Teach Soap

Hi everyone I am new to soap making! I have been reading about soap making for about the last 2 months and have a few questions I have not found answers too. For now I am only interested in making one soap (possible one soap and one corresponding lotion) because I have not found one that suits my needs. I recently had bariatric surgery and am looking for something that will keep my skin as healthy and elastic as possible while I loose the weight to prevent more sagging that absolutely necessary and lighten stretch marks. I am not interested in ingredients that simply fill out wrinkles. I here is a list of ingredients in which I am interested.

grape seed oil
coQ10
DMAE
Vit. A
Vit. K
Vit. C
activated charcoal
exfoliant: oats or coffee
Shea butter and/or
cocoa butter
sandalwood
patchouli

and a list of questions.

Will any of the ingredients work against each other?
Would any of them work better in a corresponding after shower lotion?
If I need to make a lotion what would you recommend as a recipe?
What other oils do you recommend to make the base in order to get it to deeply penetrate the skin?
What amounts of each should I use?
With these ingredients what temperature should I aim for?
Is there a better exfoliant for skin firming that you know of?
Where do you recommend buying these supplies?
Would I need anything to help anchor the scent?
Is anyone already selling a bar/ lotion for this?
Any other tips or tricks you think would be helpful.

I know it's a lot of questions and any help is GREATLY appreciated

Welcome!
None of those you mentioned would work in soap, as soap is a wash off product. It doesn't stay on the skin long enough to infer the ingredient's benefits.
The ingredients you mention will help skin healthy in a lotion or cream, but will not do much for skin firming.
Caffeine helps with cellulite, but must be used every day for at least a couple of months before you will see any results. Your skin will revert back as soon as you stop using it.
The cellular structure of oils is too large to pass through the skin. Skin acts as a barrier. If it didn't, we would drown in water when we take a bath.
Oils help moisturize the outermost layer of the skin, but do not penetrate.
There is no lotion that we can make that will help with loose skin or wrinkles. If there was, we would all be millionaires.
Helichrysum helps with stretch marks, but since it's the layers of the skin that are broken down, the stretch marks will lighten over time, but will not go away.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thank you for the welcome and reply Soapbuddy. I believe I may have not worded my question exactly right. I tend to sound more awkward online than in person. I do not have sagging skin yet as my surgery was very very recent (still at home healing) I'm not looking to fix any sagging skin and I'm not interested in wrinkle treatments. I simply want to keep my skin as healthy as I can during my weight loss journey so it can bounce back as much as it is able to on it's own. I have put a great deal of research into the ingredients I chose above and while I was not 100% which ones would be more beneficial in a soap vs. a lotion there are at least 2 I am sure on, a small sample of what I discovered along the way is below. (I don't want this post to get too long so I won't put the studies for each ingredient.) *Note I found no scientific evidence on activated charcoal but it seems widely accepted in the soap making recipes I have come across as a detoxifying agent and I might be interested in attempting it.

Exfoliation is a hugely important step in that process and one of the things I want this soap to achieve.
The International Dermal Institute states:
"Exfoliation is a necessary part of skin health. Without exfoliation, debris, sebum, impactions and excess cell build-up occur, which all clog the pores, contribute to fine lines and
wrinkles and ultimately inhibit both the skin therapist and the client from being able to treat the skin properly. Regular exfoliation also stimulates cell renewal and cell turnover,
which enhance the skin's appearance."

"Exfoliation is the skin therapist’s art of uncovering what lies beneath. Skin care professionals know that exfoliation, including the new generation of chemical peels, allows for
optimum penetration of any active ingredient. With a high demand of consumers desiring a smooth, refined feel to the skin, this essential aspect of the professional skin care
service is more important today than ever before."

More information can be found at http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/searc ... xfoliation
This second quote is what leads me to believe that the other ingredients will have their optimal impact when applied either in the soap or directly after in a lotion, while the pores are open from the warmth of the shower and fresh from the exfoliation. I know the ingredients don't penetrate more than the surface layer but as each new layer is exposed it should benefit from the treatment. (otherwise their would be no research indicating any skin cream can work) The lower layers of course are protected by the upper layers and must be made to grow healthy with a healthy diet/lifestyle.

Also studies concluded last year by Bob Roecher a contributor to New Science, discovered that the skin has olfactory receptors allowing it to respond to scents. Sandalwood being proven to help increase cell proliferation and cell migration.
More information can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/skin-can-smell/

Ok little longer than I intended lol. Please know I am not posting this because I don't think you know what your doing or anything like that, I don't word things well I'm just an awkward sounding person online, I promise I make a better impression in person lol. I am just trying to clarify what I was talking about in the first post. I very much appreciate your help in this matter

Yes, exfoliation is definitely beneficial to skin. It removes the outermost dead skin layer, helping to expose the new cells underneath. Like I mentioned, soap is a wash off product. Activated charcoal in soap does seem to help those that have acneic skin conditions. But any good handmade soap will help with that. I understand where you are coming from. I am a Licensed Esthetician and a Holistic Health Practitioner with over 25+ years of experience.

I suggest to my clients to keep their routine fairly simple and basic. You can use loofah or an exfoliating mitt to remove old skin cells and to help with blood circulation. Quality oils like jojoba help to moisturize and keep skin healthy. Jojoba oil is a misnomer. It's actually a plant wax and not an oil per se. Depending on the type of skin, some people prefer unrefined shea butter. I enjoy using coconut oil as I am allergic to shea butter. When you exfoliate the skin, then moisturize, the oil or moisturizer will work better. That's because you are removing dead skin cells.

Here's a thought. You could make an exfoliating soap with ground oatmeal, finely ground coffee grounds, jojoba beads or ground loofah. Then use a plain oil (almond, grapeseed, apricot kernel etc.) as a moisturizer.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Sounds great! I have been dry brushing and I enjoy that so for me the loofah might be overkill for me Thanks for the tips

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

For vitamin A and vitamin C, the pH of the soap making process (and even finished soap) will be too high and oxidize the vitamins to a form that can not be used by the body. This means that they will essentially be a lot of money for nothing. I suggest putting them in a pH balanced lotion and keep it in a dark bottle if you do. Light will also oxidize most vitamins which is why they are sold in dark bottles. Be careful of vitamin A though, it will cause light sensitivity so if you do use it in a lotion, use it only at night and be sure to wash your face off in the morning and wear sunscreen.

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Every mistake is a learning experience- take the time to turn it into a masterpeice!