Can you give me feedback/advice on my soap recipe?

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danjpiscina

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Hi guys. I'm new to the forum [and to CP soap making]. I have finally come up with a recipe that might work, and that I THINK I will like. But I've never made it before. I happen to have shea butter, and I like it, so I thought I'd incorporate it. Let me know what you think, and if there's anything I could do to improve it. Will it blend well? Thanks for listening!

Recipe:

-Coconut Oil 20.0%
-Olive Oil 50.0%
-Palm Oil 20.0%
-Shea Butter (Refined) 10.0%
-Lye [7% superfatting]
-Fresh goat milk, instead of water

-Camomile essential oil [how much?!]
-Finely ground oats [how much?!]
-coarse oats mixed in at a later stage, to help exfoliate


also, I have some oxides for coloring. Is there a rule of thumb for how much should be added?

and last but not least; could warm honey be a nice addition?
 
Hi looks pretty good couple things Goats milk tends work better if add lye to it semi frozen or split liq in half water add lye let cool some and than add milk so there is less carmelizing of sugars in the milk. Rule of thumb on eo fos no more than 1 oz Per pound oils. Some of us use little more or less personal preference. Oxides for color sorry cant help there. Hope this helps. Oh I chop oats up before adding seems work better .
 
Welcome! Yes you can add honey. I'd suggest you do a search here on goat's milk, there are a lot of very helpful past posts. Good luck!
 
Just be prepared for the soap getting pretty hot with both milk and honey added to it. SOme people manage to keep their milk soaps light and creamy and some people end up with tannish or darker soap- just a reminder for when you're thinking about colors.
 
The part that stuck out to me is the chamomile essential oil, that stuff's soooo pricey to use in soap, especially when you're just starting out. I'd actually suggest making an unscented oatmeal milk and honey to start out, then work in fragrances in future batches. Even with no added fragrance or essential oil, it'll be spectacular soap.

The finely ground oats, I grind mine to a fine powder almost like flour and use about a tablespoon per pound of oils. I've tried leaving some larger bits and adding that to my soaps but it's too scratch for my liking, some people love it , though. You'll just have to see how it feels to you. =)

I also use a tablespoon PPO of honey when I add it, you'll find that different people have different opinions on when the honey should be added. Some like adding it to their lye solution, I personally prefer adding it to my oils and butters and stick blending it in really well before adding the lye solution. I don't think there's a "right" way to do it, it's just whichever works for you.
 
If it's your first batch, keep it simple. The recipe looks good but leave out essential oils and oxides and honey until you're more experienced. Just my opinion. :wink:
 
I'm with Tess; the chamomile EO leaped out at me too. So pricey, I'd only use it for a tried and true recipe.

Honey + goat's milk can make your soap heat like crazy after pour; keep an eye on it. I add my honey to the lye water after it has cooled down. It will then heat up again and I wait until it's cool before soaping. This method has worked for me. And at 1 T PPO, a faint honey scent has remained. Quite faint.

Even if you grind your oatmeal to a powder it will still exfoliate. I wouldn't use anything larger than specks of oat bran or germ.

I'd also ditch the oxides this time around. Goat's milk and honey & oat is a nice homey recipe. Keep it simple.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
thanks guys! all your info/advice has been REALLY helpful.

i never realized how expensive camomile EO is! it's crazy. but also an incredible fragrance. i think i'll keep it simple for now.

is there a rule of thumb for how much ground oats per pound?
 
I save the chamomile EO for skin care and a relaxing "sniffy-thing".
 
I made a honey/almond/oatmeal last week, so I haven't had a chance to try it yet. But, I ordered the honey/almond EO blend from Wholesale Soap Making supplies and it's wonderful. Not too expensive.

I, too, ground my oatmeal to a very fine powder. I did sprinkle a few whole pieces on the top for decoration. The oatmeal will add some color, also.
 

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