Teach Soap

Why do some soapers dislike palm oil,,,what is the reason?

Because is supposedly destroys the orangutan habitat. I've never started with palm, so my recipe doesn't need it.

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

If you google the topic you will find the basis for objections to its use, and even to the use of the "certified ethically grown" type as well. Brambleberry uses and sells the ethically certified type and AM did a blog post on why she believes that is the way to go. I say, to each his own, read up on it and decided for yourself where you stand or don't. Like Irena, I have never used it, so I still don't use it and it is not needed for my recipe(s).

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Thailand produces palm oil.....and we have no orangutans...; )

I used to use palm in my recipes and always had problems with the stearic spots. I just finally got fed up with it and stopped using it. I actually prefer my recipes without it. So I guess for me it wasn't about orangutan's, but I just didn't like palm oil.

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Haven

Part of me likes to use what I can buy local. Palm is not one of them. I have no objections to using lard and I like the soap it produces, so that is my alternative to palm oil. And I did not enjoy having to melt the entire patch and separate out into smaller containers.

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

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I like the silky feel so I still use sustainable palm but I cut the amount I use to under 6%. It can be a pain though so I'm still thinking of giving it up.

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

hey guys, if you dont use palm, what is the alternate that you are using?

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Pal

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

[/quote]
I use lard or tallow in all my soaps now in place of palm.[/quote]

This is also what I do most of the time. Did work for awhile to create an all vegetable recipe. Then I use soy or ricebran oils. I also use a combo of coconut and babassu oils. And this one has to have cocoa butter in it for some hardness. But I do not use it very often... mostly if I know someone who I want to gift a bar of soap and they are vegetarians.

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

My 2 favorite recipes are 1) olive, coconut, and avocado oil and 2) coconut and avocado oil. I have had the best results and the best feedback with those. I added shea butter to #1 one time and it was ok but not the favorite. I came to these recipes after years of trying different things. My mom and my sister give me the best feedback and when they started asking for more, that's when I knew I had some good ones going on. I think it is all about what you like in a bar and not necessarily what you think you need to put in it. When I first started, the lady that taught me how to make cp used olive, coconut and palm. So I thought I had to use those. Good bars of soap but I prefer my own recipes now. Play with the soap calcs and figure out what you like.

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Haven

Thank you all for your replies. Since i'm a vegetarian, will stick to vegetable oils, and play around with them till I find what i like most.

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Pal

Avocado oil and cocoa butter in combination make a nice vegetarian substitute for palm oil.