Recipe for dry skin

[scraggybeard]

I'm looking for any recipe recommendations for a soap to help with dry skin. In the winter, my skin always gets dry and itchy and I was hoping to prevent this. I've ready peanut oil or castor oil can help, does anyone have any input? Thinking about doing a basic recipe with

Coconut oil 35%
Palm oil 35%
Olive oil 20%
Castor oil 10%

Thoughts?

 

[Susie]

I would go no more than 20% coconut oil. Or more than 5% castor oil.

Are you completely opposed to lard?

 

[Seawolfe]

I used to think that having to slather with lotion after a shower or bath was normal, until I got into this crazy crazy soap making thing. Now I usually dont use moisturizer.

Most people don't like coconut oil over 20% - I like it up to 30% but then I have to bump up the superfat to 10%

Lard is a wonderful gentle soap - it will be my go-to saponified oil this winter.

I also love hemp oil, shea butter, almond oil and that classic favorite, olive oil for skin soothers. Oh and coconut milk as a replacement for 50-100% of the water is nice too.

 

[Obsidian]

I too have very dry winter skin and I prefer 15% coconut oil, a high percent of lard, 5% castor and the rest OO.

 

[shunt2011]

I too recommend using no more than 20% coconut. I do a 9% superfat/lye discount and add some avocado oil to my soaps for me during the winter. OO, PO, CO, Avocado & Castor with some Shea. I don't need lotion afterwards.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

CO % you were planning to use will be a bit drying, lowering it to around 20% will make gentler bar.
Avocado oil is lovely in soap, as part of it doesn't saponify and acts like extra SF. Be careful not to use much otherwise soap will turn out soft, around 10-15% is max I use. Lard is also lovely and gentle, I use it in my facial bars. As for SF, it's up to you and what you prefer. I find higher SF does bump up moisturising properties a bit but for me soap is just to greasy, especially in summer. All my soaps until 6 months ago were made with 5% SF and coconut milk which made SF even higher. They are nice but don't lather as much and they have greasy feel which was starting to annoy me. Now I use 3% SF and coconut milk as liquid and bars are much firmer and lather beautifully. My facial bars are made with around 0% SF and are really gentle as I used only gentle oils, lard, etc.

 

[kmarvel]

I used to think that having to slather with lotion after a shower or bath was normal, until I got into this crazy crazy soap making thing. Now I usually dont use moisturizer.

Most people don't like coconut oil over 20% - I like it up to 30% but then I have to bump up the superfat to 10%

Lard is a wonderful gentle soap - it will be my go-to saponified oil this winter.

I also love hemp oil, shea butter, almond oil and that classic favorite, olive oil for skin soothers. Oh and coconut milk as a replacement for 50-100% of the water is nice too.

Seawolfe, could I sub the almond oil with avocado oil? With using the 50% coconut milk, what is your SF %?

 

[Seawolfe]

I dont see why not kmarvel - just run it through soap calc and see what it says. I've only used coconut milk in salt bars - but Ill tell you, my oopsie 5% SF salt bar is pretty moisturizing still - so I attribute that to the coconut milk. On a 50% coconut milk non-salt bar I wouldnt superfat over 5% - maybe closer to 3% depending on the fat in the coconut milk and what I wanted the bar to be.