Recipe Check

[TashaBird]

Hi there. First time poster. I’m learning SO much here! I’m new to soap making but I’m obsssessed! I’ve made 3 batches HP, and 4 batches CP so far. I’m super into tallow and use a high ratio, even %100 sometimes. I’m gearing up to make a soap bar for my face. I’d like to do %10 SF and add some sodium lactate. How and when do I actually add that? Also, the molds I bought are irregular shapes, how on earth do I figure out how much batter to make? I’m using pricy ingredients, so I’d like to be as close as possible. Here’s my recipe so far.
%40 tallow

%15 Shea butter

%15 cocoa butter

%15 Rice bran oil

%15 Sunflower oil

%5 Castor oil

%2 Sodium lactate



%10 SF

Pink micca opalescent

Chamomile eo



2 molds 46.32oz total, 3.86oz each bar



Maybes

Honey powder

Goat milk powder

 

[TashaBird]

Also, how do I figure out a %30 water? And, if I wanted to add in the “maybes” of honey powder and goat milk powder, how would I do that?
Thank you SO much in advance!!!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

LOL You've got a lotta stuff going on there! Before formulating your own facial bar, you may want to read this thread, TIPS FOR FACIAL CLEANSING BAR:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/tips-for-facial-cleansing-bar.77462/#post-803136

I have dry, sensitive mature skin and I believe "less is more" when it comes to face soaps. In addition to the No Slime Castile mentioned in the thread above, I highly recommend well-cured 100% lard bars (5% SF) for teens with acne and just generally good all-over cleansing without leaving the skin feeling dry after washing up.

 

[Arimara]

I'm going to warn you- a 10% superfat is more than likely asking for trouble. There are no cleansing oils in that recipe at all so all you would be doing is making it much harder to get a decent lather. You'd be fine with a much lower superfat, especially if you have an older home (let's say 3%).

Also, there's a mistake somewhere- one of the oil values is too high. Which of the oil values should be lower.

 

[TashaBird]

I'm going to warn you- a 10% superfat is more than likely asking for trouble. There are no cleansing oils in that recipe at all so all you would be doing is making it much harder to get a decent lather. You'd be fine with a much lower superfat, especially if you have an older home (let's say 3%).

Also, there's a mistake somewhere- one of the oil values is too high. Which of the oil values should be lower.

Oops. I was trying to decide between cocoa butter and shea butter and I put both here.

I'm going to warn you- a 10% superfat is more than likely asking for trouble. There are no cleansing oils in that recipe at all so all you would be doing is making it much harder to get a decent lather. You'd be fine with a much lower superfat, especially if you have an older home (let's say 3%).

Also, there's a mistake somewhere- one of the oil values is too high. Which of the oil values should be lower.

How about an %8 SF and probably going with the shea butter, not the cocoa butter. I was looking to make a sort of “lotion soap” without much cleansing, for the face.

LOL You've got a lotta stuff going on there! Before formulating your own facial bar, you may want to read this thread, TIPS FOR FACIAL CLEANSING BAR:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/tips-for-facial-cleansing-bar.77462/#post-803136

I have dry, sensitive mature skin and I believe "less is more" when it comes to face soaps. In addition to the No Slime Castile mentioned in the thread above, I highly recommend well-cured 100% lard bars (5% SF) for teens with acne and just generally good all-over cleansing without leaving the skin feeling dry after washing up.

I know it’s busy. I’ve been researching it for awhile. What would you leave/add, and why? My intention is to make a sort of “lotion soap” for my face.

Here’s more what I was thinking. Sorry about the misprint.

%40 tallow

%15 Shea butter

%20 Rice bran oil

%20 Sunflower oil

%5 Castor oil

%2 Sodium lactate



%10 SF

Pink micca opalescent

Chamomile eo



2 molds 46.32oz total, 3.86oz each bar



Maybes

Honey powder

Goat milk powder

 

[Arimara]

Soap is a rinse off product and will never moisturize your skin the way a lotion would. If you want something like a lotion bar, you're better off making a lotion bar itself. The recipe you posted is already not stripping so your skin will retain most of its oils.

I'm advising against the higher superfat for several more reasons than what I mentioned earlier- the main issue I actually have is that you plan on using sunflower oil, which has a shorter shelf life. With a superfat of 8% and the planned usage being 20%, your soap may show signs of rancidity sooner than later (you are planning to use a lot of oils than we generally recommend for beginners). Some of that can be remedied by choosing a high-oleic version of sunflower oil (think fryin oil) but there is more to the DOS risk. You also plan on using goat milk powder. That in itself can raise your superfat beyond the 8% if you don't plan accordingly, which means you still risk your soap going bad from excess oil. The only times we general state "you need a higher superfat" is if you made a salt bar or if you're using a recipe with like 30% cleansing oil.

That said, if/when you do try this recipe as you want, at least use only a pound of oils for it. You may find that this is not a good recipe as is but you at least won't have potentially risked as much of a loss.

 

[TashaBird]

Soap is a rinse off product and will never moisturize your skin the way a lotion would. If you want something like a lotion bar, you're better off making a lotion bar itself. The recipe you posted is already not stripping so your skin will retain most of its oils.

I'm advising against the higher superfat for several more reasons than what I mentioned earlier- the main issue I actually have is that you plan on using sunflower oil, which has a shorter shelf life. With a superfat of 8% and the planned usage being 20%, your soap may show signs of rancidity sooner than later (you are planning to use a lot of oils than we generally recommend for beginners). Some of that can be remedied by choosing a high-oleic version of sunflower oil (think fryin oil) but there is more to the DOS risk. You also plan on using goat milk powder. That in itself can raise your superfat beyond the 8% if you don't plan accordingly, which means you still risk your soap going bad from excess oil. The only times we general state "you need a higher superfat" is if you made a salt bar or if you're using a recipe with like 30% cleansing oil.

That said, if/when you do try this recipe as you want, at least use only a pound of oils for it. You may find that this is not a good recipe as is but you at least won't have potentially risked as much of a loss.

That is so helpful! Would a %6-8 SF be good? And I got rid of one of the oils: sunflower, RBO, shea butter?

 

[cmzaha]

My favorite facial bar is 59% shea, 10-12 % CO or PKO, 5% Castor Oil with Liquid Oil of choice to make up 100%, with a 3% superfat makes a nice facial bar. I use 12% in mine with lends an 8% cleansing value.

 

[atiz]

I concur with the less superfat... I use 2-3%. FWIW, I really like Genny's shampoo bar recipe (somewhat modified) for a face bar. You can search for it on the forum, there's a long thread.
But I think this will be a nice soap, I have a similar one (with lard instead of tallow). I wouldn't get rid of the shea butter.

Also, chamomile EO is super expensive -- are you sure you want to use that? You'd probably better of with an FO or with a different scent.

 

[Arimara]

That is so helpful! Would a %6-8 SF be good? And I got rid of one of the oils: sunflower, RBO, shea butter?

Keep those oils. I found nothing wrong with your recipe aside from the superfat for it. You could have even kept the cocoa butter. The recipe itself is very mild. A higher superfat in this case would not make it any more mild. A long cure would.
I attached I recipe I plan to further modify for my face. I think I may need a bit of coconut oil in it. My summer skin is finicky.

 

[TashaBird]

Keep those oils. I found nothing wrong with your recipe aside from the superfat for it. You could have even kept the cocoa butter. The recipe itself is very mild. A higher superfat in this case would not make it any more mild. A long cure would.
I attached I recipe I plan to further modify for my face. I think I may need a bit of coconut oil in it. My summer skin is finicky.

That’s good to hear! I’ll stick with the oils I planned on. Could you recommend a SF? So far on the 8 batches of HP and CP I’ve used a %7 SF.

 

[Arimara]

That’s good to hear! I’ll stick with the oils I planned on. Could you recommend a SF? So far on the 8 batches of HP and CP I’ve used a %7 SF.

Try 3% and 5% but make smaller batches. You might want to color them to distinguish the two and after at least 6 weeks, test them along with youth batches with 7% superfat. Record any differences you may find but remember that you may be biased since the 7% superfatted soaps will have been cured for longer.

Also remember, Me and @cmzaha both regularly use lower superfats than 5%.

 

[TashaBird]

Try 3% and 5% but make smaller batches. You might want to color them to distinguish the two and after at least 6 weeks, test them along with youth batches with 7% superfat. Record any differences you may find but remember that you may be biased since the 7% superfatted soaps will have been cured for longer.

Also remember, Me and @cmzaha both regularly use lower superfats than 5%.

That is all very helpful! THank you so much!!

 

[SPowers]

Also, chamomile EO is super expensive -- are you sure you want to use that? You'd probably better of with an FO or with a different scent.

I was asking something recently abt EO's vs FO's and the advice I was given was if it washes off the body (soaps), use FO's and if it stays on the body (lotions/butters/etc) us EO's. This is purey from an economic standpoint but it makes sense to me.