It's well into winter and relief from the dry air seems far away. Heaters, fireplaces and air cleaners don't help with the dry skin issue. Even normal, everyday activities like washing clothes, dishes and produce, even just handwashing seems to leave my skin ready to dissolve into powder. That might actually be less painful that the cracking, splitting and peeling that is taking place.
Wait, I'm a soap maker! I should have soft, smooth, healthy skin, right? Regular use of my goat and cow's milk soaps certainly helps. They are gentle and nourishing. My reformulated lotion bars, with extra coconut oil and shea butter, are easier to spread in winter's colder temps. The thing is, in the drier climates, I find I need to reapply frequently. My homemade lip butters are handy for this. The coconut oil and shea butter are soothing, and heal up our chapped lips quickly. If we would remember to keep using it, the chapping would also be prevented.
My favorite lotion bar in the winter is the Jasmine Rose. Rose oil is reputed to be soothing for dry skin. I like to recycle a 2 ounce size tin or snack container with a tight-fitting lid, smoosh a lotion bar inside, and carry it in my purse for easy application after handwashing on the go, or any time. I also keep a lotion bar next to the soap on each sink in my house, RV, trailer and in my travel bag. Okay, that seems obsessive, but I really am the biggest fan of my homemade soaps and lotions. Of course, that's why I make them. They're all natural and if I'm not happy with them, I know you won't be, so I make sure they're just right.
Want some help with your dry skin? Check out my Etsy shop, or my website, Mrs. D's Homestead.
Thanks for stopping by.
In my other life, when I thought of bar soap, it was an icky, slimy mess in the shower. Then I embarked upon the homesteading life. When I acquired my first goat, Jenny, I began to wonder - what ELSE can I do with all this milk? The idea first came to me while I was browsing through my old Reader's Digest "Back to Basics" book - SOAP! I threw the idea out at a 4H meeting and was met with instant enthusiasm. So began my journey into producing homemade soaps and skin care products.
Though I occasionally make a liquid soap, by far my favorite is still the goats milk bar - with lavender and tea tree, or rose oil, or chocolate fragrance. To get the most enjoyment, use and longest life out of your bar soap, here are some tips to consider.
- keep it dry.
There are alot of pretty soap dishes available, but you don't want your bar to be sitting in a puddle of water. It will melt into goo. Make sure you dump the water out every time you use it (and train the kids to as well). It also helps to elevate the soap slightly.
- expose it to air.
Soap takes five weeks to cure after it's made. It continues to cure until it's used up. Curing ensures that saponification is complete and the soap is gentle (meaning it won't wash the paint off the barn!). It also allows excess water to evaporate out of the soap, making for a harder, longer lasting bar. Exposing it to air will not only help keep it dry, but allow it to continue curing, making it clean and lather better.
- use it all up.
What do you do with those skinny little soap chips at the end of the bar? Let me count the ways:
- put them in a cotton, organza or other fabric "soap" bag and continue using until they're all gone.
- save in a quart jar and when it's full, put the chips in a saucepan, cover with water and boil until dissolved. Pour into a square cake pan and let harden, then cut into new bars (never use soap pans for food preparation after making soap). No curing needed - this is called "remilled" or "french milled" soap.
_ add a little extra water while soap chips are boiling to make a gel and pour into an empty gallon jug and use for laundry soap.
_ my favorite: put soap chips in and old (clean) sock, then get it soaking wet and clean the soap scum off the sink and tub - works much better than any cleanser I've tried.
So if you've been using a liquid pump soap, complete with unrecognizable and synthetic chemical ingredients, why not give old-fashioned bar soap another try? And if you're already a convert, try some of these tips to get more mileage out of Mrs. D's great soap!
