[mauvaisroux]

Arg! I have ecxema on my hands that flares up once in a while - my doctor suggested using glycerin soap, which works great but dinghy me did not realize that it is made out of animal fat (just read it in a book about organic living) - ecch!!!

Can anyone recommend a soap product that is good for ecxema but made from organic/non-animal materials?

Thanks!

[AngelicLady]

I am not sure if this soap is good for excema, but I did read online that shea butter is. This soap has a shea butter base. It is called African Black Soap. My aunt uses it and loves it. It's a very rich soap. You can buy it at soapcrafters.com. It is kind of expensive. Try emailing them and asking if they can send or sell you a sample size so you don't have to invest the whole amount. They also have an "all vegetable glycerin melt and pour soap". You might try asking them if it is all veggie just to make sure. That you can buy and just cut off chunks to use if you don't want to melt it and pour it into a mold. I have bought their glycerin soap and soap fragrances and liked them. Here is what they say about the African Black Soap:

African Black Soap (Ose Dudu) has been prized for centuries for its natural healing properties. This gentle soap is highly sought after because of the lore surrounding its great healing properties of skin conditions.

African Black Soap is used for cleaning skin, hair, and even the dishes! Its lathers beautifully, helps detoxify the skin and is so gentle on the body.

Our Ose Dudu is sold in blocks because its richness causes it to be too soft and pliable to shred.
Traditionally, African Black soap is not scented, so you can just cut the block into individual bars and use them right away. Some people enjoy chopping it, melting it and adding their favorite fragrances and herbs,
then pour into molds to make bars (how to melt soap).

Kosher

All Vegetarian!

I hope this helps! Soap Crafters is a great, friendly company with fast shipping. I have never had any problems with them.

[penpal]

I used to make handrafted soaps to sell at craft fairs, etc. I always used vegetable based glycerin soap, which you can find at most large craft stores. In fact, I've never come across any glycerin made from animal fat. Before I started buying glycerin in bulk, I used used Life of the Party brand.

Glycerin soap is very gentle to your skin and you can put in any additives you like, such as essential oils like lavender, jojoba oil, almond oil, shea butter, etc. (you may need to go to a specialty store like Whole Foods or Wild Oats to get these additives). You can also get soap molds at the craft store.

It's easy to make, you just melt the soap in the microwave put in additives (if any) and pour into the molds. Chill for about an hour in the fridge and voila! homemade soap!

[mauvaisroux]

Thanks for your suggestions! I'm glad that there are vegetable based glycerine soaps available.

I'm slowly (due to my budget) trying to convert to all natural and environmentally friendly household products and personal care products. I recently bought one of those deodorant stone roll-ons and I'm doing some research on shampoos and conditioners. I'm going to the health food store and lunch to check out some products.

[kaplods]

I wonder if the article confused glycerin with lanolin (some soaps might contain both, I suppose, but then it wouldn't be clear, would it?) Not that it makes that much of a difference if you're vegan, but I believe lanolin is obtained as a byproduct of cleaning wool, so the sheep is not killed to make the soap.

Kind of gross, but we had a dog that loved to eat hand lotion because of the lanolin content. If he saw anyone use the handlotion, he would try to get to the bottle to lick any drops from the dispenser, and he would then try to lick it right off your hands or legs.

[meeegun]

try getting handmade soaps-they naturally contain glycerin. if you buy from someone that makes the soaps using only vegetable oils, then the glycerin is veggie based. i know, because i make veggie and vegan soaps. also, there are many essential oils that can help calm eczema. tea tree oil, patchouli, and lavender would all be good ones to try. goats milk is an excellent emmolient ingredient, if you will use dairy, and oatmeal is highly recommended to help eczema. i know trader joes sells some inexpensive bars of soaps in 3 varieties: tea tree, jojoba, and oatmeal.

[mauvaisroux]

Thank you for the suggestions everyone!

I had forgotten about oatmeal soap - Duh! I used to use the Aveeno oatmeal baths when I was a kid.

[impossible princess]

I use a tea tree one but I don't know if you can get it easily outside the UK