# Recipe for first batch with limited oils



## delicious (May 16, 2011)

I'm trying to figure out what recipe to use for my first batch...
Thing is I don't have easy access to a lot of the oils (like palm oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, crisco, lard) and I'm having trouble finding a recipe that calls only for oils that I have.

I could go for a plain olive oil recipe, but that seems a little boring 
Or I could make one up myself, but I'm a little scared for a first batch.
I've tryed building up a recipe using http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp but somehow the values of qualities never fall in the right recommendations, so I don't feel confident about that.
I definetly will experiment with recipes once I get the hang of it, but I'd like a recipe that has proved worthy of itself for a first try. Like that, there will be less chance I screw up.

Basically, all I have access to is olive oil, sunflower seed oil, rice bran oil, sweet almond oil. I think I know where I can find coconut oil and castor oil; I'll definetly go find those two, they're in every recipe. And one or two other typical cooking oils - maybe canola or rapseed, I'll have to check the stores again but I'd prefer not using them anyway.
I definetly don't want to use shea butter as I believe I am allergic to it.

I don't like asking without having done at least part of the job myself. Though I have found only one recipe that I could use (apart from pure olive oil or 95% olive, 5% castor).

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2 ... -soap.html :
_Olive Oil - 460 grams
Rice Bran Oil - 600 grams
Coconut Oil - 440 grams
Rain water - 570 mls
Lye (caustic soda) - 230 grams
Essential or fragrant oil (optional)_
(By the way: about how much essential oil should I use for this recipe?)

Is this recipe alright for a first go? Do you have any other suggestions?


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## carebear (May 16, 2011)

Rapeseed isn't great, but coconut is. Castor can boost lather - I don't bother with it cuz coconut lathers so well, but if you can get it then go for it. I get most of my oils online, btw. 

Can you get lard or tallow or palm?  Those make great soaps. 

Don't let the numbers on soapcalc intimidate you, they are rough guidelines, and are quite often misleading. 

The recipe you posted will be mild, and not lather much, but if you let it cure atnleast 2 months it'll be pretty nice.

ETA: I didn't check your lye amount.  You do need to run your oils through a lye calculator to check that out. Many mistakes online and even in published books.


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## judymoody (May 16, 2011)

Try www.millersoap.com for some easy recipes.

Canola/rapeseed is not too stable in soap; I wouldn't use it.

You can get coconut oil at WalMart Super Centers under the LouAnna brand.

You should be able to get lard or Crisco just about anywhere.   You can make a very nice soap with olive oil/lard/coconut oil.  The new Crisco is made predominantly from soy & palm oils and is easy to work with.

I also would cut your recipe down to about half the current size.  If you make a mistake, that's a lot of materials.  My test batches are about 1.5 lbs (700 grams) and fit into a standard loaf mold that measures 8x2.5x3.5 inches.

And yes, run any recipe through a lye calculator like soapcalc.net

Good luck and enjoy!


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## delicious (May 16, 2011)

judymoody said:
			
		

> Try www.millersoap.com for some easy recipes.
> 
> Canola/rapeseed is not too stable in soap; I wouldn't use it.
> 
> ...



I'm in South America, so no Walmart and no crisco 
Of course, I plan on fitting any recipe to whatever size mold I come up with and it will definitely be smaller than those proportions.
And the lye calculator. Knowing me, I'll probably even double check it with 2 or 3 different calculators!


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## delicious (Jun 1, 2011)

I thought I'd come back and tell you what I used and how it went:

I made a first batch of 100% olive oil. I discounted the water to 31% of oils and dissolved one tablespoon of sugar in the water before adding the lye (I read that 1 TBSP sugar per pound of oils increases bubbles).
I used a PVC pipe for a mold.
The soap was very soft for the first few days. After 3 or 4 days i unmolded it and cut it up. One week later and it is still quite soft.

My second batch was 70% olive oil, 23% coconut oil and 7% castor oil. I might have discounted the water slightly.
I made a mold of cardboard that I lined with contact paper.
On the next day I unmolded it (didn't need to freeze or anything) and cut it. It still is soft though.

I checked the grocery store and I found tallow, so I'll be trying that later on.


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## lovelysuds (Jun 7, 2011)

I looooove beef tallow! It makes such a nice hard white bar. I always say i just cant seem to duplicate the lather and silkiness tallow and lard bring to a bar of soap when compared to an all veggie bar. My fave and anyone whose ever been forced(i mean asked) to use my soap always wants the tallow and lard again and again. Funny thing is they dont know what soap has tallow or all veggie oil they just tell me what they like. My best bar is tallow, lard, OO, CO, & Castor Oil. Good luck!!


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