How many oils/butters do you use on average for soap?

[andreja]

I am somewhat limited on which and how many different oils I can use for soapmaking. So what I am wondering is, is it really so much better to use so many luxurious oils and fats in one bar?
The oils I've used so far are: pumpkin seed, avocado, palm, coconut, olive and castor oil. I don't I ever used more than 4 in a recipe. I ordered some shea butter and I will add some shea, but so far I am not planing to use more than 4, maybe 5.

How about you? Do you all experienced soap makers use many oils in one recipe? Do you really feel it adds so much more in finished soap?

 

[heyjude]

Not such an experienced soapmaker here, but I make most of my soaps with many of the ingredients you have listed (didn't know about
pumpkin seed oil, sounds really interesting).

I use typically 3 and maybe on occasion 4 oils. People I give my soaps away to are pretty happy with them and I like them as well. There are other oils that I will probably try in the future, but for the time being I'm ok with making soaping simpler and keeping my pocketbook happy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that I don't like to color, layer, swirl, etc..
to have a bit of fun!!!

Jude

 

[xraygrl]

4-5 unless I'm planning some type of luxury bar.

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[Dixie]

My average is about 5 oils. That does not include butters.

 

[alwaysme07]

I use 4-5 oils in my soaps, and everyone seems to really like them.

 

[Guest]

I use 4 - 6 as a base recipe .My luxury bars have 8 and 9 . Having said that olive oil alone makes an awesome soap .

Kitn

 

[rubato456]

coconut oil, oo, palm oil, cocoa butter are my 'base' then i add either Castor oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil depending on what i have around.

so duh that makes 5....forgot to count :roll:

 

[carebear]

2-7

 

[Bunny]

Usually 1 to 4. I hardly ever in the world use more than 4 oils anymore.

 

[soapbuddy]

I work with 5 ingredients. Anything more than that and the price of making that soap goes up.

 

[LJA]

1-7 and 2-3 butters, typically.

 

[honor435]

i usually use palm, olive, coc and maybe shea or cocoa butter in smaller amts. to keep cost down.

 

[Bigmoose]

Most of mine have 5 or 6 different oils. A few have more. I also use 5 or 5 different types of beer. I know it is off subject but I had to throw that in.

Bruce

 

[IanT]

I always feel keeping it simple is the key, unless your doing more higher end luxury bars...it all depends if your selling them or for personal use...In a bar for me and the fam I may throw pretty much any and everything in...


Although its got me thinking...

Imagine if you made a 100- oil recipe!?!?! lol.... that would be cool to market

 

[AshleyR]

My base recipe has 6 oils. I only use butters in specialty bars - I like to save that expensive stuff for body butter and other B&B stuff!

 

[xyxoxy]

I kinda feel that once you go too far above 5 base oils in any one batch, any benefit starts to get lost. So I have a few variations of a basic recipe that use 4 common oils and then I play around with one of many specialty oils, plus botanicals and fragrances.