Help with lard in brine soap

Iluminameluna

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Hi everyone,
I'd like some advice about making a recipe for my son and his gf who both have oily skin and sporadic breakouts. My son buys Neutrogena Face Wash, and last Nov bought Lush's activated charcoal soap to try and likes both (I gave him heck for buying the Lush soap w/out asking me first! 😝) but I told him I thought I could make something for him that could help him just as much without spending so much. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts about combining the lard AND the brine.
I've been making lard heavy soaps for a while now, and before that palm heavy when I was in El Salvador where I couldn't get lard. Everyone likes those, even he does!, but his face is greasy even though his body isn't.
I made some brine soaps in El Salvador but the water there isn't hard, it's almost rainwater sweet! So lather and bubbles aren't any issue. Here, it's another story. And we live in an apt complex to boot, so there's no water softening system we can economically install.
The salt will be 25% of water by weight, dissolved into the water before the lye is added, and I'll let it sit for at least a half hr, to make sure it's completely dissolved, before adding the lye. The oils a simple combo of coconut 30%, olive 20% and pig lard 50% in the percentages given. Superfat 4%, and this will be done by cold process.
Not sure if adding any type of sugar would help, or maybe a milk or yogurt, with bubbles. Argh.
ANY help will be greatly appreciated.
 

Yooper

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I don't make brine soaps, but I do salt bars where 50% of the weight of the oils is how much salt I add at trace. I would suggest not using lard, or at least not so much of it, and increase the coconut a bit. Some sugar does help with bubbles- about 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of sugar per pound of oils.

I make charcoal soaps for friend with problem skin, and they love that.
 

Iluminameluna

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I don't make brine soaps, but I do salt bars where 50% of the weight of the oils is how much salt I add at trace. I would suggest not using lard, or at least not so much of it, and increase the coconut a bit. Some sugar does help with bubbles- about 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of sugar per pound of oils.

I make charcoal soaps for friend with problem skin, and they love that.
Thanks for your reply. I don't really want to make a salt bar. My son's skin at least is quite sensitive despite being oily and anything abrasive irritates it. He liked the activated charcoal soap he bought from Lush, but not enough to want another one, which is why I want to try the brine soap. I really appreciate your suggestion though. Thanks!
 

ekkle

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Oct 18, 2020
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Why don’t you make a 1lb test loaf. I love lard and would be excited to hear your results.
 
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