Need help devising a moisturizing soap bar

[lenarenee]

I have changed "Arimara's" suggestions a little by including Shea Butter. How does this look, please. Have I spoilt the recipe by adding the Shea?

60% Lard
20% Olive Oil
5% Palm Oil
5% Castor Oil
10% Shea Butter

Coffee Fragrance
Coconut Milk

5% SF

Hardness 36
INS 129

Did you mean lard or tallow? If tallow, I'd ditch the palm and use coconut oil. But the coconut milk and shea added to a 60% tallow recipe will add some richer qualities to the lather. It's very similar to one of my favorite dry weather winter recipe. Still not a luxurious lather, but respectable for a gentle low cleansing soap.

If you meant lard...I'd still ditch the palm and make it coconut oil (or even increase to a minimum of 10% to balance the big bubbles with the luscious creaminess a lard and coconut milk bar will bring you. But if you don't care about big bubbles - don't worry because lard + coconut milk = creamy!

I've never added shea to a lard recipe - anybody else try it?

 

[Arimara]

I have changed "Arimara's" suggestions a little by including Shea Butter. How does this look, please. Have I spoilt the recipe by adding the Shea?

60% Lard
20% Olive Oil
5% Palm Oil
5% Castor Oil
10% Shea Butter

Coffee Fragrance
Coconut Milk

5% SF

Hardness 36
INS 129

I think it's fine. Ditto to what Lenarenee said about palm oil and tallow. Tallow makes a harder bar than lard more immediately but that's probably me. If you do want bubbles, switching out the palm for palm kernal or coconut oil would be a nice choice. But I can't recall if I have made a soap like that offhand.

Did you mean lard or tallow? If tallow, I'd ditch the palm and use coconut oil. But the coconut milk and shea added to a 60% tallow recipe will add some richer qualities to the lather. It's very similar to one of my favorite dry weather winter recipe. Still not a luxurious lather, but respectable for a gentle low cleansing soap.

If you meant lard...I'd still ditch the palm and make it coconut oil (or even increase to a minimum of 10% to balance the big bubbles with the luscious creaminess a lard and coconut milk bar will bring you. But if you don't care about big bubbles - don't worry because lard + coconut milk = creamy!

I've never added shea to a lard recipe - anybody else try it?

I've only added mango butter to a few lard heavy soaps and I have to say, I enjoy one of the batches, especially with the absence of coconut oil.

 

[PerthMobility]

Thanks ever so much. Unfortunately tallow is not readily available where I live so I kept my fingers crossed when I substituted lard which is readily available.

I shall adjust the recipe and publish it here again for comment, please.

This recipe gives me a hardness of 34 and hopefully will also give a pleasant bathing experience.

55% Lard
20% Olive Oil
10% Mango Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

Coffee FO
Coconut Milk

Wise comments, please.

 

[gruntedsoaps]

the shea butter hits the hardness of the soap fairly strongly. Ive always wanted to use it but I think it may be better if i did use that, to up the CO. also, does everyone just prefer the 5% SF? I feel like most of you responding are southerners. lol. in the NY area it gets really dry and a slightly higher SF helps.

 

[lenarenee]

Thanks ever so much. Unfortunately tallow is not readily available where I live so I kept my fingers crossed when I substituted lard which is readily available.

I shall adjust the recipe and publish it here again for comment, please.

This recipe gives me a hardness of 34 and hopefully will also give a pleasant bathing experience.

55% Lard
20% Olive Oil
10% Mango Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

Coffee FO
Coconut Milk

Wise comments, please.

I'm drooling here. Make the soap and let us know how it is because I want to know!

 

[lenarenee]

the shea butter hits the hardness of the soap fairly strongly. Ive always wanted to use it but I think it may be better if i did use that, to up the CO. also, does everyone just prefer the 5% SF? I feel like most of you responding are southerners. lol. in the NY area it gets really dry and a slightly higher SF helps.

I've lived in all areas of the US except for the NW. Right now I'm in S. CA
where humidity can be 4% in the winter. I've used a variety of high/low cleansing and superfatted soap. The lower cleansing with average to low superfat is what I prefer. It sacrifices the large happy bubbles I prefer, but preserves the natural skin mantle better, and I need less lotion. Also, even with soft water, the high sf leaves so much residue in the sink/shower.

Did that help?

 

[Arimara]

the shea butter hits the hardness of the soap fairly strongly. Ive always wanted to use it but I think it may be better if i did use that, to up the CO. also, does everyone just prefer the 5% SF? I feel like most of you responding are southerners. lol. in the NY area it gets really dry and a slightly higher SF helps.

Which part of NY are you in? NYC? Albany? Rochester? The CNY area I found to be very dry for me but I also found that soaps with shea butter, little coconut oi and more conditioning oils did the best with me.

 

[gruntedsoaps]

Which part of NY are you in? NYC? Albany? Rochester? The CNY area I found to be very dry for me but I also found that soaps with shea butter, little coconut oi and more conditioning oils did the best with me.

I live in the Outer NYC area with the hardest of hard waters. its terrible. perhaps ill get some shea oil just to get it in there

 

[Arimara]

Yea... You may want to take some suggestions from the others who have hard water firstly. It might help you a little more with your formulations and prevent you from adding some unholy amount of coconut oil in your soap for your skin. Dealing with your hard water as best you can may be a better priority in the long run.

 

[PerthMobility]

I'm drooling here. Make the soap and let us know how it is because I want to know!

Thanks heaps for your encouragement. It will be made in the next day or two and I certainly will report.

 

[gruntedsoaps]

Yea... You may want to take some suggestions from the others who have hard water firstly. It might help you a little more with your formulations and prevent you from adding some unholy amount of coconut oil in your soap for your skin. Dealing with your hard water as best you can may be a better priority in the long run.

yeah over use of coconut oil might as well make it laundry detergent. but 5-10% is where I'm looking to go. and I could not find shea butter at three different locations but ended up finding avocado oil which might do me some justice as well....right?!

 

[Arimara]

The boroughs are great for finding that so I'm a little surprised. Avocado oil is one of my favorites, especially when paired with olive oil. I do feel it adds something to the mix like rum to a pina colada. You don't need it but a little bit adds umph to the mix.

 

[PerthMobility]

and I could not find shea butter at three different locations

I am not sure where you are located but this may help. Don't forget the exchange rate is very much in favour of using US$ to shop in Australia at the moment.

http://www.rangeproducts.com.au/shop/raw-materials/organic-shea-butter-500g/