Teach Soap

My son-in-law has a skin condition that makes him very careful about what he puts on his skin. I have been unable to convince him that homemade products are gentle. He goes through 4 Costco-size jars of Cetaphil a month. He also will only use liquid soap, unscented, from the store. I was at their house today and took the time to read the Cetaphil ingredients list. It doesn't sound that gentle to me. Just a few of the things in it are, mineral oil, 2 or 3 alcohols and sodium hydroxide. I realize that I am not going to change his mind. I'm just curious about something. Why is there sodium hydroxide in a lotion? Does it do something to lower the pH of the lotion?

The sodium hydroxide is in there to change the pH. Tooth paste has sodium hydroxide too. Mineral oil is an inert barrier. It stays on the surface of the skin to help protect it. Not all alcohols are drying. There are many types and some help with emulsification of the lotion or cream.

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

Thank you, Soapbuddy, for the lotion lesson. I haven't made lotion, yet, and have plenty to learn. I'm curious about the sodium hydroxide in products like lotions and toothpaste. Is it actually in the product in it's natural state? Is it used in such small amounts that it is safe for coming into contact with skin? Also, I was glad to have that cleared up about some alcohols.

I'm finding out that the more I learn, the more questions I have. I also love the science of soap, lotion and creams. It's wonderful to be learning in a setting like Teach Soap and not sitting in a boring science class with a boring teacher! I used to think that I hated science. Boy, was I wrong.

Thanks again!

I forgot to ask one more question. If the mineral oil sits on the surface of the skin and is not absorbed into it, does that mean that it's not the horrible product that I've been led to believe?

The sodium is lye, but safely diluted and use in extremely small amount. It won't do anything bad to your skin at this dilution. Mineral oil is not as bad as people will have you believe. It's used post surgery in dressings on wounds to create an occlusive layer so the wound can heal. Yes, it's petroleum based and I think that's what people have a problem with.

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

Thank you, Soapbuddy. This has been very educational.

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