How I feel about my current soap formulas

[scrubbie]

Lately, I am finding, I am writing overly complicated soap recipes. I am using as many as 8 oils. Has anyone run across this non sense if so how does one stop this behavior?

 

[Mockingbird Ramble]

You can go by my method, being poor tends to prevent the purchace of expensive oils.

 

[Genny]

Do you have any that are 5% or less in your recipe (except castor), if so, cut them. Most oils/butters are not adding much of anything at 5% or less.

 

[sistrum]

Don't worry you will out grow this, it's very common. When you start looking at the oil profiles and discover you can make wonderful soap with just 3 or 4 oils thats when you know you are no longer a newbie.

On the dish forum (I think in the public part) there is a killer post about this, it's really funny. You should really see if you can find it.

 

[Dragonkaz]

If you're having fun and your soap is great to use ... don't be concerned.

Due to the cost, I keep my ingredients simple. I chose the oils and butters I use after a lot of research, including decision like no palm oil, no animal products etc.

 

[100%Natural]

Been there! I've stopped making soaps with too many oils in them mainly due to the fact that there's too many to remember and the chance of me forgetting one was, as it turns out, very high..lol. I usually stick to no more than 5 and that includes a small amount of castor added at trace. Makes ordering, costs and my life much easier this way.

 

[Badger]

I am making pretty simple recipes still, and I will likely experiment with other things in the future. If you are finding that your recipe is too complicated, then I think paring it down some might be a good solution. When you first started were you making soaps with less different oils in them and were you satisfied with the results? What are the qualities that you want to bring out with the recipes you have? How can you do that with less cost and work and still be effective with the recipe? Those are just a few questions I can think of when you are formulating your recipes.

 

[lsg]

I agree, you will out grow this phase. I think it is one that many of us have gone through. I tend to use coconut oil, palm oil, rice bran or olive oil and Castor oil in many of my recipes. I do sometimes throw in Shea or coconut butter and I often substitute the new Crisco for palm. When we have lard, I use it.

 

[green soap]

My most complicated soap has 5 oils (shave), my 'luxury' bars have 4 oils, my standard soaps have two oils, and my salt bars one oil. The latter ones are awesome too, soapcalc lies! Just kidding. We all know to take soapcalc with a grain of salt (from the salt soaps.......).

 

[Lion Of Judah]

i love this one post because it rings true. when i started soap making i could only afford what i find selling in the supermarket , hence my "holy trinity " is OO , CO , and Castor . my family members then told me if i wanted soaping supplies that they would sponsor me..... that is the point where it went wild , i became a mixologist trying to mix this with that to see what i get. and i think so far 7-6 is about the highest number of oils i have used in a soap. the oils that i have all tend to be in the same family, either they are highly suited for eczema and skin problems or they are high in nourishment such as vitamin and minerals. but truth be told i have come to see that soap need not be complicated and that three things are needed for a great bar of soap...1. nice lather 2. conditioning/moisturizing 3. hardness / last long enough to enjoy and make it worth the price and time it took to make it . i have 8 recipes that i have created so far and they represent my 8 batches that i made as well , from the very 1st which is just three oils to the 8th which is consisting of 7-8 oils and butters.
once my supplies goes down i will see clearly my true stock of worth , if it gets left behind then most likely conclusion is i do not really need it .

 

[DeeAnna]

A hearty second to Lion of Judah's comment "...soap need not be complicated and that three things are needed for a great bar..."

I have wavered back and forth from simple recipes with 1-2 oils to more complicated ones, including the interesting "odds and ends" batch I made recently to get rid of the little bits of various oils that were accumulating in my ingredient stash.

What I haven't been too interested in doing, throughout all my experimenting, is using expensive "luxury" oils in my soaps. I would rather use these oils in my lotions, balms, and body oils. A small amount of an expensive oil will make a lot of lotion, I believe my skin benefits more directly from the beneficial properties of the oil, and most of it stays on my skin rather than washes down the drain. --DeeAnna

 

[Lion Of Judah]

...... I believe my skin benefits more directly from the beneficial properties of the oil, and most of it stays on my skin rather than washes down the drain. --DeeAnna[/QUOTE].......

Amen

 

[2lilboots]

I have only used 4 oils and 1 butter maximum. When I first started out I used just 3 oils. I like the recipe that I have come up with and plan on sticking with it. I can do swirls, and make soap frosting, and add many different colorants. So I have found what works for me.