Vaseline Soap questions

[CathyB]

Since starting this journey, I seem to be all about reading ingredients on soap!

I found Vaseline Soap, and checked out the ingredients. I didn't find any "Vaseline"--which is a petroleum product (Petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum, soft paraffin, or multi-hydrocarbon, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons (with carbon numbers mainly higher than 25) ) other than mineral oil. The actual name of the soap Melkfett (milking fat) is curious because there is no dairy fat in the list as far as I can see.

I was pleasantly surprised to find they list tallow as one of their ingredients;

Sodium Tallowate, Tallow
Sodium Palmate, Palm Oil
Sodium Cocoate, Coconut Oil
Aqua (Water),
Glycerin,
Fragrance,
Coconut Acid, surfactant/cleansing, emollient, emulsifying 2
Mineral Oil, A-ha. A petroleum product.
Microcrystalline Wax,
Lanolin Oil, (obtained from lanolin via a process called “low-temperature fractional crystallisation” )1
Laureth-6, Surfactant - emulsifying agent 3
Lanolin, Composition-wise, lanolin consists of esters of fatty acids and naturally occurring steroid alcohols (or sterols)^; it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. 1
Benzyl Salicylate, fragrance related
Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional Hydroxyisohexyl 3 & 4, Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Linalool, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, CI47005 (FD&C Yellow 10), CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide).

The product description is thus: Discover an old European favorite for soft, healthy skin. Melkfett (milking fat) soap has been used by generations of farmers to soften and protect their skin, which can become stressed by years of weather and hard work. Now you can experience this simple, gentle formula and its skin-nourishing benefits. The moisture-sealing properties soothe and protect skin. Lanolin, coconut and glycerin help keep it supple and resilient.

Sources: 1 Lanolin: the basics - Simply CQ
2 Coconut Acid (with Product List)
3 Laureth-6 | Cosmetics Info


What makes this soap special? It looks like any other soap with some preservatives. Is it the lanolin? The mineral oil? Am in too deep?

Thanks to all who made it this far!

 

[Megan]

The mineral oil and lanolin are used as superfat (as they don't saponify...well lanolin only does a little) would add some unique moisturizing properties that you wouldn't get with regular superfatted oils we see in soapmaking as these ingredients tend to stick to the skin and form a barrier.

 

[cmzaha]

The Vaseline part comes from the addition of the Melkfrett which is a type of Paraffin based Milking Grease for cows which farmers would use it on their hands and is still available today. This soap/beauty bar is one of the original Hard Milled Glycerin soaps made in Germany.

 

[DeeAnna]

I haven't made a soap with mineral oil, but I do make a shave soap and a bath soap with lanolin.

Lanolin is the only additive I've found that really can leave a perceptible film on the skin. I use it at 4-5%. If I use less, I don't notice it; if I use more, I think it becomes unpleasantly waxy and sticky.

Lanolin in soap cannot replace a good lotion if you need to protect dry skin, but it's a nice addition to a bath or shave soap if you want the soap to leave a sheer layer of emollient on the skin after washing. I imagine mineral oil might do likewise if used in moderation.

edit -- Looked this Milkfett up. It looks a lot like "Bag Balm" to me -- another old timey vaseline-based product used on cows udders (aka bags) and dairy farmer's hands. Just the American version rather than European.

 

[CathyB]

edit -- Looked this Milkfett up. It looks a lot like "Bag Balm" to me -- another old timey vaseline-based product used on cows udders (aka bags) and dairy farmer's hands. Just the American version rather than European.

I've used Bag Balm an Corona Ointment for years and years. In fact, I was wondering about the ingredients just this morning!

I just knew the wise and brilliant minds on this forum could help and I greatly appreciate it.

 

[ilonaliss]

DeeAnna- I watched the vid on your blog and saw that you use lanolin wax (the type that needs to be warmed up before adding to soap). I just inspected my stash and found a bottle of lanolin liquid (pourable consistency at room temp): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Foods-Solutions-Liquid-Lanolin/dp/B00028MLKC
Would this be ok to use in soap (at 4-5% as you suggest)?

 

[DeeAnna]

@ilonaliss -- Sure! I'd be perfectly comfortable using lanolin oil in soap if I had some to try. If you do, please let us know what you think.

 

[ilonaliss]

@DeeAnna thanks, will do! I just noticed that Soap Calc does not have lanolin oil, only lanolin wax... can I just use the wax option to calculate the lye needed?

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, I'd do that too. It's just a guess, but a reasonable one.

 

[ilonaliss]

I just remembered about SAP values (it's all too easy to over-rely on SoapCalc and forget about the chemistry behind the numbers). The SAP values for lanolin wax and oil are 0.076 and 0.071, respectively (Saponification Chart). So I guess if I use oil but calculate for wax then that will just reduce my superfat by a tiny amount.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with your point of view. There's only a small difference in the reported sap values. Also, you're only using a few percent of the lanolin in the batch. Based on those two factors, the error is going to be tiny. You should be fine.