70% Rice Bran Oil soap

[Dawni]

Coz I'm too chicken to try anything higher right now lol

Also, I wanted a smallish batch, and I wanted to use up all the calendula and chamomile infused RBO that I had, which came to about 70% of 700g. Any smaller and it would have been difficult to use my huge slow cooker. And yes, I wast too lazy to use (and wash after) multiple containers for transferring haha

So... 70% infused RBO, 16% coconut oil, 10% Shea, 4% Castor. No additives whatsoever other than salt and sugar. Mainly coz I forgot.

Never soap with relatives asking for money though the kitchen door harharhar

I used 2.8:1 lye, which, upon hindsight, could have been less, because I wanted a plain soap and didn't need that much fluidity (just a little coz I wanted it in individual molds). I managed a Castile with much less water and I'm thinking I could have gone around 2.6:1 with this, given the similarities of olive oil and RBO.

That's how my brain worked it out lol

It's the softest soap to come out my pot so far. It's now about 21hrs after I molded and it is still "doughy" much like I assume soap dough feels like. About 6hrs earlier than when this pic was taken I was still able to "mold" a small piece into a ball..

If anyone is interested, I will be posting updates on hardness, lather, and longevity during and after a longish cure.

I leave my soap alone for a minimum 2mos anyway, but somehow I'm thinking this, while it shouldn't need as long as a Castile, would be better if cured more than 2mos. Suggestions on cure time are welcome btw.

We shall see...

 

[KiwiSoap]

Thanks for sharing, and yes I'm interested to see how they go for hardness, lather and longevity! Rice bran oil is a cheap oil here, and being it's part of @KiwiMoose's famous soap that I love would be interested to see how it goes pushed to the limits... I'm infusing my calendula using RBO as well (and thinking about it, I have dried chamomile too...)

I really like your butterfly moulds! (Does not need any more moulds...)

 

[KiwiMoose]

Yes - I would like to see how it turns out too - RBO is about $5 per litre ($3.30 US, $171PHP) so it is dirt cheap.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Looks like a successful experiment. I can’t imagine getting any HP soap I’ve made so far to go into those intricate butterfly molds! I bought some RBO, but it’s still unopened so I will be waiting for the update!

 

[Dawni]

RBO is one of the cheapest fats I have, second to lard and slightly cheaper than mid oleic canola oil even. Even if it's just for you two kiwis, I will definitely observe and update

@Mobjack Bay open yours! Regardless of this experiment, I like using RBO and I think you should try it. Some recipes I completely replace olive oil with it. I find it more bubbly and less drying after my initial 2 month cure. I've used it up to 30% so far and I'm keeping an eye out for DOS but my 6 month old soaps are so far ok.

 

[szaza]

Great experiment @Dawni! I'm very curious about this. I was actually planning on doing a 75% RBO soap soon as part of a series or 75% of a certain oil in soap, comparing it to olive and sweet almond to see what they bring to a recipe. (though my soaping time is limited and it'll probably take another 2-3months to finally make it) I'm really curious about how yours is going to behave!! [emoji16][emoji106]

 

[earlene]

My 100% RBO soap is lovely. No DOS after almost 2 years (made July 2017). Lather and bubbles are good for me; not as copious as my 100% hemp oil soap, but equal to or better than my 100% OO soap and I don't have to work at it to get a good lather. The RBO soap is gentle and leaves my skin feeling as well nourished and moisturized as before washing, so obviously not stripping.

I made it two ways, one plain and one with vinegar:

Plain: I used [40% Lye] concentration, zero SF, and the only additives were EDTA & ROE to combat DOS & soap scum.

Vinegar: I used [31.1% Lye] concentration with vinegar as part of the water replacement (to obtain 2% sodium acetate), zero SF, and the additives were Yellow mica (to differentiate the two soaps visually), EDTA & ROE. Of course I did the calculations to determine the extra NaOH needed to offset the lye consumed by the vinegar.

Longevity is something hard for me to judge since I alternate soaps so often. I have a sliver of the plain RBO soap sink-side that I use for handwashing and can't recall how long it's been there. I usually alternate between 3 or 4 soaps at that sink and wash my hands at least 10 times a day using one of those soaps.

I will follow your updates to see how you and your family feel about your 70% RBO soap with CO, shea & castor. I suspect you will experience a lot of bubbles and lather.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Mobjack Bay open yours! Regardless of this experiment, I like using RBO and I think you should try it. Some recipes I completely replace olive oil with it. I find it more bubbly and less drying after my initial 2 month cure. I've used it up to 30% so far and I'm keeping an eye out for DOS but my 6 month old soaps are so far ok.

There are soooo many things I want to try and I’m thinking that maybe the time has come for me to make simple or single oil recipes so that I can get a better feel for the oil qualities. I just saw hemp oil in the store the other day. I guess I will add that one to the list along with the RBO.

 

[earlene]

There are soooo many things I want to try and I’m thinking that maybe the time has come for me to make simple or single oil recipes so that I can get a better feel for the oil qualities. I just saw hemp oil in the store the other day. I guess I will add that one to the list along with the RBO.

I like hemp oil, but not everyone does. It has a short shelf life, AND it lends a sort of a sea or seaweed type odor to the soap. I like the odor, and suspect you might, too. I think for those of us who spend/spent a lot of time at the seashore or on the sea, would really appreciate it because of that. But that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Another thing about hemp oil in soap, is that it does seem to react to exposure to sunlight and discolors to brown on the surface of the soap. BUT even though at first I thought this was DOS, I have concluded that it is NOT. The discoloration disappears with use (while washing with the soap or if scraped off) and does not seem to re-appear when kept away from windows (which is why I concluded it was reacting to sunlight). I have a bar in my bathroom that is still green (from the mica) with no DOS spots - it's almost 2 years old. I still smell the sea scent of this non-fragranced 100% hemp oil soap. (Oh, I made it with zero SF because of the short shelf life of this soap.)

BUT, if you don't like slime, you might not like hemp oil soap. It has way more slime than any Castile soap I've ever made. In fact, I barely notice Castile slime, like many people do, but it's very noticeable in a high hemp oil soap.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I like hemp oil, but not everyone does. It has a short shelf life, AND it lends a sort of a sea or seaweed type odor to the soap. I like the odor, and suspect you might, too. I think for those of us who spend/spent a lot of time at the seashore or on the sea, would really appreciate it because of that. But that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Another thing about hemp oil in soap, is that it does seem to react to exposure to sunlight and discolors to brown on the surface of the soap. BUT even though at first I thought this was DOS, I have concluded that it is NOT. The discoloration disappears with use (while washing with the soap or if scraped off) and does not seem to re-appear when kept away from windows (which is why I concluded it was reacting to sunlight). I have a bar in my bathroom that is still green (from the mica) with no DOS spots - it's almost 2 years old. I still smell the sea scent of this non-fragranced 100% hemp oil soap. (Oh, I made it with zero SF because of the short shelf life of this soap.)

BUT, if you don't like slime, you might not like hemp oil soap. It has way more slime than any Castile soap I've ever made. In fact, I barely notice Castile slime, like many people do, but it's very noticeable in a high hemp oil soap.

I’m game for trying smelly, slimy soap!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I’m game for trying smelly, slimy soap!

 

[DeeAnna]

...BUT, if you don't like slime, you might not like hemp oil soap. It has way more slime than any Castile soap I've ever made....

That's good to know, Earlene. Essentially you're saying a soap very high linolenic and linoleic acids also makes a gel-like (aka slimy, snotty) lather, just like oleic acid.

I'd always wondered, but never wanted to make this type of soap for myself, so I didn't want to do the experiment to find out. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Nanette]

You guys are so funny....just terrifically entertaining for me to read all these conversations......! Well, KiwiMoose makes me laugh..

 

[Arimara]

I will follow your updates to see how you and your family feel about your 70% RBO soap with CO, shea & castor. I suspect you will experience a lot of bubbles and lather.

I will be trying this myself... as soon as I can properly source some soap oils.

 

[Serene]

I like hemp oil, but not everyone does. It has a short shelf life, AND it lends a sort of a sea or seaweed type odor to the soap. I like the odor, and suspect you might, too. I think for those of us who spend/spent a lot of time at the seashore or on the sea, would really appreciate it because of that. But that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Another thing about hemp oil in soap, is that it does seem to react to exposure to sunlight and discolors to brown on the surface of the soap. BUT even though at first I thought this was DOS, I have concluded that it is NOT. The discoloration disappears with use (while washing with the soap or if scraped off) and does not seem to re-appear when kept away from windows (which is why I concluded it was reacting to sunlight). I have a bar in my bathroom that is still green (from the mica) with no DOS spots - it's almost 2 years old. I still smell the sea scent of this non-fragranced 100% hemp oil soap. (Oh, I made it with zero SF because of the short shelf life of this soap.)

BUT, if you don't like slime, you might not like hemp oil soap. It has way more slime than any Castile soap I've ever made. In fact, I barely notice Castile slime, like many people do, but it's very noticeable in a high hemp oil soap.

Hmmm I just bought some Hemp Oil. I will give it a try. I wonder if Zany's no slime method with Faux seawater would make a difference when it comes to the slime fest. Off to the dungeon, I mean the soap room. Will try both with and without the faux seawater. I needed more things to test anyway. (Not really)...sigh

 

[steffamarie]

My first ever CP soap, made just one week shy of a year ago, is about 40% olive and 60% RBO. The lather was slime city at first but I find it makes delightful bubbles now and though it hasn't a trace of scent left (I used a tiny amount of an essential oil) is actually a decent bar.

 

[Dawni]

I keep forgetting to update this, sorry...

I took out a bar today to try. The soap is almost 4.5mos old and I like it. Considering it's a "budget oil" it's quite luxurious in my opinion. It's a nice creamy lather and when I just kept rubbing my hands together it got thicker, but I wouldn't exactly say denser. Not drying either, unlike an olive oil based one of the same age. I love it. I initially made this for my toddler and maybe I'll complete the 5mos and let him use it.

I should point out that I tried a small piece two months back, at my regular cure time of around 2mos and it was a tad drying then.

Hard to take pics alone lol but this is the lather after rubbing for 25 seconds, then rinsing n drying one hand to take a pic haha. Obviously it was thicker before this..

 

[beckster51]

I have an RBO soap that I made about six months ago, and I really like it. It is a bit "snotty" when you first wet it, but it makes a nice lather, and it is very kind to my itchy, sensitive skin. I keep it high and dry between uses, and it has not melted any more than the other soaps that contain harder oils. It is not as bubbly as I would like, but there are tradeoffs in life, right? I think RBO soap needs a long cure, just like a castile.

 

[cmzaha]

I forgot about RBO as a single oil soap when I was looking to replace OO. Darn now I am too late for the Holiday Markets, but I will be making this for next year. Thankyou for the update.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks for the update and the inspiration. I couldn’t resist testing the soy wax soap I made this past weekend with 30% RBO. I never test soap that early... IMHO, it’s fantastic.

@beckster51 My soap also has 20% CO and no castor. It’s very bubbly, so maybe it’s recipe dependent?