FaF3Rs9Em6_2oBtbgRSdr68bsLetsZE/

Of course, if you change any oils around, make sure to run the new recipe through a lye calc

If you have very dry skin, you might want to reconsider the clay, it does terrible things to my dry skin.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I have oily T-zone and VERY dry and sensitive cheeks and my recipe works fine for my skin.
I'm not home so I can't look in my notes but I know I use 0%SF or close to and no CO as dry part of my face reacts to it. My skin also hates lots of PO and OO so I try and avoid them or use in minimal % in facial bars.
Now, rest of my recipe is made of lard or tallow (they are gentle and great on face), almond oil, shea, castor. I've tried avocado and it's also nice. I can't remember the exact %. Only clay I would use would be kaolin or yellow as they are supposed to be gentle. I'm using both in small amounts and don't notice the drying effect but everyone's skin is different.
Soap can be gentle but it won't moisturise. I always follow with Olay for sensitive skin because that's the only thing my face will cope with lol. And certain brand of sunscreen. The other day I was in a hurry and used daughter's sunscreen. And oh boy... I ended up with dome sort of rash or chemical burns. It took 10 days to go away.

Start small and try different things. Not all at once. What works for us may not work for you. And always make notes.