Teach Soap

From what I've been reading and please correct me if i'm wrong...

A soaper usually has a 3 part oil base they commit to and then build on it... What Percentage to you commit to your base? Ok, Say I wan't to use: Sunflower, Lard and Olive Oil... What percentage do I commit to my base? Is there a rule of thumb...

I understand not to use more than 20% Sunflower oil, but I read it can be used like olive oil.. Also I understand olive oil can be used 1-100 percent and try not to use no more than 30% lard. I understand this to a degree...

I have some ideas regarding the oils i'd like to work with but I'm worried they wont go well together well... Plus i'm going to get some books too...

Yikes!

_________________
~~~~~
Stephanie

Have you made any soap yet - or are you in the research phase? Hard to tell. I am going to assume you have not made any yet...

I am on batch #14. In the beginning, I was overwhelmed as well with all the various oils and possible combinations. My advice? Find simple (2 oils, 3 max) recipes to start. My first bars were olive oil and coconut oil - just those two. I then moved onto 3 oils - then 4. That's as far as I have gone: 4 oils. One book I read (I cannot remember which - I think "Idiot's Guide to Soapmaking") stressed that many tried and true recipes relied on by soap makers boil down to the following list of oils:

Olive, Palm, Coconut, Castor! I think there was one more but cannot remember.

Learning the properties of those 4 alone - trying them in various proportions - can keep you busy for several batches. Find a lye calculator you like to use and spend an hour trying different combinations, noting the type of soap each recipe makes (cleansing, highly conditioning...etc...)

The experts will weigh in to add much more, and it becomes much less confusing after a few batches.

Good luck!

It's more then just using a certain % of oils. Research the properties of oils and butters and see what they add to the total makeup. Some are used for their conditioning properties, some add lather, some add hardness. Since you are just starting out, go take a look at Soapmaker software. You can get the Lite version and play around with it. http://www.soapmaker.ca/

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

Just some friendly advice. I recently started using sunflower oil in my soaps at around 10%. All of those soaps now have DOS (Dreaded Orange Spots). I would stay away from Sunflower Oil. It has a very short shelf life and goes rancid quickly. Olive, Coconut, and Palm make a great basic recipe that you will not be disappointed with. Play around with the lye calculators like Soapbuddy recommended and figure out what properties you may like in a bar of soap.

_________________
Haven

You guys are right, I haven't starting making batches yet... I'll look at the software. Good to know about Sunflower oil. And I think it is a good idea to start with basics... I am starting to get a little overwhelmed but like with other things you have to know the basics, thanks for the redirection, again... You guys Rock.!...

Thanks a million

_________________
~~~~~
Stephanie

I love sunflower oil in some of my recipes. I've never had a problem with dos and always use the high oleic oil. I usually don't go over 10%.

_________________
~Kelly~