Teach Soap

I found this link when researching rancidity, etc of certain oils.

http://www.zensoaps.com/singleoil.htm

I'd be interested to hear your opinions of certain oils known to have lower shelf lives.
For example - an oil with a shorter shelf life, such as grapeseed - do you just avoid it? Or limit it's use to a certain percentage?

I was trying to compare shelf life, potential for rancidity and sap index. If an oil has a short shelf life, but most of it saponifies, won't that make it safer?
Or should I just quit trying to find a way to use up all of this grapeseed oil?

I thought it was interesting to see the Castor only oil bar didnt have much lather, when its been suggested that Castor oil will increase the lather in other soaps.

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Kristen D. Vineyard
visit my blog http://washwithvegetables.blogspot.com

I use a lot of carrot, pumpkin and hempseed oil in my soaps and I have never to date had one go bad (once used). I have used these soaps after two years without issue. I have only been soaping since about 2007 so no expert, but this has been my experience.

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Four Seasons Fine Handcrafted Soaps
& Specialties, Inc.
Laugh, Love, Live!

I got DOS with canola, which has a short shelf oil. I don't use canola any more and no more DOS.

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

why did she say the lard soap had a faint odor ? from the cocoa butter if this was a single oil soap. I also question the storage she did in a sealed ziplock bag.... would it have been different if she had allowed them to breathe? I have never tried a single oil\butter soap, maybe someday. She also did not document the superfat percentage.

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

I would never use a sealed bag to store soap in since that doesn't let the soap breathe, but that's me.

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

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CP newbie who's turning into a soaping addict!

I use lard all the time in my soap and have even made 100% lard soap without noticing an odor.

She said these soaps were from a swap, so there could be differences in the methods used to make the soap. I think I would have a better opinion of the results if the soaps were all made in a controlled manner (same superfat %, amount of oil, etc) by the same person.

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

Very interesting!

I am really enjoying everyone's responses to this post - I had a lot of the same questions and thoughts.
I looked all over the rest of this person's site, and it seems to be lacking in any backup material or notes on methodology.

I am a fan of the scientific method, where you keep everything the same and change ONE thing - that way - you know what you're dealing with when changes occur or not. If you change more than one thing, then you'll never truly know what to attribute the results to. (never use a preposition to end a sentence with!)

I, too - would like to know the recipes, the temps, the superfat percentage, gel or not, additives, how old the oils were when they were first used - then and only then would the results be something I could deem reliable. And since these were the result of a soap swap - different people and methods - it is even MORE important to document the properties and methods as listed above.

But still - it IS interesting - food for thought.....

I find it interesting that the castille soap has no DOS. I've read about and experienced DOS pretty quickly with 100% olive oil.

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

I'm with Linda - I don't make 100% OO soap (castille) mainly because I am impatient and I like bubbles!!
But I sure thought that OO had a long shelf life!