Teenage Skin

[Sherl]

I have a step-daughter that has typical teenage skin. Any recomendations on what I could use to make a soap that would help with the acne? What should one be looking to produce in a bar of soap for this age group? For me, I look for oils that are moisturizing and good for 'mature' skin.... not exactly what she would need in a bar. Thanks for any suggestions.

[soapermom]

actually anything you make homemade is great.... most commercial soaps are full of chemicals, and a lot still contain tallow( like neutrogena) which is pore clogging, go figure... so whatever clean good wholesome soaps ypu make yourself are great for teenage skin!!, clays as additive are awesome for oily skin.

[Beth-VT]

Actually, IMO anything with oils should be avoided. Oils and acne simply do not go well together, especially on teenage (hormonally berzerk) skin. She should use a gentle cleanser, and a non-comodogenic moisturizer, overdry skin can cause as much problem as being to oily cuz the skin will overcompensate for the dryness and produce more oil. HTH.

[soapermom]

this is an acne formula soap my good friend uses, i havent used this one yet, she sells a lot of it though.. might be a springboard to work from.

Olive Oil 525 g

Palm Kernel Oil 525 g

Rice Bran Oil 150 g

Grapeseed Oil 300g

Sodium Hydroxide 210g

Water 225g

French Green Clay 3 tbs

Lavandin Essential Oil 25 g opt

Niaouli Essential Oil 25g opt

[elle110]

I make a rosemary mint soap with green clay that people swear by for oily skin. I don't have oily skin so can't say first hand, but my sis has the oiliest skin ever and has tried everything, she says this the first thing that has worked on her skin (even RX creams)

I think if you make anything with clay it will be good for oily skin, when I tested my RM soap I could tell it was more drying with the clay in it...

HTH

Elle

[Michi]

tea tree oil is supposed to be great for acne/pimples, since it's antiseptic. I make an oatmeal soap with added tea tree oil for my face, and I LOVE it. Of course I don't have overly oily skin, and only occasional hormonal breakouts, but I swear my skin feels soooo much better since I've stopped using commercial cleansing products on it.

I think Danielle makes a serum for face cleansing that IS oils, and she's got a big explanation on how oils work opposite of what you would think etc. I wish I could remember, but shit I can't remember what I did this mornign let alone what I read weeks ago. LOL

[Purple Lilac]

You would think oil cleansing would be the worst but have heard it is one of the better ways of cleansing your face even when acne is an issue.

[soapermom]

You would think oil cleansing would be the worst but have heard it is one of the better ways of cleansing your face even when acne is an issue.

I think that is a common misconception. oil=clogged pores. not always, and most acne breakouts have little to do with oils and everything to do with hormones and bacteria and even PH... proper & frequent cleansing is key more than what you are cleansing with I believe.

[candleslh]

I have used the oil cleansing method for months now and I love it. I used to have really oily skin, but now not much at all. It's not all gone, but so much better than it used to be. I put lavender and tea tree essential oils in it. I also was having a problem with a little bit of itching and flakies especially around my hairline, forehead and nose. Even that is practically gone. Just a rare flare up now and then, not lasting very long.

[MichelleOH]

I have been using the oil cleansing method also. It has helped a lot with my pores. I also wash my face with African Black Soap.

[Carrie]

Soapermom, I've been hearing a few people saying that the animal fats clog pores. I've also seen others saying that it doesn't, that it is hype created by the all vegie soap makers. Personally I use lard in about 1/2 of my soaps and I'm just starting to test tallow. I love the feel of the animal fats in soap. I would be really interested to see the research for the clogged pores. Can you help me out with some links, please.

[soapermom]

some research I have done has come from herbal and natural places(which can be biased I know) some from dermatologists... the main theory from dermatologist for animal fats clogging pores has to do with melt temp... they say that animal and hydrogenated fats have an above body melt temp.. and thus get stuck in pores, while vegtable fats melt at or below body temp and remain liquid and thus can flow or be flushed from pores easily....I know even leather care.. advises you not to use animal fat based oils and waxes to conidtion leather as it clogs the pores..

heres a few sources..

http://www.dr-schnitzer.de/acne.html

http://1stholistic.com/Beauty/skin/skin_oily_skin.htm

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsConditions/Acnecc.html

and of course... everyone is different.. and responds differently to everything..I never see things like this as completely black and white...

Soapermom, I've been hearing a few people saying that the animal fats clog pores. I've also seen others saying that it doesn't, that it is hype created by the all vegie soap makers. Personally I use lard in about 1/2 of my soaps and I'm just starting to test tallow. I love the feel of the animal fats in soap. I would be really interested to see the research for the clogged pores. Can you help me out with some links, please.

[Carrie]

Thank you for the links. I'll read up on that. I just love the feel of those soaps though.

[daniedb]

Michi, you rock, great memory! I have this information about OCM on my site:

www.purehenry.com/ocm.htm

I love this method, and my sister, who's a pediatrician, recommends it her to teen patients who have acne issues.

[soapermom]

Thank you for the links. I'll read up on that. I just love the feel of those soaps though.

and if you havent had any problems.. I see no reason to change.. I am all about whatever works!! I just know with teenage skin.. there are so many things going on at once.. its best to try an eliminate as many possible causes for problems as you can!

[VictoriaK]

I know I am going into adult acne, and the years have been fun... haha:mad: African Black Soap has been suggested, but if there is anybody on this site that makes good soaps then I would be interested in trying them out as I am currently using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash and sense the years haven't changed with my skin, maybe I need to change how I care for it.

What I need: Well I have oily skin(Italian skin haha), dry in some areas due to my treatment creams, acne as stated which causes my face to be very sensitive, and because of the acne I also have irritation.

So if anybody here makes anything they enjoy or heard from people that works good, and thinks it would be worth a try with my pain in the arse skin then PM or email me. I would prefer buying half bars, or sample bars so I can test it out, but if needed I can probably come to terms of buying a full size bar

Thanks, Victoria

[fiftycupsofcoffee]

Hi, I am lurking in the soap section. I do not make soap but I have used m&p, my question is can you use the clay in m&p to help with oily skin? Would it be best to just buy soap that has clay in it? Like hp or cp.

Thanks, Connie

[Sherl]

Wow!! Thanks for all the response. I will take all these ideas and try to come up with something for her. Will have to let ya'll know how it turns out. Can someone reccomend a place to get EO's and dried herbs that have been suggested? Can pm or email if needed. Clays were suggested and I have seen different colors [types??]. Is there someplace online that gives info on them. Thanks again for all the suggestions.., this has been an interesting thread to read.

[kidsngarden]

I'm a licensed cosmetologist and my studies have told me that not only animal fats, but olive oil clogs pores as well. They also say that one of the most common causes of acne is overdrying. The cycle works like this - you wash your skin too much, it thinks that it needs to produce more oil, so it does and then you get oily skin topped of with some bacteria for good measure and voila! Acne! And of course you think - "My skin is oily!" so you wash more and with more drying ingredients and it makes it worse. Then hormones also play a big role.

I totally believe in the overdrying theory, but the animal and olive fats not really. I use between 40-60% Lard in all my soaps. I have dry skin and I use my OMH on my face and it works very well. My kids are just approaching the breakout years. They have been using just water and a washcloth to this point and my oldest did have quite a few breakouts. I started him and my daughter on the OMH and they have had no breakouts whatsoever in the two weeks they have used it.

I know someone who makes a neem/castille bar that is supposed to work wonders. If my OMH stops working I will try that.

My two cents...

Bethany

[stacien]

I have a background in skin care too! Olive oil is a positive oil for your skin. Some of my best teachers were old school Italian and they had beautiful skin. Their secrets were old remedies and to start at a very youthful age. We tend to take our skin care for granted and don't practice until we see that first wrinkle appear.

http://www.soapnuts.com/noncomo.html

Here is a link of comodogenic oils to not use in your soaps and moisturizers. For added help Tea tree oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil, oatmeal and glycerin are all wonderful for acne but you have to use in moderation. You can find some sites that offer salacylic acid to incorporate into your cleansers or creams that dermatologists actually hand out for acne and they work great but again can overdry if overused. That happens to be the key ingredient in Proactive. Teenage skin is hard to battle because it is %100 hormones the same with some of us that still experience PMS outbreaks. No amount of cleansers can prevent it but we can treat it when it happens. No dermatologist is going to agree with the animal tallow concept. Here is my theory. If it clogs your arteries it clogs your poors too!

[kidsngarden]

There are vegetable fats that clog arteries

I've been thinking about this all day. I would never put lard in a moisturizer, but I would put it in my soap. Do you think it is different when it is saponified? I mean, I know it is, but does it break down the fats in a different way so they don't clog so much? I have been using OMH for two months and don't notice any change with blackheads, etc.

Bethany

[Aileen]

My son is 14 and has just recently broken out really bad. He must have had 50 pimples..white heads and red bumps on his forehead. I've started him washing his face every night and morning. In fact I just finished supervising him. I made up a concoction of Jojoba oil (closest to skins own sebum from what i've read) and a few drops of tea tree oil. I mix it together and he massages it in allover his face. Then he takes a very warm washcloth and lets it lay over his face until it starts to cool. He does this several times and then starts wiping it off with a final rinse. His skin is no longer oily and the difference it's made in his acne is unbelievable. Everyone is right about the over the counter acne meds. They just dry out the skin causing the skin to produce more oil. This may not work for everyone, but it's worth a try. HTH

[CBE]

Let me share with you a recipe I concocted for myself. I tend to break out when I'm stressed, or hormones are running high...lol, so I decided to make a Sea Salt Facial Soap. Let me explain why I wanted to add sea salt to it.... when I was younger, we would go to the beach...I was amazed because after a few days of swimming in the ocean, my face would clear up, the pimples would dry up and heal... by the time the weekend was over and we were back home, my skin was clear. I finally realized, it was the salt in the water. So, I came up with my own recipe using a goats milk melt and pour soap base. The ingedients consist of:

Lavender Hydrosol, Rosewater, Chamomile Hydrosol, Oatmeal, Sea Salt, Chamomile Tea leaves, and essential oils of Lavender, Bulgarian Rose, Tea Tree and Peppermint.

Gosh, I wish I can give you exact amounts on the ingredients, but that's my problem, I don't measure. LOL I just throw in the pot and use my own judgement.

The Lavender Hydrosol and Lavender essential oils are soothing and healing. The Rosewater and Bulgarian Rose essential oils are good for mature skin. The Chamomile Hydrosol and Chamomile Tea leaves are soothing for inflamed skin. Oatmeal is awesome for any type of skin. The Sea Salt is healing, and draws out the toxins from pores. Tea Tree oil is antibacterial, antifungal, and is awesome for acne. The peppermint essential oil works to cleanse the pores also. Don't add too much Peppermint essential oil, because I find that it is just too strong for skin in large amounts. When using essential oils, only a few drops are needed to reap the benefits. I usually add more Lavender essential oil, because I love the smell of it, and it's very beneficial for your skin. I just add all the ingredients to the melted soap base and stir stir stir. I then turn off the heat, remove it from the stove, then I keep stirring until I start feeling it thicken up. Then I pour into bar molds. Now, this makes one heck of an ugly bar of soap, but I noticed a difference in my skin since I've been using it. I find that I do need a moisturizer afterwards, so I use a small amount of jojoba oil, because my skin is oily, and jojoba is the only oil I can use without clogging up my pores. I add a bit of Bulgarian Rose Oil to my jojba oil before slathering it on with a cotton ball!!

I know... I see I've written a novel here...lol... but I hope in some small way that this "recipe" helps someone in need.

[kidsngarden]

SOmeone told me a salt bar made the classic way - 75% coconut oil and 25% shea with same weight of salt ppo works well with acne. I made some and hate it for my body so maybe i'll save it and see if it will work for acne.

Bethany