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ssasoaps

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These are my calculations. I'm decently new to soap making I have done a few simpler recipes and I am looking at this one to be a good cleanser that isn't to soft. I formulated it using a guide online with oil characteristics. Any feedback would be great!

Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) 5.09 oz
Ounces of liquid 13.31 oz
12.5% Avocado Oil 5.04 oz
6.3% Castor Oil 2.52 oz
15.6% Cocoa Butter (Deodorized) 6.30 oz
6.30% Jojoba oil 2.52 oz
31.30% Palm Oil 12.60 oz
15.60% Shea Butter (Unrefined) 6.30 oz
12.50% Sweet Almond Oil 5.04 oz
Lye & Liquid 18.39 oz
Oils & Fats 40.32 oz


Total Batch Size 58.71 oz
​
 
What have your other recipes been like and what did you like or not like about them?

The above recipe has no oils to make large fluffy bubbles (coconut, palm kernel), did you realize that?
 
I like almost all oils you have used in your formula, but if you previously made simpler recipes, I would add one "special" oil at a time. This way you could see how does each additive affect the overall feeling of soap and what you like (or don't).

Avocado is nice, almond oil even nicer for me :)

I have never made a soap without coconut or palm kernel oil (except for plain 100% olive oil soap), so I am not sure about the lather in this case. Your formula will still be cleansing.
I would add at least 15% of coconut oil so that the soap is gentle, but also gives you some fluffy lather. I would maybe substitute cocoa butter or partly palm oil with coconut oil and see where it gets you. I usually use between 15 and 20% of some oils that give lather (PKO, coconut, babassu) in my recipes.
 
If you are adding the Castor Oil for bubbles it really does not add them but will support bubbles. You do need some Coconut Oil or PKO if you want some bubbly lather. I usually use around 15% of the bubble oils. The amount of butters you have is quite high and are lather killers, and will hasten trace. Jojoba oil is best saved for a leave on product, it really does not lend much if anything to soap. For a recipe like yours I would try in in a 1 lb batch not a 3+lb batch. Although not a huge batch it is still a lot of wasted ingredients if you hate it.
 
You really don't need more than 5% castor oil. And I agree, about 15% Coconut Oil would help your bubbles tremendously. I also agree that that is a lot of oils for a beginner.

Think about using more like this:

Palm/Lard/Tallow 50%
Olive Oil/Other high oleic fatty acid 30%
Coconut Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5%
Superfat 5%

Then, if you like that, then you can add 10% of one of the "special" oils to try them out. Just take 10% out of the Olive Oil. But try one at the time so you know whether you like it or not.
 
I do believe; less is better
OO, Castor, CO, lard that about it ;) lately I do add 5% shea butter it brings mildness to soap, Avocado is too expensive 5 percent here max, for label appeal. it is a wash off product and expensive oils do not do a thing for it,
You need bubbles, hardness and low cleansing number :)) good luck with it
 
Susie said:
You really don't need more than 5% castor oil. And I agree, about 15% Coconut Oil would help your bubbles tremendously. I also agree that that is a lot of oils for a beginner.

Think about using more like this:

Palm/Lard/Tallow 50%
Olive Oil/Other high oleic fatty acid 30%
Coconut Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5%
Superfat 5%

Then, if you like that, then you can add 10% of one of the "special" oils to try them out. Just take 10% out of the Olive Oil. But try one at the time so you know whether you like it or not.
Click to expand...
What are some other options you would suggest in place of the coconut oil and olive oil?
 
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to give feedback its much appreciated. Going to try and workout a new formulation using these suggestions!
 
ssasoaps said:
What are some other options you would suggest in place of the coconut oil and olive oil?
Click to expand...

I take it that means you don't have coconut oil on hand and won't be shopping for any?

You could make a 50% tallow soap - which would be equivalent to about 5% coconut. (both contain lauric and myristic acids) That doesn't make a lot of fluffy bubbles, but just enough to be noticed. However, that much tallow needs a lot of help making creamy lather - so I'd use 10 - 15% shea, 5% castor, and a mix of the avocado and almond to make up the rest.

It won't make a lot of any kind of lather but it's a pleasant and very gentle soap (it's what I use for the dry winter here).

That being said, if I were in your shoes and didn't have coconut, I'd choose a recipe more like: 50% lard, 30% tallow, 15% almond, 5% castor
Why? Because lard makes a creamy lather with volume. Tallow makes a few large bubbles, but a thin creamy lather after that.
 
As I suspect that you are looking to sell very soon, it might be hard to take the above advice about slimming the recipe right down to a more "standard" one to get used to the process, and then add in the more premium oils individually to see what they do. But this is vital because a) you need to learn how to make soap first of all and it is better to learn with a cheaper batch and b) you can then see what each ingredient is doing and then decide if it is needed or not.

I would also strongly suggest making 500g/1lb batches at first - again, a cost thing, but also because you can test your soaps and quickly make changes without having a lot of bars left over. Don't start filling all 8 of those lovely new wooded moulds up from the beginning!
 

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