Thoughts on this Recipe?

[Lina]

Hello,
I found this recipe online. Thoughts? What type of bar can I expect? Will it be good for my sensitive skin? Thanks!

30%Shea
30% Palm
20% coconut
20% olive

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Shea and palm have a similar profile in many ways, although shea might well bring something else to the party (some people notice a difference with shea, others don't) but I would not use the shea - as a superfat in HP, yes, but not as a saponified element. For one thing, at around 30% you might start to cut down on the lather, as butters in that sort of range have been known to make lathering harder. Are you averse to lard? ("If loving the lard is wrong, I don't want to be right!")

There is nothing about the lye discount on this - at 5%, I would not like having so much CO in there personally. Have you used a 20% CO soap before?

I wouldn't say it would be terrible as a recipe, but I also do not in any way love it.

 

[Susie]

If this is your first soap, I would not think it a good place to start. For all the reasons Craig mentioned above.

I prefer my soaps in this range of proportions. Just remember that the higher the olive oil, the longer the cure.

Lard/Tallow/Palm 45-80%(Keep this your largest oil.)
Olive Oil 0-45%
Coconut Oil 0-20%
Castor Oil 0-5%
Superfat 5-8%

If I were to suggest a good starter recipe, it would be this:

Lard 60%
Coconut Oil 15%
Olive Oil 20%
Castor Oil 5%
Superfat 5%

This should give you a slow trace, well behaved soap with good conditioning, and nice creamy lather.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with the others. That's a lot of palm and shea combined. I don't usually use butters at more than 15%. I do like them in my soap though. Susie gave you a awesome recipe to start with for sure.

 

[Lina]

Thanks so much Susie. Could I use sustainable Palm instead of Lard (that is what I have), and add 10% Shea?

 

[kchaystack]

Thanks so much Susie. Could I use sustainable Palm instead of Lard (that is what I have), and add 10% Shea?

I am not Susie, but yes. My base recipe is palm, olive, coconut, castor and shea. Tho I keep the castor and shea to 5% each. I also keep my coconut at 15%.

Good luck and post pics

 

[Seawolfe]

My one palm & shea recipe that I really like is:

Olive oil 45%
Palm oil 20%
Coconut Oil 20%
Shea Butter 10%
Castor Oil 5%

and 5% superfat

Most of my soaps have a high percentage of lard, but I don't like soaps with high percentages of palm - they seem waxy and drying to me.

 

[jiroband]

Lina -- It always amazes me how we all have such different thoughts on what makes a great bar of soap. For me, I've done a TON of experimenting over the years as I, too, have very sensitive skin.

What I've found is that my skin HATES soap made with ANY amount of coconut oil -- so I don't use it at all -- EVER!!! It gives my skin a strange, dry feeling that no moisturizing lotion can fix. Two other fats that give me that same dry feeling (when used in soap) are Babassu and Palm Kernal Oil. Surprisingly, regular Palm Oil does not do this, and I do use that in my soap. I also use about 12% Castor Oil to increase bubbles, and to create a moisturizing, stable lather.

My standard soap recipe (what I use every day):

32% Palm (NOT Palm Kernal)
32% Olive
12% Castor
12% Shea
12% Coco Butter
Superfat at 6%

For me, this soap is awesome, and makes great lather! I encourage you to experiment on your own.

I also highly recommend this soapmaking software (Soapmaker 3, $20) which is what I use:
https://www.soapmaker.ca/

Cheers!
Jim

 

[galaxyMLP]

Interesting! I too am like you and my skin will not tolerate any coconut oil. My recipe is similar:

40% palm
33% OO
15% Shea
7% castor
5% avocado (often sub avocado for OO if I run out)

I like this recipe, it is not drying for me in the slightest and actually has a decent amount of bubbles.

Jim, I bet you are just super sensitive to the salts of Lauric and Myristiric fatty acids which are what make the large fluffy bubble when you use coconut, babassu, and palm kernel oil.

ETA: Jim, soapmaker 3 is actually $60 for the lite version and $100 for the pro now. Not sure where you see $20!

 

[jiroband]

galaxymlp -- Interesting comment on the Lauric salts and Myristic fatty acids!

I sometimes switch between High-Oleic Sunflower Seed Oil and Olive Oil.

My mistake on the price of the Soapmaker 3 software --sorry. I was looking at the cost for the upgrade as it turned out. The Lite version says $49. I really do love this software. If you take the time to enter the costs of your oils and additives (lye, EOs , FOs, etc.), it will calculate the cost of each batch and each bar. I also keep a big jug of premixed lye solution, and it lets me enter this as an ingredient, and then calculates the remaining amount of water I need. If I use goat milk, or another liquid, it automatically figures that in as well.

Jim

 

[galaxyMLP]

I also master batch my lye (as do many people here!). I masterbatch @ 33%.

And no worries about the price, and you're right, its $49 not $59 like I though for the lite. I have the lite version and I really like it. I'm considering getting the pro version but I will have to see!

Many people interchange HO sunflower and olive (at least that's what I've seen here!). I have yet to find a good place to get me some HO sunflower to do testing. So right now OO it is!

 

[Lina]

Wow! Thank-you so much for the great advice!!

 

[jiroband]

Galaxy, where do you buy your oils?

I usually buy from Columbus Foods/ Soapers Choice.
http://www.soaperschoice.com/cgi-so...eb_store.cgi?query_price_low_range=0&cart_id=

Oh, and I make a 50:50 water/lye pre-mix with my silk fiber added in.

 

[galaxyMLP]

I buy my palm there but have yet to buy my other oils there. I do love their prices!

Lina, I'm glad this is helping! I also find that other people seem to really like Susie's recipe that she posted!