Replacing olive oil with canola oil

[Kerbear31]

hello!

I was wondering if there is any caveat to completely replacing olive oil in soap with canola oil? I have a recipe that I adjusted in the lye calculator to not use olive oil and use canola instead. From what I read it’s profile in soap is similar to that of olive.

Anything I should be worried about? Does canola predisposition bars once saponified and dried to DOS? Any other issues?

 

[Dawni]

I actually think Canola has better lather than olive oil but that's a theory of mine that needs more testing lol

On the other hand, in a Bastille, I noticed it results in more slime than olive oil. Also, it doesn't smell as good, unscented. But that's just me.

Check your canola if it's high oleic. I'm using one that's mid oleic and my soaps are too new to detect any DOS yet, although you can get em straightaway I guess. Using any low oleic oil will increase your chances of DOS.

Here's how to check, and while you're there, read everything on that site and discover the wealth of knowledgeable DeeAnna has shared with graciously shared with us hehe

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Only olive oil has the unique ability to bring other fats into saponification. (I really need to find my source for that little tidbit of info. Learned it early on in 2004 or so.) My second choice would be HO sunflower; third would be almond oil; fourth would be safflower oil -- I've not soaped it, but I've heard good things. That being said, whatever pops your cork, go for it.

 

[cmzaha]

I regularly soap with High Oleic Canola and really like it with my combination of oils. I use it to help slow down my tallow/lard recipe and my high Palm recipe, since I really dislike OO

 

[lsg]

You might try replacing the olive oil with HO sunflower oil.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/olive-oil-vs-ho-sunflower-oil.63932/

 

[soapmaker]

You all must get your HO oils from a soap supply. At least my grocery store only has mid-oleic sunflower and nothing at all is said on the canola oil.

 

[DeeAnna]

You all must get your HO oils from a soap supply. At least my grocery store only has mid-oleic sunflower and nothing at all is said on the canola oil.

HO sunflower is sold by Soaper's Choice, but I can also get HO sunflower at local grocery stores. I also see HO safflower in the grocery, but not HO canola oil. It might be a regional thing.

Only olive oil has the unique ability to bring other fats into saponification...

Need to erase that tidbit from your notes. Any triglyceride fat can and will saponify, with or without olive oil or even with or without oleic acid.

 

[Obsidian]

I can only find HO safflower locally, everything else is just regular oil. I've completely replaced OO with saff.

 

[cmzaha]

I use either mid Oleic Sunflower or High Oleic with no problems. My HO Canola I purchase from Restaurant Depot. The Sunflower I purchase from my oil supplier (Cibaria Soap Supply)

 

[Kerbear31]

I just did the calculations, the Kirkland canola that I’ve been using would be considered mid-oleic based on the calculations in the post.

 

[soapmaker]

I don't know about canola but I use mid-oleic sunflower with no problems