does castor oil get used in your soaps?

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welsh black

welsh black

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I'm always looking at the ingredients in CP soaps, online, shops and farmers markets. I note that most are just 3 oils - olive coconut and Palm. I don't sell myself, but I'm always looking for that special bar, hard ,creamy bubbles, conditioning. I add castor to mine, because soap calc tells me it will have more bubbles with it, but I hardly ever see it on other CP bars for sale, yet these bars are often nice and bubbly with just three oils.

What am I missing?
 
There are other things to add for bubbles - a table spoon of sugar per 500g of oil, for instance. Adds some heat, sure, but also bubbles.

Not forgetting that they might well be using a lot of CO in there to get the bubbles going on.

ETA - I don't always use castor, I prefer not to when I can - not for any real reason other than having to add it in just for bubbles when I can often just use the sugar instead.
 
It's my opinion that castor oil is a pain, though it can be nice to add. I am not a fan of sticky soaps and too much castor can easily lead to a sticky soap. I guess my own problem would be to figure out when it's best to use it.

My favorite lather booster is beer, by the way.
 
I almost always use castor, not only does it add bubbles but its adds some conditioning to the soap. I even made a bar with 20% castor, it wasn't really sticky but did have a weird texture and made huge bubbles.
 
Susie said:
My name is Susie, and I am a bubbleholic, LOL.
Click to expand...

maxresdefault.jpg


My bubbles!

Just looking through my book of recipes, I only used it in two soaps, one was a salt bar and one was a water replacement - neither ideal for testing the difference it made. I've made a note to make my General Purpose soap using 5% castor next time round and to leave out the sugar.
 
Hello! The late Rita Coursey-Scheu, who had a soapmaking business and published several bath & beauty booklets, had her favorite formulation for making loads of bubbles for cp soap. The recipe consisted of three ingredients (which she called them the 'holy trinity' of bubble making): coconut oil, pko (palm kernel oil) and castor oil. It does not matter what percentage you use of each oil as long as you use all three together (along with various other oils or fats and ingredients) you will get lots of big, fluffy and creamy bubbles. It is a 'synergy' with the oils that helps make more bubbles. BUT as the other soapers has noted adding too much castor does make the soap soft and sticky. So the key is adding some castor but in low amounts.

PS: My bubbles is..... inside a chilled glass of diet 'Dr. Pepper'. ;)
 
I use castor in most of my recipes too. I have also used it up to 20% with no problems. The bar took slightly longer to cure than others without or with a lower percentage, and had a slightly rubbery feel (for lack of a better description!) but oh man the bubbles were awesome! One of my favorite recipes for sure.
 
Does it get used in my soaps? I always use 5-10%! In the beginning I had made some batches without it but ever since I first tried it, I never gave it up! However, I have to admit that looking at those first "recipes", I can see other reasons why I didn't like the outcome that much, the lack of castor must have only been a detail...
 
Moody Glenn said:
Hello! The late Rita Coursey-Scheu, who had a soapmaking business and published several bath & beauty booklets, had her favorite formulation for making loads of bubbles for cp soap. The recipe consisted of three ingredients (which she called them the 'holy trinity' of bubble making): coconut oil, pko (palm kernel oil) and castor oil. It does not matter what percentage you use of each oil as long as you use all three together (along with various other oils or fats and ingredients) you will get lots of big, fluffy and creamy bubbles. It is a 'synergy' with the oils that helps make more bubbles.
Click to expand...

Yes! Synergy! Although I can't say I've ever heard of Rita Coursey-Scheu, I must say that I agree wholeheartedly with the synergy of her 'holy trinity' of bubble making oils. My 2 favorite (main) formulas contain all 3 and they are lovely soaps that are loaded with bubbles (yes- I proudly confess to being a bubble-holic )

I also agree with the others who stated that castor adds something other than what sugar provides. Although I don't consider castor as being a bubbly oil per se- at least not in the same way as coconut, PKO, and/or babassu- I however do find that it gives a lot of support, or oomphy 'body' to the fluffy bubbles already present from coconut, PKO and/or babassu.


IrishLass :)
 
welsh black said:
I'm always looking at the ingredients in CP soaps, online, shops and farmers markets. I note that most are just 3 oils - olive coconut and Palm. I don't sell myself, but I'm always looking for that special bar, hard ,creamy bubbles, conditioning. I add castor to mine, because soap calc tells me it will have more bubbles with it, but I hardly ever see it on other CP bars for sale, yet these bars are often nice and bubbly with just three oils.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

I always use castor oil. Usually 5%. If I cure them longer than 6 weeks the more bubbles I get from my bars. :thumbup:
 
I use it in all mine. More in the shampoo bars, I think 5% in my regular bars.
 
I think it adds a nice quality to soap that is difficult to get from anything else. Every time I go to the grocery, I swing by the Rx aisle to see if it is on sale, and frequently it is. Most of my recipes use 1 4oz bottle of castor. About 5% here too, now that I check.
 
Another vote for Castor. I use it in all my recipes 3-5%. My soaps are bubbly without it, but I think it makes for a more stable and tight bubbly.
 
I use castor oil at 5%. I didn't used to add it, but when I heard how it increases the quality of lather by adding stability to the bubbles. I had to try it. I instantly noticed a difference in the new bar and I loved it. I can't say that I've ever made bubbles by adding sugar so I can't give you good comparison. I just know that I love my bars with castor oil added.
 

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