Teenage skin recipe advice needed

[AAShillito]

Do any of you have a tried and true recipe for teenage facial skin? My daughter has relatively good skin but still gets breakouts, worse at the time of the month.. I don't want her to be my personal guinea pig so I was hoping someone could share a recipe or point me at one online. I have this at home atm: rspo palm, coconut, olive, Shea butter, castor, avocado, rice bran oil, goats milk powder. Some activated charcoal and rose clay from BB. Anything else I will need to look at Amazon. Thank you all so much!!

 

[Babyshoes]

I don't have a tested recipe, but I'm also interested in the replies you get. My best friend's kid is approaching the age where she will likely need a good face soap soon.

I expect activated charcoal will be a good ingredient, and maybe a recipe with a low cleansing number to avoid stripping the skin, which would trigger more oil production. I've made one such soap but it's a long way off being cured, let alone tested.

 

[AAShillito]

What do you all think of this one? Never heard of Tamanu oil?
https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/kits/soap-making/charcoal-facial-soap-kit/V700037.html

 

[KimW]

For our boy who developed moderate acne, scrubbing with a very soft facial brush with ONLY water followed immediately with 100% witch hazel as a toner (100% Witch Hazel - that is, no alcohol or other ingredients) three times a day, worked best. Morning, after lunch, before bedtime. He much preferred using soap, as anyone would, and the only one that didn't make things worse was unscented/uncolored 50-50 Unrefined Palm/ Unrefined PKO soap at 2%SF.
FYI - he never went to a dermatologist, but had it been any more severe I would have taken him.

ETA: The "only water/witch hazel" routine did not rid him of his acne, but it lessened it greatly and kept it under control so that he was not self-conscious and so that it wasn't painful or itchy (which of course causes one to scratch/pick absent-mindedly).

ETA2 - LOL - Sorry, but blemishes of any kind are such the bane of so many of our teen years! One might keep in mind that our skin is so often unique and what might work for one, can make the skin of another worse. I presume to encourage doing as our GP suggested and start with minimal "procedures" like only water and a washcloth and if that doesn't help after 20-30 days, then add something very mild like witch hazel, etc., etc. This, to lessen the chance of damaging what is already sensitive and uncomfortable skin, and then end up actually having to treat the damage. Ok - that's all...really.

 

[Kcryss]

I agree with using alcohol free witch hazel. You might also want to consider adding a bit of rosemary, calendula, lavender, and tea tree eo's. 5 to 10 drops of each into about 2oz of witch hazel. Shake before using.

 

[KimW]

I forgot about my own experience. I had skin with blemishes much like your daughter's, though perhaps a bit worse. I literally always had at least one significant blemish on my face from the age of 12 to my late-30s. What finally got rid of them for me was ceasing to use over the counter lotion. Until then, the water only and witch hazel made my skin look and feel healthier, but not much else.

I went on a series of long camping trips and noticed my face would clear up while away, even through the general camping grime. I finally realized the one thing different was that I did not lotion my face while camping, because it was impossible to get truly clean. After one week of doing without lotion on my face (thankfully it was a humid summer!) my blemishes disappeared, just as they did when camping. I couldn't believe I had to give up my precious and expensive and oh so well researched "for sensitive skin" lotion. I waited one month and tried my lotion again - ohhhh how silky and lovely. I had a blemish forming on my face the next day - no kidding. So, I turned to natural oils only. Shea butter with Argan at 20/80 became my usual weapon of choice, plus a lotion I started making that was nice under makeup for the occasional night out. After menopause I realized I didn't need the heaviness/power of the Shea and so now use 50/50 Argan and Jojoba.

 

[AAShillito]

Do you all think I could make the recipe by BB I posted above in a loaf? I'm trying to be consistent in my sizing

 

[Zany_in_CO]

What do you all think of this one? Never heard of Tamanu oil?

For teenage skin?
If you click on the Tamanu Oil in that kit you can learn more about it.

Do any of you have a tried and true recipe for teenage facial skin?

I have two I recommend:

ZANY'S NO SLIME CASTILE

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHION LARD SOAP:
85% Lard
10% Coconut Oil
5% Castor Oil
Use the Default Settings on SoapCalc

I also like @KimW's recommendation in Post #4

He much preferred using soap, as anyone would, and the only one that didn't make things worse was unscented/uncolored 50-50 Unrefined Palm/ Unrefined PKO soap at 2%SF.

Palm + PKO would make an elegant and conditioning bar.
I make something similar. Add a little olive oil and adjust the Palm & PKO to make a more balanced bar:
62% Palm
23% Olive
15% PKO (Palm Kernel Oil Flakes)
Use the Default Settings on SoapCalc

I also like @Kcryss's recommendation in Post #5

I agree with using alcohol free witch hazel. You might also want to consider adding a bit of rosemary, calendula, lavender, and tea tree eo's. 5 to 10 drops of each into about 2oz of witch hazel. Shake before using.

HTH

 

[AAShillito]

For teenage skin?
If you click on the Tamanu Oil in that kit you can learn more about it.


I have two I recommend:

ZANY'S NO SLIME CASTILE

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHION LARD SOAP:
85% Lard
10% Coconut Oil
5% Castor Oil
Use the Default Settings on SoapCalc

I also like @KimW's recommendation in Post #4

Palm + PKO would make an elegant and conditioning bar.
I make something similar. Add a little olive oil and adjust the Palm & PKO to make a more balanced bar:
62% Palm
23% Olive
15% PKO (Palm Kernel Oil Flakes)
Use the Default Settings on SoapCalc

I also like @Kcryss's recommendation in Post #5


HTH

I looked at Tamanu oil on BB and it says it's healing for skin. Why the ? Just trying to learn.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

The subject of Acne prone skin has been discussed here many times. To learn more, find the magnifying glass icon at the top right of this page and Search "Acne". Be sure to tick the "Titles only" box.

 

[The_Phoenix]

What do you all think of this one? Never heard of Tamanu oil?
https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/kits/soap-making/charcoal-facial-soap-kit/V700037.html

I love Tamanu oil straight on skin. It's fairly expensive, so I don't know that I'd waste it in soap. It's on the stinky side with a strong nutty smell but it is nicely moisturizing and feels lovely on my skin--a little goes a long way. It makes a nice moisturizer for acne prone skin because it absorbs nicely and doesn't clog pores. I have to warn my husband when I decide to use it on my face right before bed. It’s lovely in face cream, too.

I have acne prone skin and use a 50% lard bar of soap with 18% CO and the rest oils to your liking. It’s a nice mild bar and gently cleansing. My opinion on activated charcoal in soap is that it’s all gimmick. Better option would be a good acne mask.

 

[artemis]

Do any of you have a tried and true recipe for teenage facial skin?

I looked at Tamanu oil on BB and it says it's healing for skin. Why the ? Just trying to learn.

A few things to keep in mind:
1. Everyone's skin is different. A skin care plan (which may or may not include soap) that works for me may not work for you. You will have to play around and experiment. Make small batches.

2. If your batch of face soap doesn't help remember that it is not a fail-- it's still soap that can be used for hands or body. And you've learned something.

3. Some ingredients that sound really great for skin lose their benefits in soap. And even if they don't, they are not on the skin long enough to help. Those are best used in a leave-on product.

4. Bramble Berry (and every other supplier) is selling us a product. They are going to give a positive description of anything they are selling. That doesn't mean they are lying, just that they are biased. If you search the forum you may get a fuller explanation of how to use certain oils.

5. Lastly, know what to search for. "Healing for skin" is pretty vague. Does BB mean it will help with cuts? Scars? Acne? If you know what properties your looking for, that will help you know how to search. In terms of soap, that might be low-cleansing or conditioning.

 

[violets2217]

What about willow bark extract? In the Witch Hazel toner or a lotion? I read good things about it’s help with acne... being a natural exfoliate. Not tried it yet, though. Still researching a bit more. But I have plans to add it to a very small batch of my solid oil cleansing stick and face cream. Not really a fan of adding expensive extracts or EO to soap, but my daughter does love my high content lard with AC and clays, and a bit of lavender, frankincense & tea tree EO. So we will see, my 15 year old son has just developed a pretty bad case of acne. Would love to get that cleared up!

 

[KimR]

I started soaping with BrambleBerry recipes and products. Their Charcoal Facial Soap with Tamanu oil is tried and true. My brother is a Fireman and has lots of skin issues due to the carcinogens. I have been making that soap for him for years. The entire family requests it on a regular basis. Yes you can make it and cut it as a slab.

 

[AAShillito]

I started soaping with BrambleBerry recipes and products. Their Charcoal Facial Soap with Tamanu oil is tried and true. My brother is a Fireman and has lots of skin issues due to the carcinogens. I have been making that soap for him for years. The entire family requests it on a regular basis. Yes you can make it and cut it as a slab.

Thank you! I appreciate the positive recipe feedback!!!

 

[The_Phoenix]

Thank you! I appreciate the positive recipe feedback!!!

I did want to point out that the link you shared doesn't show the recipe, just the ingredients. It's tough to give feedback on a recipe without the percentage details. Do you happen to know the percentages of the fats?

 

[AAShillito]

Sorry!! I thought I copied the correct link

This is the Soap Queen article/recipe:
https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/kits/soap-making/charcoal-facial-soap-kit/V700037.html
The link is weird. If I search soap queen charcoal bar I pull it but when I link it it's just the BB page

 

[The_Phoenix]

The link is weird. If I search soap queen charcoal bar I pull it but when I link it it's just the BB page

No worries. First, I did want to relay some of my experience during my time as a beginner soaper relying heavily on BB's recipes. The first batch of soap I made was a BB recipe, which included avocado butter. Now, there is nothing wring with avocado butter, but it's quite expensive. But, not knowing a whole lot about swapping out less expensive yet comparable ingredients, I bought the avocado butter from BB and made the soap. It was a small quantity of soap, but the avocado butter, at $12.99 for a pound, made it a somewhat expensive batch of soap. I didn't know anything about fatty acid profiles, and I trusted BB's expertise.

That said, now that I've had a good look at the recipe you asked about, it's a decent recipe, though 25% CO is 5% more than I'd be comfortable with as a facial bar. Second, at 5%, the tamanu oil would barely give the soap noticeable character. Third, the FA (fatty acid) profile of tamanu oil is very similar to the much less expensive rice bran oil. I created a FA profile spreadsheet when I first started to analyze ingredients and make a real go at making a better bar of soap.

That tells me that I can easily swap out the two fats, save some money, and generally get the same benefit. Keep in mind that any other characteristics of tamanu oil will be lost in the harsh environment of cp soap-making. That, for me, is the big ugly bummer about soap-making truths. Which is that oils that have unique benefits as a leave-on product (like tamanu) are lost in soap for two reasons: the saponification process loses certain properties and because soap is a wash-off product the skin does not have time to absorb those lovely properties.

And that stinks because tamanu oil, as I mentioned, is lovely oil. In fact, after my reply last night, which reminded me of how much I love tamanu, after washing my face, I applied a thin layer to my face. This morning my skin is so soft, supple, and hydrated.

The same, sadly, goes for activated charcoal. Any benefit your skin might gain from the product, because it spends so little time with your skin, just washes down the drain. It's great label appeal. And heck, a black bar of soap looks so cool!

Having said all that, I'd like to add a caveat that I learned about making soap by making soap. So on the one hand I'm more of an "give it a shot and see how it goes" than tell people what to do/what not to do. But on the other hand, I'd like to spare you the expense of buying tamanu oil to put in soap. Will it make a good bar of soap? Yes, most definitely. In fact, I think I might make one bar of soap using tamanu and see what is does in soap. But I would not make a habit of relying on tamanu in soap for the reasons I noted above.

I do want to encourage you to keep making soap, and experimenting with different fats/oils/butters. That's how we gain experience.

To wrap up, I am of two minds about BB. They offer a great starting point for beginning soap makers. That batch of soap I told you about? It's cured for well over a year and its a wonderful bar of soap. In fact, I use it on my face because it's so lovely. But I could have made the same bar of soap at half the cost using shea butter instead of avocado butter.

Anyway, that's a lot of words to say "go for it but proceed with a few things in mind."

 

[AAShillito]

No worries. First, I did want to relay some of my experience during my time as a beginner soaper relying heavily on BB's recipes. The first batch of soap I made was a BB recipe, which included avocado butter. Now, there is nothing wring with avocado butter, but it's quite expensive. But, not knowing a whole lot about swapping out less expensive yet comparable ingredients, I bought the avocado butter from BB and made the soap. It was a small quantity of soap, but the avocado butter, at $12.99 for a pound, made it a somewhat expensive batch of soap. I didn't know anything about fatty acid profiles, and I trusted BB's expertise.

That said, now that I've had a good look at the recipe you asked about, it's a decent recipe, though 25% CO is 5% more than I'd be comfortable with as a facial bar. Second, at 5%, the tamanu oil would barely give the soap noticeable character. Third, the FA (fatty acid) profile of tamanu oil is very similar to the much less expensive rice bran oil. I created a FA profile spreadsheet when I first started to analyze ingredients and make a real go at making a better bar of soap.

View attachment 56370

That tells me that I can easily swap out the two fats, save some money, and generally get the same benefit. Keep in mind that any other characteristics of tamanu oil will be lost in the harsh environment of cp soap-making. That, for me, is the big ugly bummer about soap-making truths. Which is that oils that have unique benefits as a leave-on product (like tamanu) are lost in soap for two reasons: the saponification process loses certain properties and because soap is a wash-off product the skin does not have time to absorb those lovely properties.

And that stinks because tamanu oil, as I mentioned, is lovely oil. In fact, after my reply last night, which reminded me of how much I love tamanu, after washing my face, I applied a thin layer to my face. This morning my skin is so soft, supple, and hydrated.

The same, sadly, goes for activated charcoal. Any benefit your skin might gain from the product, because it spends so little time with your skin, just washes down the drain. It's great label appeal. And heck, a black bar of soap looks so cool!

Having said all that, I'd like to add a caveat that I learned about making soap by making soap. So on the one hand I'm more of an "give it a shot and see how it goes" than tell people what to do/what not to do. But on the other hand, I'd like to spare you the expense of buying tamanu oil to put in soap. Will it make a good bar of soap? Yes, most definitely. In fact, I think I might make one bar of soap using tamanu and see what is does in soap. But I would not make a habit of relying on tamanu in soap for the reasons I noted above.

I do want to encourage you to keep making soap, and experimenting with different fats/oils/butters. That's how we gain experience.

To wrap up, I am of two minds about BB. They offer a great starting point for beginning soap makers. That batch of soap I told you about? It's cured for well over a year and its a wonderful bar of soap. In fact, I use it on my face because it's so lovely. But I could have made the same bar of soap at half the cost using shea butter instead of avocado butter.

Anyway, that's a lot of words to say "go for it but proceed with a few things in mind."

Thank you! I appreciate all your insight and advice. I was looking for Tamanu oil on Amazon ( not as $$ as BB). Also I really really appreciate you sharing your chart of profiles. I have RBO at home here already

A few things to keep in mind:
1. Everyone's skin is different. A skin care plan (which may or may not include soap) that works for me may not work for you. You will have to play around and experiment. Make small batches.

2. If your batch of face soap doesn't help remember that it is not a fail-- it's still soap that can be used for hands or body. And you've learned something.

3. Some ingredients that sound really great for skin lose their benefits in soap. And even if they don't, they are not on the skin long enough to help. Those are best used in a leave-on product.

4. Bramble Berry (and every other supplier) is selling us a product. They are going to give a positive description of anything they are selling. That doesn't mean they are lying, just that they are biased. If you search the forum you may get a fuller explanation of how to use certain oils.

5. Lastly, know what to search for. "Healing for skin" is pretty vague. Does BB mean it will help with cuts? Scars? Acne? If you know what properties your looking for, that will help you know how to search. In terms of soap, that might be low-cleansing or conditioning.

Oh I know BB wants to sell us stuff! But I used them way back in 2003-2004 when I was dabbling in melt and pour. They've been around forever for a reason

Like this soap sounds amazing but just thinking about everything I'd have to buy gives me a headache
https://nurturesoap.com/blogs/nurture-soap-blog/your-amazing-face-my-favorite-face-soap-recipe

 

[The_Phoenix]

Oh I know BB wants to sell us stuff! But I used them way back in 2003-2004 when I was dabbling in melt and pour. They've been around forever for a reason

Absolutely! They are a really good company. I have an enormous amount of respect for their brand and success. And I applaud them for the resources, recipes, and supplies that they sell and provide.