People of Different Skin Needs

[Desert Karen]

OK, I was thinking about this while I was getting ready for work today. I have TEN grand children. 6 of them are Mexican American, and my beloved grand daughter, Kayla, is also African American ( I HATE that word...American. We ARE American). Anyway, I'd like to make a soap, a shampoo bar, and body butter etc. formulated to Kayla's skin. Her hair is very dry, and very long. Naturally it curls up as it dry's, but it's still long. I have never seen, on any of the FB pages, or forums that are out there, people of color who are talking about soap, etc. If anyone here is black, or if you know where I can go to obtain a recipe, can you share?

Kayla gets very ashey, and this tends to darken the skin on her elbows and knees. I know Shea butter is a good option on her skin, and as soon as my haul for WSP comes next week, I have to hold off. I ran out of jars, etc. :crazy:

 

[Desert Karen]

My grands that are Mexican, have skin that holds up really well in the summer sun. My two grand daughters have very thick hair. I just made myself shampoo bars that are formulated for my thin, color treated hair. It's packed with good oils, but for the girls this would be just to greasy. Can anyone share a recipe for a shampoo bar that is good for thick, somewhat oily hair?

 

[green soap]

I sell at a farmer's market in a town that is ethnically really diverse:

40% - 30% - 30%
AfricanA - WhiteA - MexicanA and AsianA (not sure the relative proportions)

Lots of dry skin with folks of African and also Asian ancestries. They keep coming back for the goat milk soaps. I make a 100% OO plus GM soap with no scent or color, that one is surprisingly popular. Very long cure though.

Most types of lotion bars will work for dry skin. Mine include avocado oils, shea butter, cocoa butters, coconut oils, almond oil, all of these are good. I have a harder (30% bees wax) and a softer (25% bees wax) one.

There is a thread on shampoo bars (OP by Genny) with a dry hair shampoo bar recipe. You might want to give that one a try. Some folks also describe how to adjust the recipe to introduce a little bit more cleansing power for the oilier types of hair. You would have to make these adjustments for your MexicanA grand daughters.

 

[new12soap]

I'm sorry, I can't help with shampoo bars, but as for skin, I have several bi-racial and multi-racial friends that do have specific needs. Their skin (my friends') tends to be dryer than caucasion skin, as you said can get "ashy", but not as dry as AA skin (I am speaking in very broad generalities here for purposes of this conversation, obviously it varies from person to person). Same with hair, the texture is somewhere in between. I would recommend looking for soap recipes that are higher on the conditioning side and lower on cleansing so the skin is not getting stripped, perhaps something you would see for "mature" skin. Of course you want it to be as gentle as possible for children. As for lotion, yes shea butter is good, just again formulate on the thicker, richer side and use medium to heavier weight oils like olive and avocado. HTH

eta: I do not make shampoo bars because even tho some have had success with them I find them WAY too harsh and stripping for my hair, which is thick coarse and dry. for shampoo I stick with very mild sulfate free commercial stuff.

 

[lsg]

OK, I was thinking about this while I was getting ready for work today. I have TEN grand children. 6 of them are Mexican American, and my beloved grand daughter, Kayla, is also African American ( I HATE that word...American. We ARE American). Anyway, I'd like to make a soap, a shampoo bar, and body butter etc. formulated to Kayla's skin. Her hair is very dry, and very long. Naturally it curls up as it dry's, but it's still long. I have never seen, on any of the FB pages, or forums that are out there, people of color who are talking about soap, etc. If anyone here is black, or if you know where I can go to obtain a recipe, can you share?

Kayla gets very ashey, and this tends to darken the skin on her elbows and knees. I know Shea butter is a good option on her skin, and as soon as my haul for WSP comes next week, I have to hold off. I ran out of jars, etc. :crazy:

My children have American Indian on both sides of their family. I don't hate the term; it just divides our gene pool. While we may be all American, there is no disgrace in the division of our geneology. I am proud that my children can claim to have native American blood on both sides of their parentage. This forum is not the place to discuss this, so please limit your questions/discussions to things that have to do with the forum.

 

[Lindy]

Quite frankly we are all immigrants in one way or another with the exception of First Nations. I am a 4th generation Canadian of Irish/Scottish/Dutch descent....

 

[Miz Jenny]

eta: I do not make shampoo bars because even tho some have had success with them I find them WAY too harsh and stripping for my hair, which is thick coarse and dry. for shampoo I stick with very mild sulfate free commercial stuff.

I'm in the same boat: thick, coarse, dry, wiry. My current shampoo/conditioner is BE Macadamia Nut sulfate-free and it's the best I've ever used. It's very much and doesn't strip my hair of oils or color.

 

[Yooper]

OK, I was thinking about this while I was getting ready for work today. I have TEN grand children. 6 of them are Mexican American, and my beloved grand daughter, Kayla, is also African American ( I HATE that word...American. We ARE American). Anyway, I'd like to make a soap, a shampoo bar, and body butter etc. formulated to Kayla's skin. Her hair is very dry, and very long. Naturally it curls up as it dry's, but it's still long. I have never seen, on any of the FB pages, or forums that are out there, people of color who are talking about soap, etc. If anyone here is black, or if you know where I can go to obtain a recipe, can you share?

Kayla gets very ashey, and this tends to darken the skin on her elbows and knees. I know Shea butter is a good option on her skin, and as soon as my haul for WSP comes next week, I have to hold off. I ran out of jars, etc. :crazy:

I think you're totally on the right track with shea butter. Whipping shea butter (at room temperature) makes a wonderful body butter that can work on the face as well because it doesn't clog pores as cocoa butter can/will. I think shea butter is great for all races, and I use it on my (middle aged white) face.

For a lotion bar, cocoa butter and shea butter would be great for the main ingredients.

I have short dry hair, and a shampoo bar works well for me, but I don't know if it would well for her.

For a soap, a 100% olive oil, or near that, would be great. Maybe 80% OO, 10% shea butter, 5% castor oil, and 5% sweet almond oil with 9% superfat would be the way to go, adding powdered goat's milk at trace.

 

[soapsydaisy]

I am of Mexican descent and have very dy skin and hair. I tried making several batches of shampoo bars but they left my hair feeling like straw. My sister on the other hand has very oily skin and we have the same genes. I would say just have several recipes to accommodate the different skin types, it is hard to generalize. I can say that I sometimes give soap to my high school students (with differing backgrounds of an inner city school) and they all rave about my GM Honey soap that is made with 70% olive oil.

 

[Desert Karen]

I sell at a farmer's market in a town that is ethnically really diverse:

40% - 30% - 30%
AfricanA - WhiteA - MexicanA and AsianA (not sure the relative proportions)

Lots of dry skin with folks of African and also Asian ancestries. They keep coming back for the goat milk soaps. I make a 100% OO plus GM soap with no scent or color, that one is surprisingly popular. Very long cure though.

Most types of lotion bars will work for dry skin. Mine include avocado oils, shea butter, cocoa butters, coconut oils, almond oil, all of these are good. I have a harder (30% bees wax) and a softer (25% bees wax) one.

There is a thread on shampoo bars (OP by Genny) with a dry hair shampoo bar recipe. You might want to give that one a try. Some folks also describe how to adjust the recipe to introduce a little bit more cleansing power for the oilier types of hair. You would have to make these adjustments for your MexicanA grand daughters.

Well Hello neighbor. I lived in Rancho Cucamonga for many years, and now in Palm Springs for 22.
The shampoo bar out to be good for Kayla. What I could really use is a lotion bar. Would you help me out and point me towards a lotion bar? My email addy is, [email protected]. As soon as I get my new haul from WPS the end of this week, I'm going to make some body butter, and a bath whip. Now that I am thinking about it, I ordered a chocolate brownie scent. I think I'll make Kayla a body butter with that. Ill also check out the thread you mentioned as well. TY

 

[Desert Karen]

I am of Mexican descent and have very dy skin and hair. I tried making several batches of shampoo bars but they left my hair feeling like straw. My sister on the other hand has very oily skin and we have the same genes. I would say just have several recipes to accommodate the different skin types, it is hard to generalize. I can say that I sometimes give soap to my high school students (with differing backgrounds of an inner city school) and they all rave about my GM Honey soap that is made with 70% olive oil.

[/SIZEI love the idea of using almost all olive oil. Honey, yummy, but, I have a problem with GM. I absolutely HATE the smell. Everyone tells me I'm crazy. They don't smell the barnyard that I smell. Is there any way to harden a largely olive oil soap besides waiting months for that to happen? I have sodium lactate that I am using and it seems to be working well for me. I also have Bentonite and Kaolin clay.

 

[soapsydaisy]

I love the idea of using almost all olive oil. Honey, yummy, but, I have a problem with GM. I absolutely HATE the smell. Everyone tells me I'm crazy. They don't smell the barnyard that I smell. Is there any way to harden a largely olive oil soap besides waiting months for that to happen? I have sodium lactate that I am using and it seems to be working well for me. I also have Bentonite and Kaolin clay.

Have you tried coconut milk? No barnyard smell :eh:

 

[mel z]

[/SIZEI love the idea of using almost all olive oil. Honey, yummy, but, I have a problem with GM. I absolutely HATE the smell. Everyone tells me I'm crazy. They don't smell the barnyard that I smell. Is there any way to harden a largely olive oil soap besides waiting months for that to happen? I have sodium lactate that I am using and it seems to be working well for me. I also have Bentonite and Kaolin clay.

Lol at barnyard smell. Fresh GM does smell sort of "musky game" like. Powdered GM is not so bad, but if going to try it, just order one of the small samples first, ebay has a few soap suppliers for things like that. An entire canister from the store can be a little pricey if you do not like it or want to use it.

Don't know how to get olive oil only soap to harden faster. Maybe adding stearic acid or SL? Wait for someone with more experience to tell you.

I don't mind the wait if it is going to be good.

 

[SudsyPM]

OK, I was thinking about this while I was getting ready for work today. I have TEN grand children. 6 of them are Mexican American, and my beloved grand daughter, Kayla, is also African American ( I HATE that word...American. We ARE American). Anyway, I'd like to make a soap, a shampoo bar, and body butter etc. formulated to Kayla's skin. Her hair is very dry, and very long. Naturally it curls up as it dry's, but it's still long. I have never seen, on any of the FB pages, or forums that are out there, people of color who are talking about soap, etc. If anyone here is black, or if you know where I can go to obtain a recipe, can you share?

Kayla gets very ashey, and this tends to darken the skin on her elbows and knees. I know Shea butter is a good option on her skin, and as soon as my haul for WSP comes next week, I have to hold off. I ran out of jars, etc. :crazy:

Hey Desert Karen, I'm black and work with a lot ethnically diverse customers. First thing you have to do is always plan on super superfatting your soap bars (10%). Secondly, limit the coconut oil as it can definately be drying. Funny thing is coconut oil is great for the skin in butters...don't ask me why. My bars are usually: 30% coconut oil 20% shea butter and the rest my soft oils in whatever combination my recipe calls for. Lemon juice will lighten those dark elbows and knees. For the shampoo bar..coconut oil is also not your friend...you want oils that are moisturizing, think creamy lathering oils vs the big bubble makers. I used to be a stylist in my previous life and that was people's first mistake..trying to get the hair squeeky clean which strips all the natural oils. Curly hair doesn't distribute oil from the scalp like straight hair because it has to go through all the twists and turns , so you have to make sure you're constantly add moisturizing instead of stripping.

 

[butterbubbles]

I am new to Soap Forum. Sudsy PM hits on a HOT topic. I too make soap for my diverse family and customers. Many of different ethnic backgrounds want great soap that does not dry their skin and leave it "ashy." I am still trying to come up with a "gentle"/great lathering/skin "moisturizing"/soap. Is it possible? I'm all ears Sudsy PM!
Help. thanks!

 

[judymoody]

I would go to swiftcraftymonkey's blog and read up on what she says about African hair. I don't remember all of the details but a syndet bar might be a better option than CP or perhaps no soap at all. I have seen a lot of blogs that recommend pure coconut oil applied directly to the hair.

As for soap, I won't offer an opinion because I have not formulated for specific ethnic groups.

You could try some whipped shea (80% shea + 20% light liquid oil) as an alternative to a lotion bar. Easy to make.

 

[SudsyPM]

I am new to Soap Forum. Sudsy PM hits on a HOT topic. I too make soap for my diverse family and customers. Many of different ethnic backgrounds want great soap that does not dry their skin and leave it "ashy." I am still trying to come up with a "gentle"/great lathering/skin "moisturizing"/soap. Is it possible? I'm all ears Sudsy PM!
Help. thanks!

I continue to adjust my recipes. I'm finding that lately with winter coming that I'm dropping the coconut oil down to 20% or replacing it all together with either PKO or Babassu. Castor, Avocado, Olive, Cocoa Butter


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