Mud

[CranberryGirl]

I know..sooo Many questions...up and down! LOL!!

it is amazing what U can learn here..I have learned more stuff here then from any book! And I would Like to Thank U all for that! Personal experiance is huge..compaired to reading a book where You can not ask questions!!!

ANYway..On to my question..No I have seen soaps made with Clays and Muds..when Your making these types of soaps..do u add the stuff in with your oils? or at trace? will the "good stuff" loose their "goodness"? So is it really worth adfding them?

Thanks!

[jwahlton]

I add the DSM at trace, clays as well. I feel it keeps most of the properties that way

[guppygirl]

I add clays to some oils taken from the recipe. This keeps it from clumping too badly - added at trace. It's supposed to be a lather booster but I have yet to compare it to a similar recipe w/o clay to see if it really is.

[maryann]

GREAT question as I would like to put together a cleansing facial bar using clay/mud

[Sherie]

I added my Dead Sea Mud at trace.

[RobinInOR]

I've done it both ways. Added it to the oils before the lye for a solid gray bar. But I like to hold back some soap for a reverse swirl

so I pull out a bunch of soap, then add in my DSM and stick blend it in.

If it's just regular clay that goes all the way through (not just for a swirl), I usually just add it to the oils and stick blend it throughout before I add the lye.

[lindsaycb]

Robin...that's gorgeous!

I keep my stuff out and add at trace.... I think my thought there is to keep some of the goodness in there so its not cooked out completely?

[cindym]

I love dead sea mud soap and soaps with clay. Robin your soap is beautiful by the way.

[Bunny]

I did a double "mud" ...lol Outside is DSM, and the swirl is french green clay with an unmudded swirl too.

I just brought the soap to just barely emulsified, took out about 1/8of it for the unmudded portion, 1/8 for the french green clay, then added Dead Sea mud to the large portion, and added french green clay to the smaller portion. Swirled it in the pot. HTH!

[CranberryGirl]

Holy smokes U guys!!! Those bars Look soooo Amazing!!

I hope to somday be able to do that!!!! wowowowowow!! thanks for sharing your insight!!

It means alot to us New people!!!!

[maryann]

Thanks for the info too (can we share this thread CG )

I've been doing some research and found this:

"There are three major clays on the market today; The Dead Sea Mud from the Middle East, the Moorbad Mud from Europe, and the true Glacial Clay from the north western British Columbia coast. Dead Sea Mud is basically similar to Glacial Clay. The large difference is the level of sodium when it is first dug on the shores of the Dead Sea and because of that, the salt levels are very high. It then has to be washed to remove the sodium and there is a loss of trace minerals. Glacial Clay has a most desirable pH factor or 6.5 to 7.3, compared to the more alkaline range of 7-14 of many other clays."

Any opinions on whether Glacial Clay is better than DSM?? Sounds like they do the same thing but GC is better because trace minerals aren't lost when the sodium is removed. I'm not sure what is meant by Dead Sea Mud is basically similar to Glacial Clay, meaning the exact differents. TIA

[maryann]

ANY THOUGHTS on these two muds ???

[Bunny]

Sorry Girl.. Never used or learned about the Glacial clay...

[katinka]

I work for an international skincare company specializing in spa products. Obviously we make use of very refined muds and seaweed, mainly from a quality point of view. Something alot of people don't realise is that mud or unrefined (biotechnically untreated) seaweed cannot penetrate into the skin. Dead sea mud and mud from lake sediment is most desirable due to its high content of minerals. Dead sea mud in particular is very unique in concentration because of the fact that the Dead Sea is really below sea level. These minerals only affect the skin superficially because the molecular structure is too big to penetrate any further than the epidermis of the skin. So it really only provides surface comfort, particularly for conditions like eczema and psoriasis and very sensitive skin.

Sorry for the long rambling - I hope it is helpful. If you would like more info, let me know.

Katinka

[CranberryGirl]

I work for an international skincare company specializing in spa products. Obviously we make use of very refined muds and seaweed, mainly from a quality point of view. Something alot of people don't realise is that mud or unrefined (biotechnically untreated) seaweed cannot penetrate into the skin. Dead sea mud and mud from lake sediment is most desirable due to its high content of minerals. Dead sea mud in particular is very unique in concentration because of the fact that the Dead Sea is really below sea level. These minerals only affect the skin superficially because the molecular structure is too big to penetrate any further than the epidermis of the skin. So it really only provides surface comfort, particularly for conditions like eczema and psoriasis and very sensitive skin.

Sorry for the long rambling - I hope it is helpful. If you would like more info, let me know.

Katinka

No Rambling There!!! Thank U sooo Much for the info! And if you have more..please tell us!!! It is VERY interesting!!!!

Thank u!!!

[katinka]

Ok, you asked for it... So, to get back to mud. The clays and mud used in skincare originate from a variety of sources, which obviously has a certain influence on the levels of actives it contains. Now, for anything and I mean anything, to penetrate the skin's cellular structure, the molecular size of the individual particles must be between 5 and 20 microns as this is the size of the spaces between the cells of the skin where the product actually penetrates. This means that all ingredients, including muds and clays, must be micronized by a highly scientific process that ensures that the molecules are small enough to penetrate while still keeping the active ingredients intact.

Back to mud: Muds have been used for literally centuries by many cultures to treat a variety of superficial skin conditions.

Moor Muds are generally water soluble and contains a variety of active ingredients, mainly minerals, amino acids, phyto-hormones, vitamins, enzymes, natural antibiotics, humic acid and salicylic acid.

Rassoul Muds (mostly sourced from Morocco) is a natural brown mud derived from a natural progression of residual volcanic lava and volcanic rock. It is rich in Silicium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Sodium. What makes this different from Moor and Dead Sea Mud is the fact that it contains no traces of vegetation

The Dead Sea is the richest natural mineral source in the world, with a concentration of 32% dissolved minerals and a unique content. The main elements are chlorine, sodium, calcium, potassium and bromine. How exactly Dead Sea minerals aid the skin is not exactly understood, but if you look at the individual elements contained in these minerals, the main function would be aiding cellular metabolism. They also "bind" the natural water in the layers of the skin, thereby having a moisturising effect.

Cosmetic science is such a vast subject and my absolute passion - so feel free to ask questions, I'll always try to help.

Katinka

[CranberryGirl]

Holy smokes!!!!

Thank U sooo Much!!! That was amazing!!!! Sometimes U wonder if stuff people put in Cosmetics and B&B actually have benefits! Or if it is all Just a Marketing thing!!!!

Thanks again!!! I have a better understanding!!!!!!

Hugs;)