red palm oil vs refined?

[Jola]

I'm so close to making my first batch of soap! One recipe I wanted to try calls for palm oil. After calling 4 natural food stores and looking at a couple regular grocers all I can find is red palm oil.

I'm guessing the color of the soap will be affected (if it's the reddish orangish color that's fine with me). I'm wondering if there are any other differences in it for soap making purposes. From what I have read, the red has not been refined.

Basically, is it ok to use red palm when the recipe calls for palm?

Thanks! And I'm already aware of the controversy's surrounding palm oil, that's not what I'm asking about here.

 

[Stacykins]

http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/red-palm-oil.html

That was the best information I found using google-fu. I hope it helps! I have some RPO to use for making some soap in the next day or so.

 

[reallyrita]

Red palm oil versus refined

If you have a "health food" store near you like Fresh Fields or Whole Foods, you will find refined palm oil in a small round tub under the brand name : Spectrum. It is the health foody equivalent of Crisco. It is very white and makes for a very white soap if your other oils are light too. My whitest soaps are made with this and the health store coconut oil and the lightest pure olive oil I can find. It is expensive to purchase the palm oil this way but it is a good way to get started if you do not want to order a big container on line. This Spectrum brand even shows up in smaller mom and pop health food stores. It is much whiter than the ones you get on line but it is not cost effective in the long run if you are really into soaping. Alot of times the person you ask in the store about this has no idea that Spectrum is actually pure refined palm oil....so go looking yourself if you can.
Rita

 

[Jola]

Rita, thank you so much! It was on the shelf at the store right next to the one that I bought! I would have never known it was palm from the front of the package. I went back and exchanged the one that I had got. YOu saved me $8!

 

[kellistarr]

Jola,

I'm glad you got your palm oil. In reference to your question about the difference between refined palm (whitish) and unrefined (orange), I use them both and I don't notice any difference other than the color of the soap.

 

[Jola]

Jola,

I'm glad you got your palm oil. In reference to your question about the difference between refined palm (whitish) and unrefined (orange), I use them both and I don't notice any difference other than the color of the soap.

Thanks for the info. I definitely noticed a difference in the price of them!