Teach Soap

I'm playing around with CP soap trying to make my own recipe and I've been using rapeseed oil instead of olive oil which is what I used when I learned to make CP soap. I've made a batch with rapeseed and a bit of olive oil and then I've made one with rapeseed and a bit of coconut oil. The first batch is very soft and the second is okay at the moment. But it had a strange consistency after I whisked it.

What oils do you use? Do you have a favourite and one that you definately wouldn't use? I know that olive oil is comon to use but I think it has a very strong scent and I'm unsure if my essential oils will mask the smell. Also, it's very expensive where I live so I'm trying to find an oil that won't break the bank.

Are you opposed to animal fats? I love using lard in my soap. It gives a white soap (unless I use goats milk) and I love the finished product. I will say that I vary my oils but will mostly include coconut - my alternate to this is babasu. I always use 5-7% castor oil. And I do use olive - but since I can buy local I avoid the shipping chg and that makes it ok for me. Lets see what others have to say.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

My basic recipe has Palm Oil (sustainable sources), coconut oil (only up to 20%), Sunflower Oil and Sweet Almond Oil (in that order). A few fancier bars have added shea butter or jojoba oil. My bars are pretty white, but not as white as a Lard Bar. I don't like Olive oil soaps, they are slimy and soft bars to me, and my skin doesn't like it, I always get dry with Olive oil soaps (personal preference only, I am sure there are some good ones out there). I don't have any experience with other oils.

Have you tried your bars yet, they probably are still nice soap to use if you've run the recipe in a soap calculator. Good luck.

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"Maintaining Balance Between People and Nature"

Thanks for replying.

I don't really want to use lard because I don't eat meat so I don't want to rub it all ove me either.
I actually thought about using sunflower oil so maybe I should try that next time.

My new batch which has coconut oil in it turned out better than the one without so I will probably stick to using some of that. I did use a soap calculator. I have to because I'm really bad at maths.
Dusty, is there a reason why you never use more than 20%?

I've come to the conclusion that rapeseed oil probably isn't the way to go because it makes the soap so soft and I agree about the olive oil. I haven't tried out the soap yet because it's still curing but I will ph test it in a couple of days.

Coconut oil above 20% can be drying for alot of people.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Oh, I see. Well, I just learned something. Thanks!

FYI, I don't PH test any of my soap, I think I read somewhere on here the strips aren't very accurate anyway unless you use a PH meter. I just test for Zap on my CP soap after 24 hours when I cut it and I try my bars immediately, just a small piece, if there is no zap. The only thing the cure time (4-6 weeks)does is make the bar harder. Ungelled soap you may need to wait three or so days to not get zap. Maybe someone else knows if it's really necessary to PH Test, but I think most handmade soap is around the 9-ish level, which seems high..but it's not. I hope I got all this right, I still consider myself a newbie after 3 years. I've learned everything from this forum, so good luck with your soaping.

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"Maintaining Balance Between People and Nature"

I don't pH test my soaps. I have a accurate scale and once in a great while I will test for zap. No zap. It is true that handmade soap is around 9 pH.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Zap testing makes me nervous, lol. I guess I could try on my new salt bar. When I learned to make soap we were told to do a ph test. She showed us on some freshly made soap and the paper went completely dark purple. When I see the green colour I can more easily see if I can use the soap but maybe that is just because I'm so inexperienced.

Edited to say: Eew! Don't zap test an unscented salt bar. It tastes like sick. Sorry but I just had to let you know.

With salt bars the zap test is harder to recognize. I know, it doesn't taste good. Next time have some juice handy and swirl it in your mouth then spit it out. That should get rid of the bad taste.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

You all are too funny, I did the zap test once and freaked me out so I will not do it again I use the stripes and for me they work well.

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