Why does my soap give that "squeeky clean" feeling

[BTYR]

when using it? Did I do something wrong?

 

[IrishLass]

It sounds to me that you have too high of an amount of cleansing oils/fats in proportion to the conditioning oils/fats in your recipe. It would be helpful to see what oils/fats you used and in what proportions you used them. A bar that is very high in cleansing power (such as coconut, for instance) will be very stripping to the natural oils in your skin and will leave you with a squeaky clean feeling.


IrishLass

 

[Guest]

can we see the recipe... so we can possibly narrow it down?

 

[lotionlady]

Did you put the recipe into soap calc and check the "Cleansing" numbers. 14-22 is supposed to be *normal*. Maybe it's high in yours.

 

[Shani]

I think there is a misconception regarding the job of "natural soap". Soap is used to clean, not to moisturize. Although, natural soap is or can be less drying than "detergent/commercial" bars it is not a moisturizer for your skin. Soap is a wash off product, it shouldn't be expected for the oils used to make the soap to remain on your skin as a moisturizer.

JMO
Shani

 

[BTYR]

Thanks for all your advise. It was a castile soap recipie:

1.8 lbs of olive oil
1 oz bees wax
4 oz lye
10 oz distilled water

could anyone recommend a soap calculator, where I can measure the cleansing level.

Thanks

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Thanks for all your advise. It was a castile soap recipie:

1.8 lbs of olive oil
1 oz bees wax
4 oz lye
10 oz distilled water

could anyone recommend a soap calculator, where I can measure the cleansing level.

Thanks

I really love http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/soapcalcWP.asp for this reason, and many more.

Paul

 

[Guest]

run it through your soap calculator... and look at your cleaness.. also consider hard water too..

 

[lotionlady]

Castile will have really low cleansing numbers. I think most would agree that it's the gentlest. In fact, many people complain that castile can seem slimy which seems the opposite of what your saying. That is a pretty high beeswax content. Can't say I've every done that.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

If you used distilled water, it is not an issue of hard water in this case. :wink: Since you asked for a lye calculator that shows and teaches us what and why we use certain oils for "synergy" that is why I recommended www.soapalc.com

Paul :wink:

 

[Guest]

i use distilled water, and i have hard water.. and it gives me a squeaky clean feeling at times..

you have to adjust a few things in your recipe.

 

[paradisi]

It looks like your recipe is a hair lye-heavy (even for a 0% discount).
Even the gentlest oil will result in a stripping soap (makes the skin dry) if it is lye heavy, or at a low discount.
Try discounting the lye back down; 5%, 10% would make a big difference in skin comfort. I use a 10-12% discount with castile soaps, and make a lot of high coconut oil soaps, supposedly drying, but with a nice superfat/ lye discount they are kind to the skin with no DOS problem either. I personally would never use a soap with 0% discount on my skin.

 

[lotionlady]

You're right about the lye! I missed it. I never use a 0% superfat either and go as high as 20% with CO.

 

[Woodi]

I use a 5% lye discount on most of my recipes in SoapMaker, and my soaps never leave my skin (nor my hundreds of customers) feeling dry.

 

[Neil]

there is really nothing wrong with a "squeeky clean" soap if you design it that way. I prefer it when I really work hard, it does the job better than a moisturizing soap.

 

[BTYR]

All this information is very informative. Because I'm new I just want to clarify - it is ok and I probally should be using 5-10% less lye than my recipies recommend? I personally have dry skin and do not want to create anything to harsh. One more question what does 0% superfat mean? Excuse my ignorance!

Thank you

 

[Soapmaker Man]

BTYR, "0" % SF means there is exactly the correct amount of lye used for the total SAP value of the combined oils used in the recipe, or a super fatted amount of oils. There are 2 ways of SF a batch. Most soap makers take a 4 to 7% lye discount to make sure there are oils left in the bar of soap that has not reacted to the lye due to the fact there is 4 to 7% too much oil for the lye to saponify, thus no lye left in the soap. The other way is to figure a recipe with a "0" lye discount, and add the extra oil(s) at trace, giving you 5 to7% more oil than lye can saponify.

You only use a "0" SF for a laundry soap, generally.

Paul

 

[paradisi]

I almost always use a higher discount, 12% up to 20% for the coconut types--but am in the mountain west, land of long cold snowy winters/hot sunny summers and no humidity, where almost everyone has dry skin, my customers of course included.
I do use a lower discount for kitchen and laundry soaps. (And for soaps for teenagers with oily skin!).
I've also found that shea butter and orange and almond eo's are drying. If I lived where there was humidity, things might be much different.