# Avocado Oil



## kmarvel (Sep 8, 2014)

I usually use the following oils in my basic recipe.  I sometimes switch out the palm oil with tallow.

 What oil do I delete to use the avocado oil??


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## Nevada (Sep 8, 2014)

olive oil, has similar properties


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## DeeAnna (Sep 8, 2014)

I don't see a list of oils, Kmarvel. ??? 

But I agree w Nevada -- if there is olive oil or rice bran oil in the original recipe, I'd reduce or eliminate either or both to make room for the avocado.


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## shunt2011 (Sep 8, 2014)

Replace some or all of your olive.  I love avocado oil in my salt bars and my facial bars.  It's an awesome oil.


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## kmarvel (Sep 8, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> I usually use the following oils in my basic recipe. I sometimes switch out the palm oil with tallow.
> 
> What oil do I delete to use the avocado oil??



oops.....  OO, CCO, Castor, Grapeseed, and Shea Butter.


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## Susie (Sep 8, 2014)

Substitute for grapeseed oil.


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## shunt2011 (Sep 8, 2014)

I would eliminate the grapeseed oil as well.


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## DeeAnna (Sep 8, 2014)

Hmmm, now that I know the oils you are using -- Grapeseed is a short-lived fat due to being very high in linoleic acid, so it makes sense to eliminate it. I guess it also depends on how much of the grapeseed is in your recipe. If it's only 5%, for example, do you want more than 5% of avocado?


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## cmzaha (Sep 8, 2014)

I would also lose the grapeseed oil and use Avocado. It is fantastic in soap, lotions, scrubs etc


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## kmarvel (Sep 9, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> Hmmm, now that I know the oils you are using -- Grapeseed is a short-lived fat due to being very high in linoleic acid, so it makes sense to eliminate it. I guess it also depends on how much of the grapeseed is in your recipe. If it's only 5%, for example, do you want more than 5% of avocado?



5% SuperFat                                           Lye          5.71 oz
OO                           19.91 oz                  Water      13.33 oz           
CCO                         7.47 oz
Palm Oil                   7.47 oz
Grapeseed Oil         1.66 oz
Castor Oil                1.66 oz
Shea Butter     3.32 oz
Total oils/Fat = 41.47 oz

This is the recipe I usually use for my soap.  So sub the grapeseed oil for avocado oil.   Sound good??


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## judymoody (Sep 9, 2014)

I would sub the grapeseed oil and sub for a small % of your olive oil, bringing your total avocado oil up to 10% so you can detect the difference.  I love avocado oil - one of my favorites, especially the virgin green kind.


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## kmarvel (Sep 9, 2014)

judymoody said:


> I would sub the grapeseed oil and sub for a small % of your olive oil, bringing your total avocado oil up to 10% so you can detect the difference. I love avocado oil - one of my favorites, especially the virgin green kind.



I have heard great things about avocado oil.  And there is a great "Bisbee Olive Oil" store nearby!!   

 I think that is what I will do, Judy.  Thanks so much for everyone's help.  :smile:


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## dougsfarm (Sep 9, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> Hmmm, now that I know the oils you are using -- Grapeseed is a short-lived fat due to being very high in linoleic acid, so it makes sense to eliminate it. I guess it also depends on how much of the grapeseed is in your recipe. If it's only 5%, for example, do you want more than 5% of avocado?



DeeAnna, 

I have read of the shelf life of the various oils, but this is the first time I have had it explained in terms of the fatty acids. Is this the main determinant of shelf life or are there other important factors? Could you please tell me where I would find information on the shelf life of the various fatty acids?


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## DeeAnna (Sep 9, 2014)

The more double bonds (the more unsaturated), the shorter lived a fat will be. Polyunsaturated oils with large amounts of fatty acids that have two or more double bonds (linoleic and linolenic are amongst the most common) are the shortest lived. I'd typically say these oils (grapeseed, hemp, corn, etc.) will usually have a shelf life of around 6 months or less. Where to find this info? Soapcalc is a good place to start. As far as shelf life, I don't have a specific reference for you. It depends on storage conditions and other environmental factors. Honestly -- just look at the % of linoleic and linolenic acid in the fats and you can make a very good guess about shelf life.


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## kmarvel (Oct 2, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> The more double bonds (the more unsaturated), the shorter lived a fat will be. Polyunsaturated oils with large amounts of fatty acids that have two or more double bonds (linoleic and linolenic are amongst the most common) are the shortest lived. I'd typically say these oils (grapeseed, hemp, corn, etc.) will usually have a shelf life of around 6 months or less. Where to find this info? Soapcalc is a good place to start. As far as shelf life, I don't have a specific reference for you. It depends on storage conditions and other environmental factors. Honestly -- just look at the % of linoleic and linolenic acid in the fats and you can make a very good guess about shelf life.



Thanks everyone.
 I will ditch the grapeseed oil and decrease my oo a little and add 10% avocado oil.


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## sagehill (Oct 2, 2014)

Avocado is as good as everyone says!  Be wary of the very dark green types which can get DOS unless refrigerated.

I don't use many specialty oils, but for luxuriousness I prefer monounsats (avocado, sesame, macadamia, and others) with much less worry about DOS.

BTW, 3-5% of jojoba makes a big difference for a not too frightening extra cost, and being a wax it keeps a very long time. A set of customers love the my 7% jojoba soap and willingly pay extra for it. Granted, I don't make a huge amount of this soap, but a devoted following keeps its stock rotated.


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## goji_fries (Oct 2, 2014)

sagehill said:


> Avocado is as good as everyone says!  Be wary of the very dark green types which can get DOS unless refrigerated.
> 
> I don't use many specialty oils, but for luxuriousness I prefer monounsats (avocado, sesame, macadamia, and others) with much less worry about DOS.
> 
> BTW, 3-5% of jojoba makes a big difference for a not too frightening extra cost, and being a wax it keeps a very long time. A set of customers love the my 7% jojoba soap and willingly pay extra for it. Granted, I don't make a huge amount of this soap, but a devoted following keeps its stock rotated.



I have a 10% jojoba that my testers went crazy over.


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## kmarvel (Oct 2, 2014)

sagehill said:


> Avocado is as good as everyone says! Be wary of the very dark green types which can get DOS unless refrigerated.
> 
> I don't use many specialty oils, but for luxuriousness I prefer monounsats (avocado, sesame, macadamia, and others) with much less worry about DOS.
> 
> BTW, 3-5% of jojoba makes a big difference for a not too frightening extra cost, and being a wax it keeps a very long time. A set of customers love the my 7% jojoba soap and willingly pay extra for it. Granted, I don't make a huge amount of this soap, but a devoted following keeps its stock rotated.



Not sure what you are saying here.  "Be wary of the very dark green types which can get DOS unless refrigerated."
 Do you mean store my avocado oil in the fridge??  Or put my soap mold in the fridge to gell???

 This is the first time I have seen anyone mention this????


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## sagehill (Oct 2, 2014)

Ooops, sorry, I meant to store very dark avocado oils in the fridge.


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## kmarvel (Oct 3, 2014)

sagehill said:


> Ooops, sorry, I meant to store very dark avocado oils in the fridge.



whew.....lol
 Thanks Sagehill.  You scared me.
 I did buy a gallon of Avocado oil but it is not a dark green.


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## cmzaha (Oct 3, 2014)

Dark green Avocado is usually unrefined whereas the light avocado oil is refined. I use refined which has a shelf life of at least a year. I also do not like fighting the color of un-refined. I love 20-25% avocado in my soap


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## sagehill (Oct 3, 2014)

Ah, thank you, cm!  Unrefined was the word I was looking for earlier... and all I could come up with was "very dark green." lol

My aging brain frequently refuses to find the words I need, but I often can get around the problem, but not this time... googling "very dark green" doesn't work very well. 

I don't think unrefined oils are as popular as they were when I started soaping.


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## kmarvel (Oct 4, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> Dark green Avocado is usually unrefined whereas the light avocado oil is refined. I use refined which has a shelf life of at least a year. I also do not like fighting the color of un-refined. I love 20-25% avocado in my soap



cmzaha,

 I have refined avocado oil.  Hope to make a batch of soap today and tomorrow.  20 - 25% sounds wonderful.  Does this replace the OO you use??  Or do you split it and use both avo and the OO?


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## kmarvel (Oct 4, 2014)

sagehill said:


> Ah, thank you, cm! Unrefined was the word I was looking for earlier... and all I could come up with was "very dark green." lol
> 
> My aging brain frequently refuses to find the words I need, but I often can get around the problem, but not this time... googling "very dark green" doesn't work very well.
> 
> I don't think unrefined oils are as popular as they were when I started soaping.



Sagehill,

 lol no worries.      By the way, I love your name here.


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## sagehill (Oct 4, 2014)

Ah thanks! Sagehill was my soaping business name before I retired some 12 years ago. Since then, I just soap for fun and experiments, and sell the excess. People keep telling me I should restart the business, but I'm too old and tired to go full-bore again. LOL!


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## cmzaha (Oct 4, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> cmzaha,
> 
> I have refined avocado oil. Hope to make a batch of soap today and tomorrow. 20 - 25% sounds wonderful. Does this replace the OO you use?? Or do you split it and use both avo and the OO?


I usually replace OO with Avocado. I am not a big fan of high percenatges of OO in my soaps unless making Castile using 100% OO which I age for 10-12 months. LOL, don't particularily like them either, but love Avocado. I do make soaps with OO in the mix since Avocado is not the most cost effective when selling soaps.


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