Exceme, Psoriasis, Cayenne Pepper and Soap -

A lot of customers and potential customers that have come through my store have asked me a great deal of questions about my soaps, and specifically about the extra ingredients I add into my soaps.


Probably one of the questions I get the most runs along the lines of: I/my sister/my friend has exceme. Do you have a soap that will help with this?


The answer is yes, I do. First of all, all handmade soap is a much better choice for those who suffer from exceme and psoriasis. This is because all handmade soap contains GLYCERIN. It is a biproduct of the saponification process, or the chemical process that occurs when a alkali (such as lye) is mixed with a fat (such as animal fat or liquid oils). Glycerin is a highly valuable and sought after biproduct which is used with almost abandon in the cosmetics feild. This is because glycerin is acts as a humectant, or as something that can absorb and retain moisture. This is very good for skin.


Having said this, all plain, handmade soap is good for the skin, can be used by everyone and will help those who suffer from exceme to keep their hands softer and less prone to cracking.


What is added to handmade soap can either help or aggitate those who suffer from exceme. Unfortunately it is difficult to write a list of what those who suffer from exceme should and should not use. Each person who suffers from exceme may have different allergens that cause outbreaks. As a general rule, perfumes should be avoided. Essential oils *may* be a slightly better choice for those who suffer from exceme as they are completely natural substances in themselves. However each essential oil has their own properties (essential oils that come from flowers may not be a good choice for those who suffer greatly from pollen allergies) and it is impossible to say who will react to what. My advice is this: if you suffer from a light case of exceme that is easily controlled without too much prespcription medication/lotions, and you really want to try a particular type of soap, by all means take a chance. But be prepared that the soap might need to be thrown out (or hopefully given away to a close family member or friend) after only a few usages.


If one has extreme exceme that is very difficult to control, my advice is to steer clear of soaps with essential oils as well.


However soaps with other types of additional ingredients may be benificial to those who suffer from exceme. I have had good results with carrot soaps and cucumber soaps as both of these soaps have vitamins and other nutrients that are absorbed by the skin. They certainly do not cure exceme, but are very pleasant to use by those who suffer from it.


One type of soap that seems is very interesting has been helpful to a good number of people is, believe it or not, soap that has an additional ingredient of Cayenne Pepper. I know, I know - logic would say the absolute opposite of what seems to be true for most people. It would seem that cayenne pepper (or Paprika as it is known in many parts of Europe) would be the worst thing to put exceme, that it would only irritate the skin and lead to possibly agonizing pain for the sufferer.


Instead, cayenne pepper seems to relieviate the itching for many who try this technique and it does so for this reason. Capsaisin, one of the components found in peppers and which is responsible for that warm/burning sensation in your mouth when eaten, also prevents (or eventually prevents) your nerve endings to send pain messages back to the brain. These same nerves are the nerves that also transmit 'itching' messages back to the brain. By using products that contain capsaisin, one does not feel the need to scratch one's skin so often. This in itself is often a 'present time' relief for the sufferer. Over longer periods of time it proves to be benificial for the skin as a whole - the less one scratches, the more time the skin has to try to repair itself.


For these same reasons, cayenne pepper and products that contain capsaisin also seem to prove benificial to those who suffer from arthritis and those who suffer from psorasis.


If you are interested in purchasing a small sample of cayenne pepper soap from my store, simply click on one of the soap pictures above and contact me. I can set up an inexpensive private order for you.