# Cleansing soap recipes vs. not so cleansing



## Guest (Mar 1, 2009)

To all you experienced soapers..... which oils/combinations have you found create the most cleansing soap?

And which ones create soap that doesn't cleanse as well?


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## Jaaret (Mar 1, 2009)

*Cleansing*

Hi, Daniel. I always use a base of 30% coconut oil and 30% palm oil. The remaining 40% is always a different combination of soft oils and butters. 

Coconut oil is probably the best oil for creating a thick, creamy lather in soap. Coconut oil soap is the only soap that will lather in sea water. However, too much of it in a batch will result in a somewhat harsh, drying soap. 

Since I always use 30% coconut oil in my batches, I have never had a batch that I consider to be "less cleansing." I'll be curious to hear how other members chime in on this topic.


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2009)

*Re: Cleansing*



			
				Jaaret said:
			
		

> Hi, Daniel. I always use a base of 30% coconut oil and 30% palm oil. The remaining 40% is always a different combination of soft oils and butters.
> 
> Coconut oil is probably the best oil for creating a thick, creamy lather in soap. Coconut oil soap is the only soap that will lather in sea water. However, too much of it in a batch will result in a somewhat harsh, drying soap.
> 
> Since I always use 30% coconut oil in my batches, I have never had a batch that I consider to be "less cleansing." I'll be curious to hear how other members chime in on this topic.



Yeah, I've done so much research on various oils and the properties they impart to the finished soap that my head should have exploded by now.... I've used only 25% coconut oil in the few batches I've made so far, which seems to be enough to create a really nice lather.  I most likely won't be upping this ratio in any future soaps due to the drying factor.

I really don't see how any soap *wouldn't* be cleansing -- since the very nature of soap is that of an oil-dissolving salt.  But some say that certain oils don't lend cleansing properties to soap, or that a good lather doesn't necessarily mean it is cleansing, so..... I'm curious....


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## kaseencook (Mar 2, 2009)

I've always been a big fan of canola oil soaps. I find they are very creamy and not very bubbly, but very moisturizing without leaving your hands feeling weird (sticky or dry), but they also feel very clean and fresh. I now add about 10% or less coconut oil and I can definitely feel that they are sightly less moisturizing, but I really love the nice big bubbles from the coconut oil, it really doesn't take much coconut to get good bubbles. I have even found that the little bit of coconut oil/fat in coconut cream can really increase bubbles. 
But anyway, I don't like too much coconut oil, I can really feel the dryness since using all canola soaps.


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## abigtroutt (Mar 2, 2009)

I use 25% coconut oil in all my soaps.  If I dont I cant seem to get the bubbly and creamy high on soapcalc.  Plus I been adding different amounts of castor oil up to 10%

But I want to try a 100% olive oil soap with no coconut to see how that does..  

I also heard people making 100% coconut oil soap with superfatting at 20%


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## digit (Mar 2, 2009)

IMHO it is really what you like. I have made soaps with a high cleansing number that felt wonderful with a higher superfat, and mild ones that felt just as good. For me, season makes a difference. In the winter, I like more moisturizing, less in the summer. If my skin feels tight 30 minutes after the bath, it may be a bit too cleansing. Sticky, and out it goes. Your water type (hard, soft, well......) can affect how your soap preforms for you. Out of habit, I like to slather on lotion, butter, powder and other girly things after the shower.

Overall, I look at the fatty acids in each oil and try to find a good balance. Coconut oil is an enigma.  :roll:  Too much can be drying, but I have made 100% CO soap with a higher superfat that is wonderful on my dry mature skin. And it is weapons grade hard.    One tester told me he liked it because it lasted longer than other soaps. 

Digit


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## MikeInPdx (Mar 2, 2009)

abigtroutt said:
			
		

> I use 25% coconut oil in all my soaps.  If I dont I cant seem to get the bubbly and creamy high on soapcalc.  Plus I been adding different amounts of castor oil up to 10%
> 
> But I want to try a 100% olive oil soap with no coconut to see how that does..
> 
> I also heard people making 100% coconut oil soap with superfatting at 20%



I keep my CO at about 25% too....any more than that, and it's really drying to my (already chapped) hands.

100% olive oil is lovely soap but the lather is unbearably slimy for some people. I cannot get through a shower w/o having a bar of pure castile slip out of my hands at some point.

I make my salt bars from 100% coconut with a 20% superfat. They're not as moisturizing as a pure castile, but they produce lots of lather, and they're milder than you would think. 

And Daniel, you're right....all soaps clean you....basically the cleansing numbers tell you how much oil they're going to remove from skin.

Babassu, PKO, and Coconut are the most cleaning oils that I can think of...tallows are moderately cleansing to heavily cleansing, depending on the animal, and the soft oils and butters are generally the most conditioning.

ETA: Castor is the one oddball....super bubbly lather AND high conditioning. One reason why it's so popular in handcrafted soap!


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## carebear (Mar 2, 2009)

I use 75% Coconut Oil in most of my soaps.  They are not drying.  Its a matter of balancing your oil choices and your superfat levels.


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## honor435 (Mar 2, 2009)

kaseencook said:
			
		

> I've always been a big fan of canola oil soaps. I find they are very creamy and not very bubbly, but very moisturizing without leaving your hands feeling weird (sticky or dry), but they also feel very clean and fresh. I now add about 10% or less coconut oil and I can definitely feel that they are sightly less moisturizing, but I really love the nice big bubbles from the coconut oil, it really doesn't take much coconut to get good bubbles. I have even found that the little bit of coconut oil/fat in coconut cream can really increase bubbles.
> But anyway, I don't like too much coconut oil, I can really feel the dryness since using all canola soaps.



I would like to try canola, could you give me a recipe with about 30oz of oils, i have olive, coconut, shea, castor, avocado butter, palm ans would get some canola. Just, if you get time.


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## MikeInPdx (Mar 2, 2009)

I really like the feel of canola heavy bars; I just don't give canola heavy soap out to anyone because I know so many people who have had problems with DOS and canola.


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## lunchlady2009 (Mar 2, 2009)

This post is perfect timing! I am a newbie and just ran a couple of recipes I had through the SoapCalc to find the cleansing at 0 (zero) (before I was able to find CO). I love the way they feel when I use them, but would a cleansing of zero be a problem?


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## carebear (Mar 2, 2009)

IMO that term is nonsense.  All soap, by its nature, is cleansing.  

It's not a problem.


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## lunchlady2009 (Mar 2, 2009)

carebear said:
			
		

> IMO that term is nonsense.  All soap, by its nature, is cleansing.
> 
> It's not a problem.



This was my thought exactly, but figured I'd get a second opinion!


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## kaseencook (Mar 2, 2009)

I would like to try canola said:
			
		

> I really like the feel of canola heavy bars; I just don't give canola heavy soap out to anyone because I know so many people who have had problems with DOS and canola.[/quote said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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