Very dry and sensitive skin: need moisterizer reccomendation

[Owlie]

I too have very thick and curly hair. I only shampoo (with Burt's Bees--anything else makes my scalp itch after two weeks) once a week or a week and a half in winter, if I'm not doing anything that requires me getting dusty or sweaty, or I haven't put products in my hair (I almost never do). I'll rinse it through with conditioner in the meantime, but not very often. Occasionally I'll put almond (my mom always did this for us when my sister and I were growing up) or neat cheap olive oil on the parts away from my scalp.

I have dry skin everywhere except my face, and to complicate matters, I have eczema on my hands. It's made worse by both dryness and by the greasy creams that don't let my skin breath. Delicate balance there, so I'm rotating hand lotions constantly. To make matters worse, the water in my building runs HOT, and I have yet to find a comfortable shower temperature that doesn't dry my skin out without making me feel like I'm taking an ice bath. We also have very hard water, which makes my skin less happy.
I soap my legs after I shave, because if I don't, I end up with angry red spots. I use a moisturizing shower gel for that as well as any sweaty parts and removing grease. My face gets washed in the morning with milder a salicylic acid cleanser, because if I skip it, I turn into a zit. Some kind of body lotion post-shower. Shea or cocoa butter in winter, whatever the heck I want in summer. I'm dreading the after-college experience because winter gets expensive!

[badger]

nono, how do you make soap without lye? not that I know anything about soap making at all. Using lye seems rather harsh, too, but who would ever have thought to use fat to clean grease?

Even if soap making is simple, I'd imagine there's basic science to it that would make one soap better than another. I remember making soap in my grade 11 chemistry class. My partner and I ended up making "Ivory" soap - one that floats. Not sure how, but I remember the teacher commenting that to the class when he saw ours.

Does anyone here ever make soap with clay? or try dudu osan, the African black soap? (I bought one last spring authentically made in Ghana when I bought my shea butter, only I have no idea where I've put it. so bummed!)

[NoNo]

nono, how do you make soap without lye?

You can buy pre-made base and all you have to do is melt it, add your color and scent, and pour it into molds. And there's no month-wait to enjoy your goodies The place I order from has laurel/laureth sulfate free bases. I've been using natural colorings like ground spices and cocoa, and use essential oils instead of fragrance for scenting.

Tulip, I'm just finishing up my goat's milk base now. People seem to like it, but not as much as the olive oil base. I actually had a few people kind of scrunch their noses and say "Goat's milk?!" I've yet to make a bar for myself with it. I did like the olive oil, and the honey base wasn't bad. I may try shea butter next time.

Piccies:

[GLC1968]

Wow, Nono...those are gorgeous!

Our soaps are quite a bit more rustic looking...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43625927@N05/4290396525/

(both have the same oils but the darker one has dried cranberry fiber added for gentle exfolliant)

While lye is exceedingly dangerous and caustic - the soaps made with it using today's formulations are perfectly gentle. If you use the correct lye to oil/fat ratios, you don't need to wait ages to use the soap. It can be used the same day if you don't mind a softer bar. The old methods (of making your own lye and then guessing about fat/lye ratios) was totally different and you would absolutely have to let it age to avoid burning your skin (and sometimes, even then, whole batches had to be tossed out).

And there are LOTS of different oils that give lots of different properties to the finished soap (suds factor, moisturizing, cleansing, hardness, etc).

I think I find it so fascinating because I have always loved chemistry.

[sundial]

NoNo, how pretty! I can just see you giving gift soaps to the lucky people on your list.

[NoNo]

Nothing wrong with rustic! There's a woman that's been buying from me that doesn't ask for any coloring or scent. Not because she doesn't like them or they irritate her skin, but because she's just showering with it, so what's the point of making it look pretty? I don't argue, it certainly saves me time!

[TrekTheKaty]

We added a mister to our furnace--a built in humidifier. Kicks on with the heat. I also use body oil--slather it on before I get out of the shower (learned that on the weather channel!) Hubby recommends Bag Balm--his fingers used to split open in the winter (just avoid petting the cat until it soaks in).

I also have naturally curly hair and only shampoo once a week--just rinse and condition the rest of the week. I was grossed out at the concept, but desperate to save my curls.

[shootingstar]

I also have naturally curly hair and only shampoo once a week--just rinse and condition the rest of the week. I was grossed out at the concept, but desperate to save my curls.

I'm lost: you mean washing your type of hair more often, means loss of the natural curliness or what?

From a naturally straight hair person. For certain, I will be unable to leave my hair unwashed up to once a wk. My system still produces plenty of hair oil..even in old, frail age I predict I just need that shampoo sudsing several times/wk.