Teach Soap

I have 3 batches under my belt & am feeling pretty confident about deviating from my "training wheels" recipe. It is equal parts olive, palm, and coconut @ a 6% superfat. I'm thinking of keeping it the same, but adding 3% apricot kernel oil and 3% castor oil (re-calculating lye, of course!). I've heard castor boosts suds. But what I need to know is, do I put the castor in with my base oils, or add it at trace like a superfat oil? (Also, if this plan sounds like a bad one, somebody speak up please! LOL!) Thanks!

Castor oil creates a rich foam, I personally add it always (and I never exceed 5%, stay rather by 3%) with base oils and have never applied it as a SF oil.

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Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration

I use 5% castor oil, but 3% is just as good. Too much castor oil (I'm talking 30% or more) can make a very soft soap that's easily prone to dos. So your recipe sounds like it will turn out good

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Genny

I use castor at 5% in all my soaps and just add it right in with the rest of my oils. Because the lye is still active at trace there's no guarantee that the castor will be the superfat oil...it will take what it needs.

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

I add castor along with the rest of the oils. At trace, lye is still active and it will take whatever it wants. So add everything right up front. The exception to this would be if you rebatch, then add any extra oil after the cook. I have gone as high as 15% castor, but that makes for a very soft and sticky soap.

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

Thanks everybody!