# Canola Oil in Soap



## simplymcghie (Sep 29, 2011)

One of my best recipes that I use very frequently has canola oil in it at about 19%.  I read on here somewhere that it can tend to make DOS in your soap but so far I've never noticed a problem.  But I guess my question is, do people get turned off from your soap if they see canola oil listed as one of the ingredients?  I'm just trying to figure out if I should come up with a different recipe for soaps that I sell.


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## soapbuddy (Sep 29, 2011)

I've tried canola and got DOS. I no longer use it.


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## Fragola (Sep 29, 2011)

It probably depends on what information your customers have about canola soap and if they buy for many months in advance. You should rely a lot on feedback from your own customers. 

I don't buy soap for long term storage purposes, so that wouldn't be an issue for me.

Btw, if you have a secret which prevents DOS, feel free to share it


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## Soapy Gurl (Sep 29, 2011)

I have two favorite recipes, one has 15% canola.  I still have one bar left from a year ago, no problems.  If your recipe works for you, keep it!  As far as what people think.  General consumers aren't soap experts, so I doubt that ingredient would turn them off to buying your soap.


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## simplymcghie (Sep 29, 2011)

Fragola said:
			
		

> Btw, if you have a secret which prevents DOS, feel free to share it



I wish I had a secret which prevented DOS cuz that would be great and I would definitely share.  

Maybe starting with a super clean work space/ environment and quality ingredients??  

But I really have no clue.


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## IrishLass (Sep 29, 2011)

Fragola said:
			
		

> Btw, if you have a secret which prevents DOS, feel free to share it



This has been discussed on the forum before, but here is a great link to Dr. Kevin Dunn's experiments/conclusions concerning DOS and what works and what doesn't at preventing DOS:

http://cavemanchemistry.com/HsmgDos2006.pdf


 IrishLass


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## simplymcghie (Sep 29, 2011)

thank you!!  I'll definitely be reading that.


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## IrishLass (Sep 29, 2011)

simplymcghie said:
			
		

> One of my best recipes that I use very frequently has canola oil in it at about 19%.  I read on here somewhere that it can tend to make DOS in your soap but so far I've never noticed a problem.



And I hope you never do.  The only batch I ever had DOS on me was a canola batch and I had to throw it away. The DOS showed up a few months after I made it and infected the whole 3 lb. batch.  A good thing to keep in mind is that DOS does not show up right away. Usually it takes months, so it is good practice to set aside a sample from your canola batches (or any batches made with high linoleic oils) to keep an eye on for a period of time (to me, a year would be ideal). Subjecting them to heat/humidity tests is good, too, just to see how they react/perform under certain stressful conditions.



			
				simplymcghie said:
			
		

> But I guess my question is, do people get turned off from your soap if they see canola oil listed as one of the ingredients?  I'm just trying to figure out if I should come up with a different recipe for soaps that I sell.



I personally have never run into anyone averse to canola in soap, or any other oil/fat/butter I put in my soap for that matter. They're happy if it just smells good, lathers good, and gets them clean without drying them out (we're not too picky around here).    I feel safe to say, though, that they _would_ get turned off if their soap all of a sudden came down with ugly, orange, DOS measles. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate that all that much.


IrishLass


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## simplymcghie (Sep 29, 2011)

IrishLass said:
			
		

> And I hope you never do.  The only batch I ever had DOS on me was a canola batch and I had to throw it away. The DOS showed up a few months after I made it and infected the whole 3 lb. batch.  A good thing to keep in mind is that DOS does not show up right away. Usually it takes months, so it is good practice to set aside a sample from your canola batches (or any batches made with high linoleic oils) to keep an eye on for a period of time (to me, a year would be ideal). Subjecting them to heat/humidity tests is good, too, just to see how they react/perform under certain stressful conditions.



I have a few bars that I've been keeping for about 6 months and they haven't had any problems.  I've only experienced DOS once and that was on a rebatch that I did.  I'm just being a little paranoid about it now.  I would hate for customers to come back and tell me their soap went bad


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## tryanything (Sep 29, 2011)

The very first batch of soap I ever made had about 20% canola oil.  I didn't know at the time that it was prone to DOS.  But here it is, a year later and the soap I have left is still looking good.  Go figure.  I haven't used canola since though so I don't know if I would continue to have problems are not.  I've heard others say they love it.


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## Fragola (Sep 30, 2011)

> This has been discussed on the forum before, but here is a great link to Dr. Kevin Dunn's experiments/conclusions concerning DOS and what works and what doesn't at preventing DOS



I have seen that article before, very informative.

However, from browsing this forum, it seems that certain people successfully prevent DOS, without doing anything obvious. Or they simply don't notice them


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## vjbakke (Sep 30, 2011)

Personally I don't buy or make soap with canola but not because of the problem with DOS. I don't because most canola is genetically modified. I make GMO free and organic soaps.  Just my 2 cents.


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## carebear (Sep 30, 2011)

Fragola said:
			
		

> It probably depends on what information your customers have about canola soap



what sort of information?


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## carebear (Sep 30, 2011)

Fragola said:
			
		

> > This has been discussed on the forum before, but here is a great link to Dr. Kevin Dunn's experiments/conclusions concerning DOS and what works and what doesn't at preventing DOS
> 
> 
> 
> ...



  You clearly don't get it, and I'm not speaking of DOS.  
Do you think we are making it all up?


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## ChrissyB (Sep 30, 2011)

How do you know the soap with 19% canola doesn't develop DOS? 
How long have you kept the soap for? In what type of conditions? How old is the soap when you sell it? Just because a soap hasn't DOS'd at 4 weeks doesn't mean it wont DOS at 8 weeks, or 12 weeks, or whatever.


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## LauraHoosier (Oct 1, 2011)

Personally when I added Canola to my batches I'd read about the DOS potential and added Vit E along with it.  I use 15-20% and I'm still watching my bars and at 4 months still nothing but anyone testing bars from me I've warned them about DOS.

Since its friends and family I asked that if it DOS shows up to let me know the conditions they were kept in.  So I have my own control group and my testers are another.

Also, according to my soapcalc numbers my L&L numbers are only at a total of 13% I think which, on another thread running on this same topic, commented that those numbers kept below a certain level would mean I've lessened my chances of DOS as well.

Not saying it will never happen but I've done what I could and now time will tell and I'll be watching.


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## carebear (Oct 1, 2011)

I expect my soaps to last at very minimum 1 year in pretty much all "normal" conditions - and normal for a soap means on the ledge in the shower.  not saying your canola soaps won't survive those conditions - but it's more than likely you will get DOS.  if you get it, no biggie - if a customer gets it... ICK.


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## simplymcghie (Oct 13, 2011)

vjbakke said:
			
		

> Personally I don't buy or make soap with canola but not because of the problem with DOS. I don't because most canola is genetically modified. I make GMO free and organic soaps.  Just my 2 cents.



Very good thing to think about.  I've been doing a little reading about canola oil and just learned that a lot of it is genetically modified.  It sure makes me think about it. . .


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## my2scents (Oct 14, 2011)

i use it & I've never had a problem. I always ck the date on the bottle when I buy it & I NEVER heat the canola, ( I read somwhere that this can cause problems)


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## Bubbly Buddha (Oct 14, 2011)

I don't use Canola personally, but in perusing the craft sales locally I've noticed that two different sellers both list Canola in their ingredients, along with some preservatives (Rosemary Olerosin I believe).  The other sellers did not provide an ingredient listing for me to examine  :wink: .


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## soapbuddy (Oct 14, 2011)

Bubbly Buddha said:
			
		

> I don't use Canola personally, but in perusing the craft sales locally I've noticed that two different sellers both list Canola in their ingredients, along with some preservatives (Rosemary Olerosin I believe).  The other sellers did not provide an ingredient listing for me to examine  :wink: .


Rosemary Olerosin is not a preservative. For CP soap, any preservative gets eaten up by the lye. You can add Vit E or Rosemary Olerosin to your oils when you first get them as they help retard oxidation.


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## dieSpinne (Oct 14, 2011)

soapbuddy said:
			
		

> Bubbly Buddha said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Tocopherols are non-saponifiable... they should survive the lye just fine.  Do you experience differently?


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## carebear (Oct 14, 2011)

Preservatives do not generally survive the high pH environment of lye.
Tocopherols are not preservatives.  The do squat against bacteria and mold.
Tocopherols are anti-oxidants.

And just as an FYI, many things that are not saponifiable are nevertheless not stable in the presence of lye.


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## dieSpinne (Oct 14, 2011)

carebear said:
			
		

> Preservatives do not generally survive the high pH environment of lye.
> Tocopherols are not preservatives.  The do squat against bacteria and mold.
> Tocopherols are anti-oxidants.
> 
> And just as an FYI, many things that are not saponifiable are nevertheless not stable in the presence of lye.



Great info... thanks, Carebear.


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## Maythorn (Oct 14, 2011)

I once made a few batches with canola oil.  I don't remember a DOS issue but this oil is so soft I decided to add cocoa butter or beeswax to the recipe.and I never went 19%.  More around 12% was as high as I wanted to go.  The bars were purple so I think DOS would have been noticeabole but maybe I gave them away or sold them before I could see any spots decvelop.


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## seven8soap (Feb 28, 2017)

IrishLass said:


> This has been discussed on the forum before, but here is a great link to Dr. Kevin Dunn's experiments/conclusions concerning DOS and what works and what doesn't at preventing DOS:
> 
> http://cavemanchemistry.com/HsmgDos2006.pdf
> 
> ...



Ha! I knew the BHA in my lard was helping!! Not bht, like he said, but shelf stable lard definitely makes for reduced DOS. That's my secret.


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## Marilyna (Mar 4, 2017)

I use,16% canola (and 16% soybean oil.) I have No DOS.  My theory is that the preservatives  in the meat shortening I use at43% are the reason. Yes, I've had bars that were 5-7 years old.


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