Soaps and cleansers
When trying new soap, how long does it take the face to adjust to the
new soap? Whenever I try a new soap, it makes my skin especially the
facial area very dry.
Whit
9 Responses to “Soaps and cleansers”
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December 13th, 2004 at 3:46 pm
Hi Whit - that’s a big topic! Commercial soaps typically use the fatty-acid
portions of certain oils that provide the most suds and hardest bars, then
add to that surfactants that increase the lather. Why? Because the public
demands it. Bubbles aren’t necessary for cleansing, but … in providing
them to please the public, they also draw off the glycerin and sell it
separately. These generally are not "real" soap, though they have a little
"real" soap in them.
Handcrafted soaps other than the clear, glycerin bars, are a different and
diverse ballgame. Depending upon the oils used, they can range from a
product that also would strip and dry skin to a product that pampers and
conditions your skin. They don’t need surfactants and they leave the
glycerin in … as well as provide some "free superfat" for additional
conditioning.
Whichever you’re using, the dryness is not a matter of your skin adjusting,
it’s a too-drying formula for your skin. What is this product and what are
its ingredients (I can help you identify what your skin is not doing well
with)? Also, what is your skin type?
- Katie
December 17th, 2004 at 2:36 am
Thanks for the reminder on commercial and handcrafted soaps. It is
kinda ironic. The handcrafted soaps dry my skin more than
commercial "soaps". The one that has dried my skin the most
is "Savon de Marseille" from L’Occitane. It is L’Occitane’s version
of Savon de Marseille. L’Occitane’s claims that it is based on the
traditional formula which is 72% olive and vegetable oils,
mediterranean sea water, and ash from mediterranean sea plants. The
handcrafted soap that has dried my skin the least is Dr. Bronner’s
Lavender or Rose Castille soaps.
December 19th, 2004 at 5:48 am
"… traditionally green or white. The white soap is made with palm oil, the
green with at least 50% olive oil."
Palm oil is the culprit. It’s cheap, hardens and lathers, and is in most
beginner soapmaking recipes. My teacher and most of her students who’ve used
it claim it’s not worth it, as it has such high amounts of stearic acid and
no really redeeming qualities, and that it causes "alligator" skin. I
suspect by this company’s wording that the white soap is made mostly or
totally with palm oil. Meanwhile, pure olive oil soaps "colors" give them
away, too … good-grade olive produces a pure white bar, while cheap
pomace-grade produces green … it often is crumbly and, though still gentle,
not nearly as nice as the decent grade produces.
Dr. Bonner’s liquid soap contains water, saponified coconut, hemp, and olive
oils … olive fatty acids, pure essential oils (vary with product) and
rosemary extract. Liquid soap is by its nature harsher than bar soap due to
the fact it cannot be superfatted to nearly the same degree, if at all …
then again, the public wants clear, bubbly liquid soap, which this is. I
question the loose use of the word castile not knowing his exact percentages
(just based upon the order of ingredients on his label), as castile means,
literally, all olive and, loosely, 40% or more olive. Coconut is nice but
within limits … it’s the true-liquid-soap primary oil for clarity and suds
and, in bar soap, is the superb hardener and latherer (can dry and strip oils
over certain percentages).
Hope that helps … avoid palm oil !!!
- Katie
December 20th, 2004 at 5:25 pm
thank you for the tip i will try that
"… traditionally green or white. The white soap is made with palm oil, the
green with at least 50% olive oil."
Palm oil is the culprit. It’s cheap, hardens and lathers, and is in most
beginner soapmaking recipes. My teacher and most of her students who’ve used
it claim it’s not worth it, as it has such high amounts of stearic acid and
no really redeeming qualities, and that it causes "alligator" skin. I
suspect by this company’s wording that the white soap is made mostly or
totally with palm oil. Meanwhile, pure olive oil soaps "colors" give them
away, too … good-grade olive produces a pure white bar, while cheap
pomace-grade produces green … it often is crumbly and, though still gentle,
not nearly as nice as the decent grade produces.
Dr. Bonner’s liquid soap contains water, saponified coconut, hemp, and olive
oils … olive fatty acids, pure essential oils (vary with product) and
rosemary extract. Liquid soap is by its nature harsher than bar soap due to
the fact it cannot be superfatted to nearly the same degree, if at all …
then again, the public wants clear, bubbly liquid soap, which this is. I
question the loose use of the word castile not knowing his exact percentages
(just based upon the order of ingredients on his label), as castile means,
literally, all olive and, loosely, 40% or more olive. Coconut is nice but
within limits … it’s the true-liquid-soap primary oil for clarity and suds
and, in bar soap, is the superb hardener and latherer (can dry and strip oils
over certain percentages).
Hope that helps … avoid palm oil !!!
- Katie
sheri
January 1st, 2005 at 1:49 pm
Yes, Katie. Palm oil is the culprit I found for palm oil leaves my
skin dry and sometimes a little burning unlike the other soaps. The
green Marseille soap does not have palm oil, and that is much kinder
to my sking.
Whit
January 2nd, 2005 at 12:07 am
I am using Dr. Bronner’s bars, not the liquid. Do you have a
suggestion regardin a decent or higher grade olive soap? Thanks.
whit
January 2nd, 2005 at 10:26 am
btw, i’ve thrown out the palm oil soap i’ve used.
January 3rd, 2005 at 5:01 pm
Hi, Whit …
I just did a search for castille soap and was so disappointed … page
after page either used palm and irritating ingredients or didn’t list
ingredients. I’m going to keep searching for a good, mild soap for you.
- Katie
January 4th, 2005 at 9:37 am
Katie, don’t they say that "DOVE" is a good mild soap?