Teach Soap

I found a great recipe that I want to try, but it uses tallow and soybean oil.

Does anyone have recommendations on oil substitutions that I can use instead of these? I prefer vegetable base soaps, and I don't have soybean oil on hand.

thank you!

_________________
Where Handmade is ALWAYS Better!

You could do coconut for tallow and rice bran (or palm kernel) for soybean. You will need to recalculate your recipe though.

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

Another quick question about this....I realized I only have 3oz of Castor oil left, and no monies to go grab more. What could I subsitute that would give me a hard bar with fluffy lather?

My recipe-

19oz soybean
20 oz palm
3 oz castor
19 oz coconut
1 oz cocoa butter
2 oz olive oil
3 oz scent
24 oz water
9.119 oz lye

I have on hand all of the above, plus mango butter, shea butter, avocado butter, peanut oil, rice bran oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, beeswax, and stearic acid.

Cocoa butter should give you the hardness along with olive. If you want little more bubbles, add some sugar to your lye water. Like 1 tsp. for that size batch and see how you like it.

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

so in theory the soap should turn out okay? LOL I'm so nervous, it'll be my very first batch! With the sugar, do you add it in after the lye is thoroughly dissolved or at the same time?

Be willing to try it until I can get a job ( owned a bar and grill and had to let it go into forclosure due to the old owners wanting it back...the b*&#%'s waited until I turned their non-existent clientle base back around, then quit cashing my checks and claimed I didn't pay them *sigh*) and get some more castor oil:)

Mandi

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

I'm okay with messing up...I'm incredibly lucky in that I get most of the food grade oils for free or mostly free except castor...which sucks cause I'm a bubble lover. Which does wonders for morale in being afraid, I won't waste a ton of money.....I guess I'm just stubborn and won't want to admit defeat easily LOL

Not to mention I'm clumsy...I've already planned it out. I'll be wearing boots, socks, jeans, a tank top, a hoodie, coat over that, gloves, hat and a scarf over my face LOLOLOL (For clarification, we have little dogs so I'm doing my mixing outside, and it's been snowing and 12 degrees out lol) BUT, I'm thinking that should protect me:)

Ok, then go for it. If you have any questions, you can always ask here. Good luck!

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

Wow, Mandi, you deserve for your soaps to turn out right, the trouble you're going to. I can see your little dogs are part of the family, like my little Pepper. Good luck with your soaps.

_________________
Suzanne
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1135479737
http://stuffandnonsense-essebee.blogspot.com/

Oh yes:) I have a 4 year old Puggle, and 1 1/2 year old Beagle/Basset mix, and a 15 year old Chow/German shepard mix. The big one is old and could care less hehehehe But the little ones...good lord, I thought the puppy stage ended at around 2....I spend half my time chasing the puggle trying to get my socks and slippers away from her. I love them dearly though:) I cried all last night because my mom told me it was about time to think about letting go of Tiny because he was having trouble getting around. Instead, I realized it was mostly the hardwood floors giving him problems, so we dragged a carpet down from the attic for him and started giving him aspirin. He's doing better today! Now if only I could make him test doggie soaps, but he's adamantly refusing heheheh

Well, I sent my aunt out for gloves and tape, because I'm blond and forgot them....but everything else is measured out and ready to go! Once I get the gloves to measure out the lye, and tape to tape the mold I'll be soaping! (I'll try and post pictures later, but I'm not "quite" sure how to do that so I'll probably mess it up hehehe)
Mandi

EDIT- It is now 5:30. My first batch of soap is insulated and hardening up (I couldn't help it, I peeked lol). The process wasn't near as horrible as I though....I was overthinking it. You guys are right, a little respect for the materials you're working with goes a long way! I'm lucky in that I made homemade candies all the time, so I've perfected stirring briskly without splashing...so it traced quickly and thoroughly...I even managed to marble my very first batch!!!:)

Now I'm just hoping I have enough insulation around it, as it's freakin FREEZING here lol

I have 2 pugs! They're hysterical but not much help around the house. Open the dishwasher and they get in it. Open the dryer and in they go. Wrapping Christmas presents was a joke around here:-) You can see them here http://www.leesiateh.com/blog/?paged=2 You have to scroll down to Ava & Casey. We had their portraits done!!!

As for the sugar, I always dissolve it in some of the water before I add it to the lye water. I've heard it can make caramel!

Hope your work situation turns around.

renaanne, I checked out your babies. They are SOOO gorgeous!

_________________
Suzanne
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1135479737
http://stuffandnonsense-essebee.blogspot.com/

Well REeeeee all I can add is GADS and holy smokes tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo darling!! Thank you for all the fun, sharing your babies!

_________________

~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂