teen complexion soap

[CareBear]

The African Black Soap got rave reviews, cept it's mushy, slimy, and when wet immediately starts looking like a turd. But apparently teens DO like it on their faces. (review board = 2).

So I'm thinking of whipping up a batch of castile and while it's still very thin adding in some grated ABS.

do you think 50% ABS would be ok? think I can get more into it? think it's too much?

[ChrisR]

I just don't understand why you feel the need to have someone else validate every move you make!! If you think it's a good idea.....just try it......you may end up with a great product that you finally did all by yourself!!! :undecided

[CareBear]

good point. i guess i ask cause i'm short on funds and hate to waste - but I think you may just be right!!

[MsDammit]

s'ok carol, i'm full of questions too, lord knows i've made more then my fair share of goof ups.

[CareBear]

Well, I'm going to wing this one over the weekend. If I can find enoug boxes I'll try one with 33% ABS, 50% ABS and one with 75% ABS. I'm afraid if I go higher it'll just be mushy like the original.

Then we jsut have to wait 6 weeks to see, cause the cure for castile is like FOREVER!

[Meridith]

I don't know that I would use a castille soap for teen skin. This is a very conditioning soap and may just be too much for their oily skin. At least it is for both my girls and their friends so that is why I mention this. It might work for you though. Especially since you are adding the ABS.

French Green clay might be good added to it since it helps to absorb excess oil. Other extra goodie ingredients might be tea tree oil, honey and pulvarized oats.

[CareBear]

Oh, I just thought of castile as very neutral - I am looking for something to just be a kind of matrix to hold the ABS so it can work its magic.

[maryann]

Carol here are bits'n pieces from something I read (remember these aren't my words, just 2 other people's personal findings )

Oily skin is often a by-product of using mass-market soaps that dry

the skin. The skin compensates for the drying by over-producing

oil; thus one appears to have oily skin. The LAST thing someone

needs to use on "oily" skin is a soap to dry the skin even more.

This will just encourage the oil glands to produce even more oil.

Now, while this scenario isn't true 100% of the time, it is true

more often than not.

My husband went through this, thought he had oily skin his whole

life, then started using my soaps and after 6 weeks, decided he no

longer had, nor ever did have, oily skin.

So, my suggestion to people with oily skin (who have been programmed

by the mass marketing campaign of mainstream commercial soap

companies to believe they need a "special" product for "oily" skin)

is to try real cold-processed soap for 3-4 weeks and see how their

skin likes it. It can take about 14 days for the skin's oil

mechanisms to re-balance themselves. Thus, someone might even think

their skin is getting *more* oily initially but the fact is the skin

just needs some time to adjust itself. Oil is a protective barrier

on the skin so a certain amount is needed.

For a "transitional" soap, I offer something with jojoba oil or rice

bran oil in it. If the person really firmly is commited to the oily

skin thing, I'll offer something with tea tree oil in it.

__________________________________________________________

Actually, pimple prone skin can usually be corrected by taking

Essential Fatty Acids, EFAs, specifically, Gamma Linolenic Acid (an

Omega 6). It is in Evening Primrose oil, Borage oil (quite high),

and Black Currant oil. These oils can be added to soap as

superfatting agents and some benefit received to the skin.

Pimples are quite often a product of raging hormones, not bacteria

on the skin, and by taking EFAs, the hormone get nutrients they need

to balance out, and the pimples go away. (The skin is a large organ

and imbalances often attempt to resolve through discharges thru the

skin.) Try it; Black currant oil is the preferred since it is

naturally balanced in the proper ratios of Omega 3, 6 & 9s.

However, a flax oil/borage oil combination is quite good, too, and

costs less usually. Evening Primrose by itself may or may not be

enough since its GLA content is lower (unless you get one of the

mega-GLA Primrose blends currently available); you need more EP

capsules to get the same GLA you can get in 1 Borage oil capsule.

__________________________________________________________

Castille soap is made with 100% olive oil or a high percentage of

olive oil -- therefore, it would not be drying. however, it is still

a simple, basic soap, with 1/3 glycerine, like all natural soap.

Other oils are moisturizing and gentle, too, but olive oil, i.e.,

castille soap, has a long history and thus, a loyal following for

being gentle. It *is* gentle so it is also a good choice (I don't

make 100% olive oil soap though cuz it makes a softer soap bar;

sunflower oil is a good trade for olive oil but then the soap can not

technically be called "castille.")

___________________________________________________________

as far as the soap for oily skin, I have live with an almost life-long

issue of acne/oily skin (cystic acne), which I used to take oral

medication for. This could be a very individual thing; what works for

one person may not be effective for another. My skin laughed at the

tea tree & lavender soap, and the oat soap I made. But what had been

doing the trick for me (knock on wood) is a soap I make with Dead Sea

mud. Along with the mud, I use lavender, eucalyptus, sweet orange,

rosemary, lime, and litsea cubeba EO's, and kelp powder. I can

honestly say my skin hasn't looked this clear, consistently, for this

length of time. There's lots of choices for oily skin, but it may be

trial & error before your person finds 'the one'.

Hope this helps a little!!

[CareBear]

Why thank you for pulling all that for me!