Need the most gentle soap recipe ever

[ibct1969]

I have a dear friend who was burned very badly several months back. She is doing great and just has scars at this point. I'd like to gift her some soap (unscented). What is the most gentle recipe out there?

 

[Soapprentice]

I am glad that she is doing great and I believe it would be Castile ..

 

[dixiedragon]

I am glad she is doing better. I would start with 100% lard, 5%-10% superfat. People have different sensitivities so she may do better with a 100% olive or 100% tallow, etc. But basically you want a very low cleansing number.

 

[IrishLass]

Genny's Shampoo Bar recipe would also make a great candidate. Instead of using it as a shampoo bar, I use it as my go-to gentle body-bar formula, only I sub out the soybean oil for either sunflower or safflower oil. The cleansing number shows up as zero on SoapCalc.


IrishLass

 

[ibct1969]

Genny's Shampoo Bar recipe would also make a great candidate. Instead of using it as a shampoo bar, I use it as my go-to gentle body-bar formula, only I sub out the soybean oil for either sunflower or safflower oil. The cleansing number shows up as zero on SoapCalc.


IrishLass

Thank you! Does it need longer than 6 weeks to cure?

I think I may make her a few types to see which she likes best... including the ones above. Thanks kind friends.

 

[IrishLass]

Thank you! Does it need longer than 6 weeks to cure?

I'm perfectly fine with using it at 4 weeks myself, but longer is always better of course, especially since it doesn't make for a super, rock-hard bar.


IrishLass

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have a dear friend who was burned very badly several months back. She is doing great and just has scars at this point. I'd like to gift her some soap (unscented). What is the most gentle recipe out there?

I would gift her a bottle of lavender essential oil.

There's a legend found around the internet about an alchemist in the early 20th century whose hand caught on fire while working in his lab. Without thinking, he put his hand in a vat of pure lavender essential oil. The oil not only soothed the burn but there was no scarring as well. Ever since reading that story, I keep a small bottle of lavender in my soaping-tote in case of lye burns or hot soap burns. It's amazing stuff.

ETA: Robert Tisserand addresses this legend here:
http://roberttisserand.com/2011/04/gattefosses-burn/

 

[lenarenee]

Does she know that handmade soap has a higher pH than most commercial soaps? This may not be appropriate for her recovering skin.

I also advise much caution with using lavender oil without QUALIFIED professional guidance. I don't know if you friend had skin grafts or the degree of the burns, but lavender eo comes with many variations and degrees of chemical constituents like linaloo, so you won't know exactly how much is safe on grafted or fresh formed epidermis.

Also, recent research has shown that there's a higher percentage of fake and/or adulterated lavender eo on the market because of the cost increase, so source any medical use lavender stringently.

(I've read the same account of the burn patient you mentioned, but there's more to the story I'm sure, positive or negative)

I know you want to encourage your friend, but you can also protect her by finding out exactly what she can and can't be exposed to. You can also make a soap gift for her future use when she is fully recovered!

 

[neonstudy]

How about a lotion bar? I use one right now that is so nourishing. I think it has tallow, cocoa butter, beeswax, and maybe olive oil?

For soap, you could try 50% tallow, 50% olive, 10-15% superfat, no scent or color.

 

[ibct1969]

Lenaerenee- it's me who didn't know that. I would have thought handmade soap would be much more gentle on her skin than the Dove that she's using now.

 

[cherrycoke216]

Lenarenee is probably right. Handmade soap probably would be a little higher PH. But then again, a recent study I read ( old post here) Swiss Med school did a research, even wash baby with only water, it will effect our acid mantle. But normal skin will come back to original state in 15-30 minutes.

What about shower oil?

https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/acatalog/Recipe-Foaming-Shower-Oil.html

Might just be the nourishment she need. Hope she's getting better everyday!

 

[lenarenee]

Lenaerenee- it's me who didn't know that. I would have thought handmade soap would be much more gentle on her skin than the Dove that she's using now.

I really don't know which soap would be better - only her doctor could advise. I only know that severe recovering burns are very tricky things for a very long time. Healthy skin can quickly reestablish its own proper pH after using handmade soap, but hers could need something very different.

I'm sure you'll find some way to care for her - she probably needs something to help her feel whole. Ever think about whipped body butter? Scented bath powder made without talc or clay? (I assume she had smoke inhalation so silicates, lead, in clay would not be advisable) Really comfy silk bathrobe?

 

[fuzz-juzz]

From my experience lard, avocado, shea and rice bran would have lowest cleansing power. But we are all different and react differently to various oils and butter. I personally find olive oil drying, so go figure...

And another NO to lavender oil directly on skin. If it can burn through plastic, what can it do to skin then?

I agree that anything else would be better than Dove since it contains detergent.

I would try different recipes, no colour, no scent, and see which one works best. Maybe not to much SF as it might not agree with scars, might clog up skin etc. I make facial bar with 0%SF and it's still super gentle.

 

[Susie]

I would use extreme caution on suggesting anything until the doctor gives her the all-clear. Then I would go with whatever her other skin liked. Scarred oily skin is still going to have oily skin around the scar. I might go so far as to provide the doctor several samples to see if he/she had a preference.

 

[ibct1969]

Thanks everyone, for your insight and suggestions. It's been about nine months since the incident where she was burned and her scars look really good. She told me yesterday that her docs told her that she could use soap as long as it was unscented but I understand what a few of you said about the higher ph thing so we'll double check.

I made the "gena shampoo bar" last night and I will do a castile one and a 100% lard one too. But will also have her clear all of this w her docs first before she uses them. They have to cure anyway so that will give her plenty of time to check w them. If she can't use it that's just fine too. Her husband can!

I love the ideas for the other gifts too. Thanks for those.

 

[ibct1969]

How to work the lye in this recipe

I am glad she is doing better. I would start with 100% lard, 5%-10% superfat. People have different sensitivities so she may do better with a 100% olive or 100% tallow, etc. But basically you want a very low cleansing number.

Hey dixiedragon, since I'm still pretty new to soap making, I thought I'd confirm something. I am pretty confused about the best way to use water and lye in my recipes. I am seeing in many blogs that a 33% lye solution is generally what people use. Is that what I should do for a 100% lard soap?

 

[Susie]

Not Dixiedragon, but, you can use anything from a 30-33% lye solution for any bar soap. You will trace faster and be more likely to gel with a lower percentage (AKA more water). 33% gives you time to play. You will have to help gel occur if you want to gel the soaps, though.

If you have not played with Soapee.com, I suggest you start there.

 

[kchaystack]

Hey dixiedragon, since I'm still pretty new to soap making, I thought I'd confirm something. I am pretty confused about the best way to use water and lye in my recipes. I am seeing in many blogs that a 33% lye solution is generally what people use. Is that what I should do for a 100% lard soap?

I'm not Dixie, but yes, anywhere from 30 - 33% lye is good.

 

[madison]

I used 100% OO soap for a family memeber who is diabetic, had a very large wound that turned into fungus ( this usually happens to the wounds of diabetic people) The wound looked like severe burn. The wound specialist who treated the wound in the hospital used medications that is used for sever burns, I had to take care of the wound, I was asked to wash the wound every day few times with any kind of soap, dry it then apply the medication, I used one of my castile soaps, and followed the directions. The wound was improving for over a year following the same procedure except that I was asked at some times to alternate with honey cream that also worked very well on the wound.

 

[ibct1969]

Here are the "Genny's" bars that I made yesterday. I also did 100% lard and castile (for a holiday gift) batches too...
I was busy!