Substitution Question

[eilonwy]

I've been reading a lot of recipes in anticipation of making my first batch of soap, but I've got a problem: All of the recipes I've found which seem suitable for beginners call for coconut oil and/or sunflower oil. I'm allergic to both of them! How do you determine acceptable substitutions? (Note: While I am new to even researching soap making, I am no stranger to chemistry-- so feel free to get geeky!)

 

[GardenGirl]

Why not try a 100% olive oil bar?

Usually, folks who are allergic to lots of oils do well with olive.

Just an idea.

 

[PrairieCraft]

Palm Kernal Oil (different from palm oil) would be a good sub for the coconut.

Sunflower from what I hear isn't the best for soap, I think it might tend to DOS. I really like grapeseed oil in mine, that would be good instead of the sunflower.

Someone else might have a better idea though.

 

[rubyslippers]

Too bad you are allergic to coconut oil :cry: It is sooooo good in soap.
As PrairieCraft already posted palm kernel is a great substitute for coconut. How about babassu - it's pricey but it's fantastic and it has properties similar to that of coconut.
As far as sunflower oil goes, I've been making soap for a year and a half and never once used sunflower oil. I prefer to add avocado, sweet almond or apricot for my "luxury" oils.

 

[eilonwy]

Thanks for the replies! I've never even heard of babassu, I have no idea what that is let alone where to find it. Also: Pricey is just not an option for me right now.

Garden Girl, do you know where I'd find a 100% olive oil recipe? I haven't seen one in my (admittedly brief) searches.

PrairieCraft, please forgive me-- what does DOS mean?

rubyslippers, do you know where I might find palm kernel oil? If they carry it at Wegmans I'll be set.

I'm glad to hear lots of substitution ideas for sunflower oil; It shows up in commercial bodywashes and bars a lot (along with aloe vera, to which I am also allergic :/) and makes life complicated for me. :lol

 

[GardenGirl]

Garden Girl, do you know where I'd find a 100% olive oil recipe? I haven't seen one in my (admittedly brief) searches.

Sure, here's a few:

http://www.pureandnaturalsoaps.com/reci ... -soap.html

http://www.pvsoap.com/recipe_castile_soap.htm

Use the term "castile" in a search box to get recipes that are all/primarily olive oil.

The big deal with 100% castile soap is that it takes FOREVER to trace and will still not be super thick, making it harder to determine if trace has been reached. Admittedly, this can be difficult for newbies. And, it needs to cure for longer. Patience is a virtue . . .

HTH

 

[Vintageliving]

I make olive or olive and castor soaps, and stir with a stainless steel, slotted spoon. I use room temperature oils, and a lye to water ratio of: onene.

It is easy to tell when it comes to real trace as the drizzles off the spoon leave thick traces as does pudding or custard (when the pudding/custard is cooked from scratch on the stove top). If one is unsure, then waiting a few minutes, and stirring again, will prove whether or not it was false trace, or the real thing. I quite enjoy the process.

I never use a stick blender. Making olive or olive/castor is easy, relaxing, and makes wonderful soap. IMO, there is nothing as nice as pure olive soap, or olive and castor. I use this for bath and face soap, make my shampoo from it, and sometimes brush my teeth with it. I give it to friends with sensitive skin and they are glad to have a soap which does not irritate their skin.

I stopped making other kinds of soaps for personal hygiene.

Olive oil soap or olive and castor is perfect for a beginning soapmaker, as well as for anyone who wants a tried-and-true, very mild soap.

The six-month cure time gives one plenty of time to make more soap.

All it takes is paying attention to what one is doing, and doing one's homework before one starts. No fuss, easy, therapeutic. I highly recommend them.

 

[eilonwy]

Easy sounds wonderful! Let's go back a bit, though-- could someone explain what "trace" means, or point me in the direction of a definition? It wasn't on the list of abbreviations, perhaps there's a glossary later in that thread? (Please forgive my newbishness. )

 

[Vintageliving]

Eilonwy, trace is when what drizzles off the spoon leaves a trace of itself on top of the mixture.

Kathy Miller's website is most useful for learning about how to make soap:

http://www.millersoap.com/

Knowing all the process before one starts is key to being safe and having the soap turn out well.

I read and read, and read some more, and watched a set of soapmaking videos several times before I gave it a go.

Safety precautions, and a quiet, well ordered place to soap are vital.

Safety and knowing what one is doing, before one starts to soap, are much, much more important than a fancy recipe.

Please ask whatever you need to, so that you can make soap very safely.

 

[eilonwy]

Thanks for the link(s!). I've spent a great deal of time in chemistry labs, so I appreciate the need for information and safety in any chemical process. I'm familiar with all sorts of things that can go wrong in the presence of strong bases or acids and not keen to see any of them in person.

 

[Mayren]

I agree with the rest... Olive oil makes a great bar of soap and just happens to be easy as well.

I will say that I have a friend who is allergic to most sulfates, Coconut oil, Palm oil, sunflower oil, sulfa drugs and latex to name a few things...
She has been using one of my 90% Olive Oil 10% Castor oil bars without breaking out so far.

I hope it works out for you.

 

[Jezzy]

Hi!! You made it!

DOS is the soap going rancid. It is called dreaded orange spots. If you get it you have to use the soap quickly or throw it away :?

When you get a recipe put together post it here. The soapers will pick it apart and tell you how to make it better.

I was thinking last night... You could always make a laundry bar first. That was my first soap too. I made mine with coconut and palm but I think it is possible to make it with 100% lard. (correct me ladies if I am wrong) I think a laundry bar is a great first batch bar. You don't have to worry about making it pretty or smell good... just a thought.

Can't wait for your first batch!!

 

[Muzhik]

If you don't have an aversion to making something out of the scorched flesh of slaughtered animals (flesh! Ummm! <drool>) and price is a concern, try using lard. Inexpensive and readily available next to the butter on your grocer's shelf.

 

[GardenGirl]

Easy sounds wonderful! Let's go back a bit, though-- could someone explain what "trace" means, or point me in the direction of a definition? It wasn't on the list of abbreviations, perhaps there's a glossary later in that thread? (Please forgive my newbishness. )

Trace is a term soapers use to mean the point at which the oils/lye have finally reached an agreement that is similar to emulsion. Until trace is reached, the oils and lye will want to separate into layers. All it takes to get the oils and lye to come together is stirring. Trace will start out "thin" where you can begin to see "tracings" of soap as you drizzle it across the top of the batter and from there, the soap will continue to thicken. If you keep stirring, it will eventually become basically solid. Usually you want soap batter to be only slightly thickened but not hard so that you can pour it into a mold. Some recipes trace right away, others take several minutes - it all depends on the ingredients used, the temperatures of the mixtures and the stirring methods.

HTH

 

[honor435]

I like pk, oo, po, castor, shea, it makes a great bar of soap, all oo soapm takes a long time to cure, if your antsy try hp( crock pot hot process soap).
I get my oils from columbus foods or soapers choice, online or oilsby nature.com.