To Shea Butter or not Shea Butter?

[twaburds]

Hi,

Newbie here. I have been experiementing with different percentages of oils to try to find a soap I really like.

Trying some today which are only 10 days old I notice the ones without Shea Butter bubble and lather SO much better than the ones with. Is this just typical of this stage of curing and will the others catch up with time?

I have only used Shea at 5% in the others and varying %ages of coconut, palm, olive and castor. Castor always at 5% too.

Was just astonished at the difference and dont want to let myself get too excited if in 4 weeks time it not going to be as fabulous!!

Thanks!

 

[shunt2011]

Shea can decrease bubbles but it usually adds a creaminess to the lather. I prefer a thick creamy lather personally.

 

[navigator9]

It's all about balance and preference when you formulate a soap recipe. Be sure to keep good notes, because every once in a while you make a soap that turns out just fabulous, and if you don't have notes, well, good luck trying to remember what was in it. So often, you have to give up something to get something. Like giving up big, fluffy bubbles to get a more conditioning soap. I like a bubblier soap for my shower, but a creamier lathering soap for my face. So you may find that you don't mind giving up bubbles for the creamier shea soap.

 

[amd]

I use 15% Shea in most of my soaps because I like creamy bubbles. I also do a low-ish coconut oil (20%), and standard 5% castor. I use lard, olive and soybean oil in the remainder and my soap lathers beautifully. I expect yours will too when it gets to a full cure. Soaps get better with age!

 

[BlackDog]

Like the others, I find that it does make the lather more "creamy" than bubbly. I love it for my facial bars. I use from 5-10%.