I've used it once a few years back - can't remember if it was any good or not. Does anyone use it in any decent quantity? Aside from being a budget oil - what do you like about it?
How do we feel about canola (rapeseed) oil?
- Thread starter KiwiMoose
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I don't quite recall why, but I was encouraged not to use it when I started soaping. I think it might be prone to catching DOS, but don't quote me on that... 
If it turns out to be decent, I might start using it, because it's a locally grown oil and pretty cheap here.
If it turns out to be decent, I might start using it, because it's a locally grown oil and pretty cheap here.
I have been scared off from canola too - generally too high in linoleic and prone to DOS. There are a bunch of threads about it on here though. If you can find high oleic canola I think it would be better but I think it’s hard to find.
Yes lovely fields of rapeseed yellow - i remember those around the south of England. I always wondered what rapeseed was until the bus driver explained to the tourists that it was known as 'canola' in other parts of the world, lol.I don't quite recall why, but I was encouraged not to use it when I started soaping. I think it might be prone to catching DOS, but don't quote me on that...
If it turns out to be decent, I might start using it, because it's a locally grown oil and pretty cheap here.
Yeh - can't get HO canola, just regular. I use RBO at 20% and don't have any probs with DOS.
Our Costco carries HO canola at a fairly decent price - lower than AVO or OO. I think it feels nice in soap around 20% but the folks who like my soap are kind of turned off by canola (but not palm, lard or tallow, go figure).
Yes! I have the Costco canola. It’s 64% oleic acid so on the higher end of mid. I just started using it for mixing micas but have been afraid to use it at higher percentages. So you have used it successfully without any issues with DOS?
I have, but I haven't made tons of soap with it, either. I also use sodium citrate at 2% in every batch.
PS - thanks for doing the math on that one. I just assumed it was HO canola because it was marked as suitable for high heat cooking.
I will mention that I recently bought a few soaps from a well known YouTube soaper and one of the soaps listed canola oil as the first ingredient so it is probably a substantial percentage of the recipe. This particular soap is quite slimy feeling and is wearing away rather quickly. I really don’t like the feel of it. The other soaps I bought also had canola as an ingredient but were much further down on the list of ingredients and they feel much nicer. I think in small percentages it could be a good option to help lower costs but only if you can find a mid to high oleic variety.
Yes - I'm wondering if a local soaper will do a soap swap with me as I notice her ingredients are just CO, Palm and Canola. I want to compare how her soap performs compared to mine. If it's viable I would consider replacing my OO with Canola (20%).
I wonder if it would work to use the faux sea water to reduce the slime? Or maybe eliminate tussah silk if you are using that, to avoid going from nice slip to icky slime. Although I must say, having tussah silk on the label is so much more appealing than canola oil, or rapeseed oil.
The soaps I have used Canola oil in, tend to slime and they don't seem to last long. I would have to ask my soap testers, but I am sure that the one batch I did with canola was the one batch none of them liked.
Would be good to know. What percentage did you use, and did you use it as well as OO?
Im not sure. There was no tussah silk listed in ingredients but sea salt was listed as well as cornstarch but they were at the bottom of the ingredient list.
I just got some pricing for high oleic variety (cold-pressed here in NZ) and it's dearer than OO, so unless I can use regular there's not much point. Does anybody use the regular variety as part of their base recipe? If so, at what percentage?
I used 50% canola oil in a shampoo bar recipe and after 6-7 months no dos and no slime. It’s rather nice for thin hair. For the last batch I altered it to reduce the canola and my client loved it.
SoapLover1
Well-Known Member
I would advise you not to eat /Cook with Canola Oil. It’s not good for you!!!
Oh believe me, I only use it for soap. I actually received it from someone else who purchased it and wasn't using it, and I haven't purchased any more since I used it up.
Saponificarian
Well-Known Member
I am going to be the odd one out here. I love Rapeseed oil and I know people say it’s the same as Canola, I disagree. They feel different in soap. I have used Rapeseed oil and Canola, between 20-50% with no slime and I love it. My recipes tend to be Tallow and Shea heavy so YMMV.
If I have to pick, I would choose Rapeseed oil.
ETA: No DOS either, except with Lard. Don’t use Lard anymore.
If I have to pick, I would choose Rapeseed oil.
ETA: No DOS either, except with Lard. Don’t use Lard anymore.
Oh - I thought there was no difference aside from the nomenclature?
The high-oleic one I can get here is cold -pressed rapeseed.
Saponificarian
Well-Known Member
I know people say that but based on my experience, Rapeseed has a superior skin feel. Try both. I love Rapeseed oil and really, really like Canola.
This is going to be recipe dependent too. Canola doesn’t like too much cleansing oil so watch your coconut oil/lathering oil percentage. It makes your soap more soluble. My lathering oil is at 10-15%.
