Teach Soap

Happy Holidays all!

I have been making small batch soaps for about 8 months now, and have made about 8 different kinds of bars all using the same basic recipe which uses olive oil, crisco, and coconut oil. All have been successful and Im getting great reviews and lots of support! I have even made one batch of CP Castile soap which was fun to do. I am having a good time working with mixing scents and using natural colorants and additives and such and learning along the way. Friends and family have been very supportive in "donating" costs per ounce of finished soap so that I can restock my supply and learn more in the process to get my legs on to begin a business.

I am using the 3 oil blends because it was the recipe given in the class I took and the oils are affordable and easy to find at my local grocery store. But I am wanting to change up the cast of character oils that are in my basic recipe, and wanted to poll folks here to see what kinds of oils you like to use. (At this beginning stage I have already committed to not using palm oils.) I have and will do more reading on oil properties, but I wanted to ask here to see what might be popular, and to hear any horror stories anyone may have about particular kinds of oils.

Your input, as always, is super appreciated!

-Luna

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

I use mango butter & castor in every batch along with the basic oils. I used to use shea butter, til I became allergic to it.

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

I have used olive oil in every batch since I started making soap. LOVE it! I'm also using both shea and cocoa butters and also castor to help my lather since I cut back on coconut oil.

_________________
Soapmaiden (Natalie)

I never make a batch without at least some castor oil in it. The rest are up for consideration. I have yet to determine my base reciepes. Actually that is my new years soaping resolution. I have been soaping for two years.... guess it is time to evaluate all those notes!

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

I like this no-palm recipe from the SoapQueen blog: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... acial-bar/

The avocado oil, castor, and cocoa butter really make it nice (if a bit pricey!).

_________________
***************
Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

I know this is an older thread, but I'll throw my two cents in. I love avocado oil in my soap. I also love jojoba which I know most people don't use in soap, but I make sure I have some hard oils/butters to counteract the softness. My favorite hand soap is still bastille. I don't like cutting true castille, so I use 5-10% of something else and then cutting it is easier while not affecting the soap quality too much.

Perfect time for this thread to be brought back to life. I'm currently back in front of the soap calculators trying to work out my base recipe. I'm just not 100% happy with the current one I have. Although I think it's the fact I have to wait for it so long to be hard that I'm not happy with...

_________________
The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Coolah, I have been soaping for over 2 years and am just now feeling like I am getting close to having a base recipe or two (yes I am sitting here shaking my head!). I have really only discarded two of my recipes.
Here's a question to all the long time soapers..... how frequently do you change the recipe you use? And how long did it take you to get to that recipe?

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

mella, have not thrown out any soap - yet! gremlins STAY AWAY! I just started working with shea butter.... need to get some feed back on that one. I am really not in a hurry to settle on one recipe.... but since I got the soapmaker 3 program... I have realized that I am closer than I thought. Maybe it helps to have a file on the computer to click into. Prior to this it is all paper notes in 2 binders.

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

I have been making the same recipe for goat milk soap for 13 years. I made it for family and friends and sold a few bars at work. Most of the time I enjoyed the return product but until reading this forum did not know about gelling and overheating. I have learned so much reading everyone's posts. My recipe does not suds very well so I have changed the oils adding some coconut and olive. I made my first designed recipe and it has been 2 weeks. It feels great and lathers well but looks and feels like old dried up cheese. I have discovered the problem and will correct. This forum has got me inspired! Vicki

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

My first couple batches were based on what I could get easily: pomace, crisco, and coconut. Then as I started branching out, I started doing small test batches, 6 variations of the same ingredients to find the one I liked best. I have a few recipes that won out over the rest which were rather surprising. Every time I want to try out a new oil or butter, I do the same thing. I like knowing how the new ingredient reacts with my existing stash and doing just one formulation doesn't give me a complete picture.

This is a low-cost recipe I developed because I have some aggressive competition here, so if you're looking for a commercial recipe here goes:

avocado oil 6%
coconut oil 30%
shortening 35%
soybean oil 14%
sunflower 15% (high oleic type)

I'm substituting high oleic sunflower for olive oil due to cost. The shortening is a hydrogenated (solid) local brand equivalent to Crisco (cottonseed oil) - I got the SAP number from the manufacturer. This recipe gives me a good hard bar with loads of lather and feels good on the skin.

Here is what is in crisco: "Ingredients: SOYBEAN OIL, FULLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID (ANTIOXIDANTS)." It was only cottonseed oil between 1911 and 2002. It is now the above formulation

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought TBHQ is an anti-foaming agent. So could that inhibit bubbles if used in larger amounts?

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