I wouldn't use clays in a soap for the eczema, either.
This is what I would do. Pick up the Soap Sample kit from Brambleberry (7 lbs of soaps: 1 lbs each of white, clear, shea, goats milk, hemp, aloe vera, and honey). Have your friend try a small slice from each of the soaps and see if she has an adverse reaction to any of them. The eczema will not be helped very much during this time- we're looking for adverse affects of any of the soaps. If she does, don't use that type of soap in your final batch for her.
Some additives that would be great for healing and moisturizing dry skin:
Avacado oil- Known for its healing and regenerative properties. Also good for dry, dull dehydrated skin, aging skin and eczema. penetrates easily. Contains Essential fatty acids, minerals, protein, Vitamins A, B, D, E and beta carotene.
*Cocoa Butter - Cocoa butter not only smells fantastic, it also provides desirable moisturizing qualities. This butter makes an excellent skin softener as it is not easily absorbed and thereby lays down a protective layer that holds in moisture.
Evening Primrose - This oil is taken from the seeds of the flower and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic. It is effective for a number of skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.
Mango Butter-It has great emolliency and lends a protective effect against the sun. It is said to prevent drying of the skin and formation of wrinkles. It reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores flexibility.
Olive Oil - This oil is moisturizing and is mild and by itself (castile soap) produces a very mild soap suitable for small children or those with sensitive skin.
Shea Butter - Also called Karite butter & made from the fruit kernels of the shea nut tree of West Africa. Shea Butter benefits the skin in many ways:
• Due to the presence of a sizeable quantity of unsaponifiable fats, its content in vitamins and other active elements; Shea butter is in a league of it's own when it comes to soothing, moisturizing and protecting qualities.
• It has been shown to assist in cell regeneration & capillary circulation which helps in the healing of small wounds & skin ulcers.
• It has restructuring effects on the epidermis and on dry, fragile hair and has been shown to help with dermatitis, eczema, minor burns and sun burn. In the cosmetic field, this makes Shea Butter a natural asset against skin aging.
• It also displays a protecting role against UV rays because of its content in cinnamic acid.
• It has an anti-elastase characteristic which makes it a good active ingredient against stretch marks.
• It is very well tolerated by the skin and it does not normally trigger any allergic reactions. This makes it an excellent choice for use on sensitive skin areas such as the area around the eyes.
(above information pulled from:
http://www.peeptoadhollow.com/Benefits.htm)
*Instead of using and EO or FO which could cause a reaction, you could use the Cocoa butter (unrefined) to add a chocolate scent to the soap
I would also recommend putting in sugar as an exfoliate to get rid of the dead skin cells. Sugar also helps to bring balance into the skin's natural oils.
Off the top of my head, if I were to use the above information, this is the recipe I would come up with (for a 2.5 lb batch):
20 oz. Shea M&P
10 oz. Aloe Vera M&P
1 TBS. Avocado Oil
2 TBS. Cocoa Butter
1 TBS. Evening Primrose Oil
10 oz. Sugar
Melt the Shea and Aloe Vera M&P together. Add Cocoa Butter and mix in well heating in the microwave in short bursts until it's mixed in completely. Add in Avocado Oil and Evening Primrose Oil. Work really quick with the next step because the soap will want to set up really fast. Dump sugar into the bowl, stir it in fast and pour into your mold fast. Drop the mold on the counter a couple times to get the soap into the corners and help release bubbles.
If you'd like to add some color to the white, you could always melt down a couple ounces of the Hemp M&P, spritz the soap that's already in the mold with some rubbing alcohol and pour the Hemp M&P over it until the mold is nearly full. Let it sit on the counter several hours and unmold it. Cut it into bars. I usually let my soaps sit out in the open over night before I wrap them (I live in a dry state, so they don't sweat on me).
For those of you who are saying "There's not enough sugar for a sugar scrub!" That's not what I'm intending the bar to be. The sugar will help exfoliate a little bit, but I mainly put it in there for its ability to help promote the skin into bringing about a natural oil balance in itself... I'm not a doctor, nor claim to be even remotely close to an expert on this subject of eczema and rosacea, so please don't take the above soap concoction as a fix-it-all recipe. I haven't made it myself, let alone tried it. I do know that the Shea M&P and Sugar has been working for a friend of mine who has dry flaky skin but not so bad as to be called eczema.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
