Of Cream Soaps and Beldis

[Arimara]

Doing some poking around for cream soap basics, I came across a type of soap called a beldi. To my knowledge, I have never used this type of soap and I'm not exactly brave enough to do so, knowing my skin. So I'm interested in opinions on beldis and cream soaps as well.

I also came across a term I didn't dig deeper into- super cream. Is that like actually whipping the soap into a "whipped cream" consistancy/appearance?

 

[shunt2011]

Here's a nice one on Cream Soap. Lindy posted her recipe and process.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49652

 

[DeeAnna]

Supercream is to a cream soap that superfat is to a regular bar soap. Supercream can be fats, stearic acid, glycerin, etc.

 

[Arimara]

Here's a nice one on Cream Soap. Lindy posted her recipe and process.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49652

I read through some of that thread. I'll go through it again when I do decide to try a cream soap recipe out. I'd have to modify Lindy's recipe a bit.

 

[IrishLass]

Here is a tutorial and recipe for Beldi soap: http://www.japudo.com.br/en/2013/04/20/black-soap-beldi-handcrafted/

(He's actually a member of our forum, but he's only ever posted once)


IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

There was a long thread on SMF about beldi -- one person was making it for bathing and hair and another wanted to make it for use with her tadelakt sculpture.

...Rummaging....

Here ya go -- it was MzMollie and Pilar: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=42736

And also see Auntie Clara's blog about making beldi: http://auntieclaras.com/tag/beldi-soap/

 

[Obsidian]

I'm sure I posted this on the beldi thread but here it is again for easy access. Since I don't care for just OO in soap, I went with a different recipe. I did replace some of the oils I didn't have like the mustard and camelina. I've been meaning to make it again but I think I'd use a tiny bit more coconut as it didn't lather well at all. I used it on body, not hair.

http://www.evernote.com/l/ANipdEe4JWNEMr8zDF4uKG4PPELstv-n0o0/

I've also made the cream soap from the other thread, I don't care for it that much. It was waxy and harsh for well over a year, its just now finally decent enough to use.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm kinda glad you said that about the cream soap, Obsidian, because now I know I'm not the only one who hasn't fallen in love the stuff. I made a batch and had the same reaction as you. Although the soap is attractive to look at and the idea of a creamy paste-like soap is really interesting, the actual soap never did turn into something I'm eager to use. I tried making a sugar scrub from it ... and like my emulsified scrub much better. I'd rather use my undiluted KOH soap paste for bathing than use the cream soap.

 

[Obsidian]

Yeah, I just don't understand the love. I am curious to try the liquid soap that became cream soap recipe on the cream soapmakers FB page but it has so many different butters, I'd hate to waste them if I hated it.
I don't care for the texture either, I really wanted something creamy like greek yogurt, not something spongy and weirdly fluffy.

 

[Arimara]

Cream Soap no 17 piqued my interest

http://web.archive.org/web/20110825102655/http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/form_whippedsoaps.html

I may use babassu instead of coconut oil to test my opinion of it out should I make this. I do have everything needed to make a batch except storage however.

 

[DeeAnna]

A problem with the Snowdrift Farms recipes is that the soap doesn't have enough stearic in it to be a long-term stable product, meaning a cream soap that doesn't separate with time. That #17 recipe has only 30% or so stearic + palmitic. If you read between the lines, they're recommending this recipe for use with additives (like adding sugar for a scrub), and the additives would add stability. The recipes that people report to be stable have about double that amount. Lindy's recipe for example is about 62%.

The problem, as Obsidian and I are discussing, with a stable cream soap is the high stearic + palmitic can feel waxy and weird on the skin and doesn't dissolve well in water without some work to lather it up.

Kind of a "dang if you do, dang if you don't situation."

 

[Arimara]

A problem with the Snowdrift Farms recipes is that the soap doesn't have enough stearic in it to be a long-term stable product, meaning a cream soap that doesn't separate with time. That #17 recipe has only 30% or so stearic + palmitic. If you read between the lines, they're recommending this recipe for use with additives (like adding sugar for a scrub), and the additives would add stability. The recipes that people report to be stable have about double that amount. Lindy's recipe for example is about 62%.

The problem, as Obsidian and I are discussing, with a stable cream soap is the high stearic + palmitic can feel waxy and weird on the skin and doesn't dissolve well in water without some work to lather it up.

Kind of a "dang if you do, dang if you don't situation."

That is a problem and one I'd predict my skin wouldn't handle very well. I can play around a little bit but I would have to brush up on basic nutrition science to get my gears spinning.