Teach Soap

What should I look for when I buy palm oil for CP soapmaking? What about coconut oil?

I have been ordering both online but the shipping cost is killing me. I was wondering if I might be able to find either of these products in my local area.

Thanks for your help.

LuAnn brand coconut can be used for soap. You might find it at your local walmart. It is more expensive to buy it this way though. Palm I have never seen locally. I can buy a 50 lb. bucket of coconut oil, however it VERY yellow as it's used for popping popcorn. You might be able to find coconut oil in some ethnic mom & pop stores. Once again it will be more expensive this way.

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

Thanks. Maybe I will check the store price for coconut oil and then compare it with the price I pay when I order it online. The last time I ordered online, I paid $25 for shipping which really ran the per-ounce price way up.

I found the LuAnna Coconut Oil at my walmart this morning. It was less than $6 for 31.5 ounces. I can also find coconut oil at my local craft store, but can only get 8 ounces for that price.

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

I have seen the LuAnna Coconut Oil at only one grocery store in my area and I wondered if it would be okay to use in soap recipes. I didn't buy any because I just wasn't sure.

Palm oil seems to be a very difficult thing to find locally unless it goes by a different name that I'm not awarel of.

If I could find some of these heavy items locally, it would save me lots of money on shipping. Then I could spend my money buying more of the fun stuff that can only be found online!

If you order online it makes a big big difference in the shipping on how far away your order is coming from. I live on the west coast and order almost exclusively from Brambleberry. I don't think I have ever paid over $14 for shipping and I order oils usually in multiple 7 pound containers. On the few rare occasions that I get a wild hair to order from someplace else, like Texas, the shipping is prohabitive.

Wow. That's very interesting. That could explain a few things. I have only odered from Bramble Berry so far and they are in Washington state. I live in West Virginia which is pretty darn far from Washington. I may do some price comparison with some companies closer to me. I love the fact that everyone is very friendly and helpful at Bramble Berry and I can see their projects on YouTube and then order the exact ingredients from them to (hopefully) get the same results that I see on their blog or YouTube channel.

However, money is money and I don't have a lot. I really need to stay on a tight budget for my soap supplies as I'm new and haven't gotten to a point where I can sell anything yet. Maybe it will be different in the future but, for now, I guess I'd better do some comparison shopping. Thanks for the tip.

So far I have not noticed alot of difference when ordering oils from different companies. I have not compared melt and pour soaps - a little concerned about that? What I have decided is there can be a big change in quality on EO and FO's. Once you find a company you like others will not be the same. My husband discovered that with candle making fragrances as well. I think it also helps with the cost if you are able to consolidate and place a larger order. That said, I will always try to buy local if I can.

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

Oils are oils are oils - so you won't notice a difference in Coconut Oil 76 degree melt point from one vendor to another but yes, melt and pour soaps will vary greatly.

Palm Oil is more difficult to find because it's not commonly used in cooking. Coconut Oil is frequently used in cooking so that's why it's more readily available on the shelves.

_________________
Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com

I would love to be able to find a local supplier for coconut and palm oils so I could save money on shipping and use that extra money towards molds, colorants, glitters, fragrances and the other fun stuff at BB.

Speaking of fragrances, I'm not sure if anyone on this forum ever visits the Soap Making Forum but BB has been mentioned on that forum by a few people who have some concerns about the amount/weight of fragrances in the bottles sold by BB. One person also commented "I feel like Bramble Berry gouges on shipping more than other suppliers".

This is the link:

I've only placed a few orders with BB so far but I have noticed the shipping seemed very high to me. Is this some kind of state law or something that makes the shipping higher because of the state BB is located in?

Thanks!

Take whatever you see on other forums with a grain of salt. I have never had any problems with BrambleBerry, nor with their shipping prices. Other vendor who I won't mention here have otrageous shipping and that's one of the reasons why I will never purchase from them again.

Fragrances have different molecular weight. Some vendors go by 16 ozs. in actual weight (so the bottle might not be completely full), some go with a filled bottle and call it 16 ozs.

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