I'm new to soaping and while I've been doing my research into the various oils that are most common to CP (and their respective traits) everything I've read is academic... so I'm wondering what is everyone's preferences in regard to the oil(s) that they most commonly use?
Favorite Base Oil / Oil Blends
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If you go and read about 10 pages in the beginners section you will glean a whole lot of information regarding oils used.
A basic recipe is:
50% Lard
25% Liquid Oil (Olive Oil, Sunflower, Safflower)
20% Coconut Oil
5% Castor Oil
If you're opposed to animal fat you could try Palm.
40% Palm
35% Liquid oil (Olive, Sunflower, Safflower)
20% Coconut Oil
5% Castor
I don't care for more than 40-45% Palm personally.
A basic recipe is:
50% Lard
25% Liquid Oil (Olive Oil, Sunflower, Safflower)
20% Coconut Oil
5% Castor Oil
If you're opposed to animal fat you could try Palm.
40% Palm
35% Liquid oil (Olive, Sunflower, Safflower)
20% Coconut Oil
5% Castor
I don't care for more than 40-45% Palm personally.
Thanks shunt. 
The only soap batches I've made were a 50/50 palm-canola split and a 70% Bastille with palm, avocado, and castor. The 50/50 was made in a class and, once I was actually able to use it, sparked my interest in homemade soaps. The Bastille was made just the other day so I've got a while to go yet before I can try it. lol
I suppose that what I'm looking for is less basic recipes and more a take on possibilities.
There are so many options I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choice and am looking for some direction on what to try from experienced soapers based on what they themselves like to use so that I have a few ideas as to what to try / what I may also prefer.
The only soap batches I've made were a 50/50 palm-canola split and a 70% Bastille with palm, avocado, and castor. The 50/50 was made in a class and, once I was actually able to use it, sparked my interest in homemade soaps. The Bastille was made just the other day so I've got a while to go yet before I can try it. lol
I suppose that what I'm looking for is less basic recipes and more a take on possibilities.
There are so many options I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choice and am looking for some direction on what to try from experienced soapers based on what they themselves like to use so that I have a few ideas as to what to try / what I may also prefer.
There are several websites that have recipes and ideas (not that you need more, lol). Modern Soaping and The Spruce Crafts come to mind. I think a hobbyist's choices of oils to use is personal and based on personal preference and trial and error.
I haven't been soaping too long but I've got soap that I am using that has gone through the minimum 4 week cure and I've been tinkering based on that. I have not ventured into the exotic oils/waxes and probably won't for a while (maybe ever). I've arrived at a few conclusions based on my (limited) experience.
I haven't been soaping too long but I've got soap that I am using that has gone through the minimum 4 week cure and I've been tinkering based on that. I have not ventured into the exotic oils/waxes and probably won't for a while (maybe ever). I've arrived at a few conclusions based on my (limited) experience.
- I will never again use corn oil. I've used it twice and it's made my soap sticky and hard to unmold.
- I ordered 1 lb of shea butter and 1 lb of cocoa butter. I prefer the shea as it's easier to work with. These are about as exotic as I've gotten or will get.
- I like soap made from beer. The one I made has wonderful lather. I'll be making more for sure.
- I love soap made with goats milk (I use powdered and reconstitute it and add at emulsion). All my recent soaps have included this.
You can adjust the recipes to your liking. Just be sure to run it through a soap calculator. You don't need fancy oils and butters to make a well balanced soap. Expensive oils are just a waste in soap as are expensive butters. I do use Shea Butter at 10% in a recipe. Otherwise basic it the best to me. I use coconut milk in most recipes, Aloe Juice is nice as well. For milks I do 50/50 split. I mix my lye with an equal amount of water and then add my milk to my oils and stickblend well before adding the lye mixture. I also add some powdered milk to my liquid milk to make it 100% milk when all is said and done.
Beer makes a nice soap as well.
Beer makes a nice soap as well.
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The possibilities are overwhelming aren't they? There's nothing wrong with going eeney meeney miney mo and just experimenting, although in small 1 pound batches (for lye accuracy and reducing wasted material) It will take time and testing to find what you like best.
Generally speaking, you'll need about 40% hard oils, 15% to 30 % coconut, then pick some soft oils.
Now, not all soft oils are created equal. Corn, peanut, soybean are not commonly used used except in very small amounts. Sunflower, safflower and canola can be found in high oleic content forms, and those are preferred to regular forms.
You may find it helpful to learn about oils and how they affect the soap.
I've used a lot of exotic/expensive ingredients over the years. Turns out lard is my favorite, paired with co, high oleic oil (whatever I have on hand) and a little castor.
Lard's fatty acid profiles is very similar to human skin mantle; possiblywhy so many of my friends find it so nice on their dry skin.
It also makes a rich, tight, voluminous lather (at 50% or higher) that I haven't found from any other source....a little like shaving cream is thick and voluminous.
Good luck. Feel free to create a recipe, post it and ask for feedback.
Generally speaking, you'll need about 40% hard oils, 15% to 30 % coconut, then pick some soft oils.
Now, not all soft oils are created equal. Corn, peanut, soybean are not commonly used used except in very small amounts. Sunflower, safflower and canola can be found in high oleic content forms, and those are preferred to regular forms.
You may find it helpful to learn about oils and how they affect the soap.
I've used a lot of exotic/expensive ingredients over the years. Turns out lard is my favorite, paired with co, high oleic oil (whatever I have on hand) and a little castor.
Lard's fatty acid profiles is very similar to human skin mantle; possiblywhy so many of my friends find it so nice on their dry skin.
It also makes a rich, tight, voluminous lather (at 50% or higher) that I haven't found from any other source....a little like shaving cream is thick and voluminous.
Good luck. Feel free to create a recipe, post it and ask for feedback.
I started soap making last summer and I have played with recipes ever since.
I found I loved lard in soap and I was surprised how much I love it. I love cocoa butter and sweet almond oil too, and wish they were cheaper but, they make great soap, imo. I use olive and palm and coconut. When I make HP I usually superfat with shea at the end.
When I was starting I found these two articles below very helpful in understanding what different oils contribute, what kind of balance to look for etc. They are very helpful.
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/soapcalcs-soap-quality-numbers/
I found I loved lard in soap and I was surprised how much I love it. I love cocoa butter and sweet almond oil too, and wish they were cheaper but, they make great soap, imo. I use olive and palm and coconut. When I make HP I usually superfat with shea at the end.
When I was starting I found these two articles below very helpful in understanding what different oils contribute, what kind of balance to look for etc. They are very helpful.
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/soapcalcs-soap-quality-numbers/
I started with Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor Oils. I later added Cocoa and Shea Butter and Kaolin Clay. I also make a Goat Milk Soap with Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor Oils, and Shea Butter. I was using Organic Evaporated Goat Milk (diluted as per directions), but I have found a source for fresh goat milk. I recently experimented with Avocado Oil.
The world is your oyster when it comes to soap making. Find recipes online (ALWAYS run though a soap calculator), make small batches of soap (8 - 16 oz), let them cure, wash with them. Note what you do and don’t like, compare recipes, play around until you find something you like.
It’s great that soap can be made with what’s on hand, and inexpensively too. But one’s choices to try more exotic oils shouldn’t be shunned. I don’t use animal products, palm products, or knowingly use exploited products. Because I can, and like to experiment. I seem to return to my favorites though. Babassu, Murumuru, Peach Kernal, Meadowfoam, Cocoa Butter, Kokum Butter, Mango Seed Butter. I try to use Coconut Oil and Caster Oil just to boost lather. If you really work out on the Lye calculator you will find your best combo.
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So far, goats milk, beer and some exotic oils/butters have been mentioned. You would have to price around to get a good price on some of those exotic oils, if you want to try them. Beer is awesome in soap but you have to make sure it is, at the least, completely flat and you're going to want a tall type 2 or 5 container to mix it with lye to further prevent the risk of lye volcano.
The bastile you made seems like it might be a decent soap once cured for a few months. I'd love to know your thoughts on it. You can also use that recipe, tweak it to add a cleansing oil, and be good to go. As a recipe, it's really tweak-able.
@TheGecko you just now tried avocado oil?
The bastile you made seems like it might be a decent soap once cured for a few months. I'd love to know your thoughts on it. You can also use that recipe, tweak it to add a cleansing oil, and be good to go. As a recipe, it's really tweak-able.
@TheGecko you just now tried avocado oil?
Was just about to post that link for the popular fatty acid profiles and then noticed this
I'm also a non-animal fat and palm-free soaper. I use soy wax as my 'lard' or palm' replacement and then use CO @20% and Shea @10%. For my soft oils I experimented a bit earlier on, but have pretty much settled on OO, RBO, Avocado and Castor. I generally have a 50:50 split between saturated and non-saturated fats, but sometimes will do an OO heavy soap if I want more time for swirls.
Jennifer Horne
Well-Known Member
All i can say (because someone mentioned it) is if you use additives or things like milks, beer, and not oil please please please RESEARCH as much as you can.
Google is a wealth of information as well as here
Google is a wealth of information as well as here
WOW! Thank you all for the responses - super helpful and I really appreciate the input and feedback.
I think I'll get a few more batches of "regular", vegetarian soaps under my belt first, but will for sure be trying lard, beer, and goat's milk in the near future - pretty excited about that. I also really like the idea of doing small, test batches first until I find a few recipes that work well for me.
I think I'll get a few more batches of "regular", vegetarian soaps under my belt first, but will for sure be trying lard, beer, and goat's milk in the near future - pretty excited about that. I also really like the idea of doing small, test batches first until I find a few recipes that work well for me.
Carly B
Well-Known Member
I started CP soaping in September, and I got a little one pound loaf mold, and I have had the best time making up recipes, running them through the lye calc, tweaking and adjusting. I've made dozens of batches of soap, and I don't think I've used the same recipe twice. Hubby has a couple preferences from what he's tried, and so have I, but I'm nowhere near done experimenting. I may never settle on one recipe. It's too much fun experimenting.
Yes it is, but be prepared for soapy mishaps. My first few batches were great and I was all "I got this" then I had major acceleration, ugly attempts, FO leakage and a mica line that split a soap in two. It usually works out in the end but be prepared for the ooops moment. It is all part of the journey.I started CP soaping in September, and I got a little one pound loaf mold, and I have had the best time making up recipes, running them through the lye calc, tweaking and adjusting. I've made dozens of batches of soap, and I don't think I've used the same recipe twice. Hubby has a couple preferences from what he's tried, and so have I, but I'm nowhere near done experimenting. I may never settle on one recipe. It's too much fun experimenting.
The choices are overwhelming but it is fascinating to experiment and keep notes. My wife loves my shea butter soaps -- even tho' I think the lather is too 'lotiony, slimy.' Once I used castor and saw what a difference it was to lather, it's one of my must-haves now. My recipes usually include olive, palm, coconut, avocado, and castor. Sometimes shea butter or cocoa butter. Try to find cocoa butter in chunks or bulk -- it's impossible to get out of a tub or container. Have fun and keep us posted!
Was just about to post that link for the popular fatty acid profiles and then noticed this
I'm also a non-animal fat and palm-free soaper. I use soy wax as my 'lard' or palm' replacement and then use CO @20% and Shea @10%. For my soft oils I experimented a bit earlier on, but have pretty much settled on OO, RBO, Avocado and Castor. I generally have a 50:50 split between saturated and non-saturated fats, but sometimes will do an OO heavy soap if I want more time for swirls.
Where do you get Soy Wax? I've seen it mentioned a few times and have tried to find it ... but haven't been very successful. Maybe a NZ thing?
Wait, I found some at Hobby Lobby of all places. Looks like maybe sold here as more of a candle making item.
Look for Golden Wax 415 - it has no additives. You can buy it online I believe. It's American.
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You reminded me I need a good standard cheap soap recipe with ingredients I can find where I live. Avocado butter is nice splurge but it's still a splurge.I started CP soaping in September, and I got a little one pound loaf mold, and I have had the best time making up recipes, running them through the lye calc, tweaking and adjusting. I've made dozens of batches of soap, and I don't think I've used the same recipe twice. Hubby has a couple preferences from what he's tried, and so have I, but I'm nowhere near done experimenting. I may never settle on one recipe. It's too much fun experimenting.
Thanks KiwiMoose! Found some on Amazon.
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