35% Avocado oil - recipe ok?

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

The only experience I have with Avocado oil in soap was using a coupple of tablespoons of leftover oil I had, and this was in the beginning of my soapy adventure. I use it a lot in my rubs and lipbalms, it is my #1 favourite oil. I still have 1 whole bar + trimmings left from that early batch, and it is so lovely, but I don`t know if that is because of the Avocado.

So I am wondering if this recipe look ok to you pro`s out there? The things I added in the recipe are oils I have on hand atm.

Am I missing anything, or should I make some adjustments to get it better?

I will add sugar to boost the bubbles, and I have some sodium lactate coming in the mail, so I may add that to the mix too, if not I will use salt and disolve it in the water with the sugar, before adding the lye.

I kept the SF at 5%, since it is low in cleansing and high in conditioning, going by soapcalc. Any advice on that?
Never soaped less than 5% before, I have soaped between 5-8%, but I think the sweetspot for me is around 6 or 7%.

Thanks for any advice you may have!
PS. We have medium hard water here.

Arimara · Jan 28, 2016

Looks fine to me. Your soap will actually get hard enough surprisingly. Just keep watch over it for the next year for DOS if you can.

shunt2011 · Jan 28, 2016

I say give it a try. That's truly the only way to know if you like it or not. I love avocado oil myself.

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

Arimara said:
Looks fine to me. Your soap will actually get hard enough surprisingly. Just keep watch over it for the next year for DOS if you can.

Thank you, I will

kchaystack · Jan 28, 2016

Are you sure you are using 92 degree coconut oil? I think this is the first time I have seen a recipe use it.

I agree, it is close to my normal recipe. I think it looks fine.

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

shunt2011 said:
I say give it a try. That's truly the only way to know if you like it or not. I love avocado oil myself.

Thank you for the feedback. I ADORE avocado oil, I use it in my lipbalms all the time, and it makes them so lovely! (I use unrefined avocado)

kchaystack said:
Are you sure you are using 92 degree coconut oil? I think this is the first time I have seen a recipe use it.
I agree, it is close to my normal recipe. I think it looks fine.

Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated!
And yes, I am sure

Not that it really matters for soapcalc as the same ammount of lye is needed wether it is 76 or 92.
But here I live 92 is actually the only type we can get here that isn`t unrefined. (unrefined cost around $22 pr. jar of 350-400 gr.)

My 92 is superhard. It will stay solid, even in the worst heat of summer. 76 degree coconut melts at a lower temperature, but the one I can get a hold of here needs more warmth than the 76, to melt. The 92 degr. one needs at least around 33 C. to melt, if I am not terribly mistaken ( Sorry can`t find the dot on my keyboard that goes between the number and the letter C to show temperature)

The Efficacious Gentleman · Jan 28, 2016

I am an avo-aficionado. It's a lovely oil

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

The Efficacious Gentleman said:
I am an avo-aficionado. It's a lovely oil

It sure is!

Now what to call it... (she said, even before she made the soap... )

Avo-cuddle?:mrgreen:

IrishLass · Jan 28, 2016

I'm really loving the batch of soap I made back in August using Genny's shampoo bar recipe, which contains 30% avocado oil. :thumbup:

I also use it at 10% in my hubby's shaving soap/croap.

IrishLass

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

IrishLass said:
I'm really loving the batch of soap I made back in August using Genny's shampoo bar recipe, which contains 30% avocado oil. I also use it at 10% in my hubby's shaving soap/croap.

IrishLass

Ah, yes, I have been wanting to try that one, it looks great, I bookmarked it (you mean this one, right? http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946 )

The only reason I haven`t made it yet is that I am unsure of the soybeanoil that`s in there. The only oil with soy I can get a hold of here, is called "oil of soy" and comes in very small bottles, and is refined. It is meant for use in cooking so it can endure high temps. There is no way or how I can purchase organic or unrefined soy oil here, it simply does not exist. I`ll have to order it online if I were to get any, so an alternative would be better I think. Perhaps 10% coconut oil? Or I can probably just up the % of olive too.

Do you use refined oils, or unrefined when you soap?

kchaystack · Jan 28, 2016

MySoapyHeart said:
Ah, yes, I have been wanting to try that one, it looks great, I bookmarked it (you mean this one, right? http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946 )

The only reason I haven`t made it yet is that I am unsure of the soybeanoil that`s in there. The only oil with soy I can get a hold of here, is called "oil of soy" and comes in very small bottles, and is refined. It is meant for use in cooking so it can endure high temps. There is no way or how I can purchase organic or unrefined soy oil here, it simply does not exist. I`ll have to order it online if I were to get any, so an alternative would be better I think. Perhaps 10% coconut oil? Or I can probably just up the % of olive too.

Do you use refined oils, or unrefined when you soap?

I would add the soybean oil % to the avocado or split it with the olive.

I have no problems with refined oils for the most part. Refined shea, cocoa butter, and coconut oil have less scent, so some people who do not like the smell of unrefined oil prefer them.

IrishLass · Jan 28, 2016

MySoapyHeart said:
Ah, yes, I have been wanting to try that one, it looks great, I bookmarked it (you mean this one, right? http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946 )

The only reason I haven`t made it yet is that I am unsure of the soybeanoil that`s in there. The only oil with soy I can get a hold of here, is called "oil of soy" and comes in very small bottles, and is refined.

I actually don't use the soy in mine. Soy is not something I ever keep on hand since I never use it in soap or in cooking. I subbed high oleic safflower oil in its place (recalculating the lye to account for the different SAP, of course). That's the only tweak I made to the recipe. I used the HO safflower because I always have some on hand for cooking. If I hadn't have had that on hand, I would have just added the extra to the olive amount.

MySoapyHeart said:
Do you use refined oils, or unrefined when you soap?

I use refined oils, and cold pressed at that if I can find it. My avocado oil is cold pressed/refined (Spectrum-brand from my local health-food store). I've never been able to find unrefined avocado. The only unrefined oil/fat I use is natural cocoa butter.

IrishLass

MySoapyHeart · Jan 28, 2016

kchaystack said:
I would add the soybean oil % to the avocado or split it with the olive.

I have no problems with refined oils for the most part. Refined shea, cocoa butter, and coconut oil have less scent, so some people who do not like the smell of unrefined oil prefer them.

Thanks! I have unrefined cocoabutter, and I looooove it in soap and one of my lipbalm recipes, and then I have my refined sheabutter that I mix up with essential oils to make a painrelieving balm I made for my hubby.
Refined or unrefined, I have found different things work for different recipes and uses. It`s all good.

IrishLass said:
I actually don't use the soy in mine. Soy is not something I ever keep on hand since I never use it in soap or in cooking. I subbed high oleic safflower oil in its place (recalculating the lye to account for the different SAP, of course). That's the only tweak I made to the recipe. I used the HO safflower because I always have some on hand for cooking. If I hadn't have had that on hand, I would have just added the extra to the olive amount.

I use refined oils, and cold pressed at that if I can find it. My avocado oil is cold pressed/refined (Spectrum-brand from my local health-food store). I've never been able to find unrefined avocado. The only unrefined oil/fat I use is natural cocoa butter.

IrishLass

I am not really digging the soy either, never have (the estrogen effect, even though it may be in so small quantities it may not make a diff, but I have some imbalance issues so don`t want to tip the scale even more... :lol:

)
But I am sure it works great.

One thing I have noticed is that people talk about HO safflower. Here we don`t have that. We have refined Safflower. Period. (*sigh*)
No other variations available. I really discovered that in my country there is very (!!!) little room for variations regarding things you guys can just pop out an get from the shops! I feel like one of those countries that have one type of cheese on the shelf, but no other variations.
"Want cheese? There! - *pointing hairy finger at boring cheese on shelf*
That is cheese. You don`t need another type. Cheese is chese".

I think I have gotten a black belt in scouring shoppingmalls, going through the isles of oils and regular butters (not shea or cocoa) to see if something more exiting than olive,- safflower or sunflower oil will show itself. But nope.
Asking the staff... well, if I get one more blank stare I really need start to wear sunglasses for healthreasons.

IrishLass · Jan 28, 2016

MySoapyHeart said:
One thing I have noticed is that people talk about HO safflower. Here we don`t have that. We have refined Safflower. Period. (*sigh*)

I've found that some bottles of HO sunflower or safflower oil are not actually labeled as such. One way to check to see if the oil is HO or not is look at the nutrition part of the label. Here's DeeAnna's excellent explanation of how to figure it out:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=557399&postcount=5

IrishLass

MySoapyHeart · Jan 29, 2016

IrishLass said:
I've found that some bottles of HO sunflower or safflower oil are not actually labeled as such. One way to check to see if the oil is HO or not is look at the nutrition part of the label. Here's DeeAnna's excellent explanation of how to figure it out:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=557399&postcount=5

IrishLass

Thank you so much, the link was really helpfull! *hands over flower*

I have bookmarked it and I am printing it out to paste it in my soapbook - which is getting really fat now, with all the recipes and info I have collected. I think I need a new one.
Oh no, I have to get myself a bigger notebook, how terible... *insert sarcasm*
I luuuve paper and stationary stuff, I am such a dork!!:mrgreen:

penelopejane · Jan 29, 2016

I use Rice Bran Oil in that recipe (Gennys/irish lass') instead of the soy and it works well. I don't know if you have that readily available or not.

I have also used almond oil instead of avocado oil in genny's shampoo bar (just as a bar of soap as per Irish lass' recipe) and it is excellent. In fact it may be better.

shunt2011 · Jan 29, 2016

I have added Sunflower or upped the Avocado instead of the soy. As others have said, it's a really nice gentle bar of soap.

MySoapyHeart · Jan 29, 2016

penelopejane said:
I use Rice Bran Oil in that recipe (Gennys/irish lass') instead of the soy and it works well. I don't know if you have that readily available or not.

I have also used almond oil instead of avocado oil in genny's shampoo bar (just as a bar of soap as per Irish lass' recipe) and it is excellent. In fact it may be better.

Hmmm, I can get it (RBO) but I`ll have to order it online from a Norwegian company, it cost $7 for 3.3oz but there is a purchase minimum of $40, and shipping comes on top of that (no free shipping in Norway)

The almond alone cost $27 for 500ml (16.9oz)

(see why I prefer ordering from overseas??:-|)

shunt2011 said:
I have added Sunflower or upped the Avocado instead of the soy. As others have said, it's a really nice gentle bar of soap.

Sunflower I can get at the store, it is usually the frying kind though, perhaps be on the lookout for a more pure version that is more used in salad dressings etc, seems they aren`t that refined as the frying kind.

Thank you both!

kchaystack · Jan 29, 2016

MySoapyHeart said:
Sunflower I can get at the store, it is usually the frying kind though, perhaps be on the lookout for a more pure version that is more used in salad dressings etc, seems they aren`t that refined as the frying kind.

Thank you both!

Actually you want the the frying kind. That will be high oleic sunflower more than likely, and is more resistant to DOS than normal sunflower.

penelopejane · Jan 29, 2016

Duplicate sorry.

35% Avocado oil - recipe ok?

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