What's your favorite scrubby ingredient? Least?

[JayJay]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

This evening my husband requested a scrubby soap. More specifically he asked me to make him a soap with "grit". He doesn't really have grime to clean, rather I think he just wants to exfoliate, without knowing what to call it.

Immediately, pumice came to mind. Then I thought about something like cumin, because I read that it makes a gritty feel in soap. Then I remembered buying a Lush soap that had sand in it. It seemed like a great idea until I had sand in my tub. I'd have to say that anything that gives me something to clean out of my tub would make it to my "least favorite" list.

So what about you? What's your favorite scrubby ingredient in soap and why?

What's your least favorite? Why?

 

[KristaY]

I'd have to go with finely ground oatmeal as my favorite. One of my sons has very dry "winter" skin and he won't be without oatmeal soap.

As for my least favorite? I'm not crazy about salt bars I've made with 100% salt to oil wt. When I decreased it to 50% and below, love it. I really haven't come across one that made me think "I'm never using that again".

 

[Obsidian]

fine pumice is my favorite. Its scrubby without being scratchy, its gentle enough to rub the bar directly on your body. Least favorite is coffee, its just too scratchy for body soap. I do like it for hand soap though.

 

[grumpy_owl]

Powdered pumice is number one, with shredded loofah close behind. Seeds like poppy and cranberry look nice but scratch too hard. Also a huge fan of clays, activated charcoal and colloidal oatmeal.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

I go with apricot kernel meal. Mostly I tested it against various seeds, all of which felt scratchy regardless of the amount I used. It was a matter of more scratches versus less scratches, even for the smallest seeds.

I like the fine grind of apricot kernel from the soapy suppliers, and the way I can fine-tune the feel of the soap by changing the usage rate. Also that it really works noticeably well as an exfoliant.

My first experience with it actually was as a user, when Zihr had a men's shower bar made with it.

 

[Saponomancer]

ground oatmeal, here, for softer scrub, and turkish ground coffee for a more robust scrub, charcoal is probably my least favorite of the ones I like

not very found of regular ground coffee at all, and I find loofah to be a strange and scratchy texture,

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Ground poppy seeds for a manly scrub - looks good in the soap, too.

There isn't one that I don't like per se, but I found the paprika to be a bit odd in how it felt

 

[Jstar]

I like fine ground coffee for my scrubbies, and I dont care for loofa

 

[lsg]

I too, like finely ground coffee for a man's soap. Pumice is good for a man's hand soap, also. For a ladies bar, I like finely ground oatmeal.

 

[dixiedragon]

I like oatmeal for all over, and coffee for feet.

 

[shunt2011]

I like coffee, pumice and oatmeal as well.

 

[TwystedPryncess]

I like ground walnut shells/ground walnut shell powder, or colloidal oatmeal.

 

[JayJay]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback!

ground oatmeal, here, for softer scrub, and turkish ground coffee for a more robust scrub, charcoal is probably my least favorite of the ones ,

Interesting! Educate me. What's different about Turkish coffee?

Ground poppy seeds for a manly scrub - looks good in the soap, too.

Haha! "Manly scrub". Maybe this is the one for him. The power of marketing.

I too, like finely ground coffee for a man's soap. Pumice is good for a man's hand soap, also. For a ladies bar, I like finely ground oatmeal.

Curious- why do you prefer pumice for hands and not the body?

I go with apricot kernel meal. Mostly I tested it against various seeds, all of which felt scratchy regardless of the amount I used.

I like the fine grind of apricot kernel from the soapy suppliers, and the way I can fine-tune the feel of the soap by changing the usage rate. Also that it really works noticeably well as an exfoliant.

I don't like scratchy additives, and I always assumed that apricot kernel would be scratchy because I bought a commercial soap with apricot kernel that was terribly scratchy. It's good to know that there is a finer alternative.

 

[Saponomancer]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback!


Interesting! Educate me. What's different about Turkish coffee?

Its the grind finer than espresso! its actually powder like in consistency and provides a fine scrub instead of a rough one

You can actually take any plain coffee bean and grind it to Turkish grind at the supermarket isle for coffee, its the highest setting

 

[JayJay]

Its the grind finer than espresso! its actually powder like in consistency and provides a fine scrub instead of a rough one

You can actually take any plain coffee bean and grind it to Turkish grind at the supermarket isle for coffee, its the highest setting

Cool! I will try it. Thanks.

 

[marilynmac]

Fine pumice has a very nice feel, sort of like suede. Grind the heck out of your oatmeal, or it may get as sharp as razor blades.

 

[JayJay]

Thanks everyone! I enjoyed reading about your likes and dislikes.

In order to control cost, I will start with the item that I have on hand. I have a Vitamix so I think I will try grinding coffee into a fine powder.

Later I will work my way through some of the other favorites.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I have used oatmeal and pumice (not the finely ground ones). My skin might be sensitive in many ways, but man I have dragonhide when it comes to scratchy ingredients... I've used whole and coarsely-ground oatmeal in my soaps and love them, and I tried the regular pumice (after buying both) in another soap, and I've used way more than people recommend and the soaps feel nicely exfoliating to me! I have yet to work my way through other additives...

 

[ArtisanDesigns]

Oatmeal is always a favorite. But I have to say I made this one soap that left everyone saying wow. It was hot processed and I called it Carmel blueberry. I took my stick blender and blended up blueberries and threw them into the mix. turned out awesome. I am actually using my last bar now and anxiously waiting for my blueberry farm to be ready . It is just a gentle scrub.

 

[JayJay]

Oatmeal is always a favorite. But I have to say I made this one soap that left everyone saying wow. It was hot processed and I called it Carmel blueberry. I took my stick blender and blended up blueberries and threw them into the mix. turned out awesome. I am actually using my last bar now and anxiously waiting for my blueberry farm to be ready . It is just a gentle scrub.

Interesting. Did the blueberries stay blue?