Cattleyabubbles
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How does the Sat : Unsat ratio affects the soap's qualities?
Sat : Unsat ratio
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PrincessPeach
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I'm curious about this, too. Thank you.
I'm curious about this, too. Thank you.
rubyslippers
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I've tried to research this on the internet and the only thing I've found so far is waaaaaay too deep for me. I need the 101 class. 
Maybe someone that has some knowledge of this could explain it in simple layman's terms.
Maybe someone that has some knowledge of this could explain it in simple layman's terms.donniej
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This is just from my experimentation...
Saturated oils like lard, tallow and fully hydrogenated shortenings make for a very hard bar that cleans well but isn't very nice on the skin.
Unsaturated oils like soy and olive oil are softer and don't last as long but are much "nicer" on the skin.
For example, a bar of soap that's made entirely of high-stearic acid oils feels just like commercial soap (like Ivory, etc...).
A bar made entirely from soy will clean good and is nice on the skin but gets soft easily and makes an "oily" lather.
Saturated oils like lard, tallow and fully hydrogenated shortenings make for a very hard bar that cleans well but isn't very nice on the skin.
Unsaturated oils like soy and olive oil are softer and don't last as long but are much "nicer" on the skin.
For example, a bar of soap that's made entirely of high-stearic acid oils feels just like commercial soap (like Ivory, etc...).
A bar made entirely from soy will clean good and is nice on the skin but gets soft easily and makes an "oily" lather.
rubyslippers
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Thanks donniej.....that's plain and simple and in language I can understand
donniej=the man with the plan
donniej
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Yes, RoseMarie. It's exactly that balancing act that makes this the type of hobby full of trial and error. And since everybody likes different properties, there is "one size fits all" recipe.
PrincessPeach
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Does the ratio affect the time it takes a batch to trace or harden?
donniej
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I've never timed it but it's my gut feeling that saturated oils trace faster than unsaturated oils at the same temp. Pure soy for example seems to take a lot more heat (~150*F) where I'd work closer to 100*F for a saturated oil like 100% hydrogenated oils.
Saturated oils may be harder after un-molding than unsaturated because they're harder oils, but this doesn't effect the 3 to 4 weeks drying time. Both become much harder as the water evaporates.
Saturated oils may be harder after un-molding than unsaturated because they're harder oils, but this doesn't effect the 3 to 4 weeks drying time. Both become much harder as the water evaporates.
IwantItgreen
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Does the ratio tell anything about how drying the soap is?
For example, would 56:44 tell you if it is more moisturizing or more drying?
For example, would 56:44 tell you if it is more moisturizing or more drying?
Tienne
Well-Known Member
The higher the unsat number, the more conditioning the soap will be on your skin and the more absorbable the oils are on your skin. Oleic, linoleic and linolenic are the fatty acids that contribute to that, but you don't want to go too high on the total of linolenic and linoleic acids, as they are the ones that are prone to rancidity and DOS. Oleic has a longer shelf and is less prone to DOS, but too much of that will instead give your soap a slimy consistency. (Example: Castile soap.)
Keep your total amount of linoleic plus linolenic at 15 or under and if you go higher than 40 or 50 for your oleic, that's when your soap will start to getting that snotty, slimy feel to it. See if you can find a good balance between all those fatty acids. If you do have a lot of linoleic and linolenic in your recipe, you should add ROE, unless the oil you're using is high in vitamin E. (You could also just add in some extra vitamin E.)
I add ROE to all my oils that have a lower shelf life as a rule and if my recipe is particularly high in linoleic and/or linolenic, I'll also on top of that add in some extra Vit E to my batter just for luck.
Oils like canola, corn, and ordinary sunflower oil are oils that are prone to rancidity and DOS. They're really great on the skin, but they will need that little bit of ROE added to keep the shelf life of the soap in order.
The iodine number is also a measure of the amount of unsaturated bonds you have from linoleic and linolenic acids and that's a number you want to keep as low as you can. The higher the number, the shorter the shelf life.
Keep your total amount of linoleic plus linolenic at 15 or under and if you go higher than 40 or 50 for your oleic, that's when your soap will start to getting that snotty, slimy feel to it. See if you can find a good balance between all those fatty acids. If you do have a lot of linoleic and linolenic in your recipe, you should add ROE, unless the oil you're using is high in vitamin E. (You could also just add in some extra vitamin E.)
I add ROE to all my oils that have a lower shelf life as a rule and if my recipe is particularly high in linoleic and/or linolenic, I'll also on top of that add in some extra Vit E to my batter just for luck.
Oils like canola, corn, and ordinary sunflower oil are oils that are prone to rancidity and DOS. They're really great on the skin, but they will need that little bit of ROE added to keep the shelf life of the soap in order.
The iodine number is also a measure of the amount of unsaturated bonds you have from linoleic and linolenic acids and that's a number you want to keep as low as you can. The higher the number, the shorter the shelf life.
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