a VERY simple recipe to use as a base

[Donee']

Sunflower oil 515g
Olive oil (I use pomace because its cheaper) 200g
Coconut oil 250g
Water 347.40g
Lye 142.02g
Salt 1.5 tsp
Sugar 1.5 tsp

Just three ingredients.

With lard soap - just use lard or "dilute" the lard with a 40% sunflower oil

 

[Susie]

You can't just substitute one oil for the other without reworking the recipe through a lye calculator. I understand that in the recipe you posted above that there will only be a slight change of superfat, but it is a really bad precedent to set for people who are not as familiar with how to manage a change in the recipe.

And while it is true there are only three oils, there are 7 ingredients. Yes, even water is an "ingredient".

 

[Clarice]

thank you for this! i will give it a shot! always interested in new recipes!

 

[SaltedFig]

@Clarice ... this recipe has NO superfat.

With lard soap - just use lard or "dilute" the lard with a 40% sunflower oil

@Donee', if a person were to do this with a lard recipe that had no superfat, they would end up with a LYE HEAVY SOAP.

Sorry to be so blunt, but the advice to run any changes through a calculator (advice that is given out regularly, and was provided to you here by @Susie) is to ensure that the soap we make isn't going to cause us (or others) harm.

I'm not sure whether you wanted comments on the recipe, so I'll leave it there.

 

[Clarice]

@Clarice ... this recipe has NO superfat.


@Donee', if a person were to do this with a lard recipe that had no superfat, they would end up with a LYE HEAVY SOAP.

Sorry to be so blunt, but the advice to run any changes through a calculator (advice that is given out regularly, and was provided to you here by @Susie) is to ensure that the soap we make isn't going to cause us (or others) harm.

I'm not sure whether you wanted comments on the recipe, so I'll leave it there.

Thanks so much - I appreciate your input!

 

[Hendejm]

I’ve often read that sunflower oil can be a contributor to DOS in soap in larger amounts so I’ve steered clear of it. Not sure if it is true but better safe than sorry I say.

 

[shunt2011]

I’ve often read that sunflower oil can be a contributor to DOS in soap in larger amounts so I’ve steered clear of it. Not sure if it is true but better safe than sorry I say.

Regular sunflower is risky but HO works great. I use it in soap and sugar scrubs. It’s a lovely oil.

 

[Hendejm]

Regular sunflower is risky but HO works great. I use it in soap and sugar scrubs. It’s a lovely oil.

What is HO? That’s a new one for me. And how would I tell the difference? I’m guessing that grocery store sunflower oil isn’t the right one for soaping.

 

[lenarenee]

HO stands for high oleic. Amazon sells it by the gallon; I find mine at Trader Joe's. There is also a mid-oleic.

Some labels will just specifiy what type it is. Its the ratio of poly vs unsaturated (or something like that). DeeAnna....where are you? (I'm lucky TJ's just labels it for me!)

http://www.centrafoods.com/blog/types-of-sunlower-oil-high-oleic-vs.-mid-oleic-vs.-linoleic

 

[Hendejm]

HO stands for high oleic. Amazon sells it by the gallon; I find mine at Trader Joe's. There is also a mid-oleic.

Some labels will just specifiy what type it is. Its the ratio of poly vs unsaturated (or something like that). DeeAnna....where are you? (I'm lucky TJ's just labels it for me!)

http://www.centrafoods.com/blog/types-of-sunlower-oil-high-oleic-vs.-mid-oleic-vs.-linoleic

Thanks for that! Just when I thought I had my “go to recipe”....always looking for balance with properties of soap and price!

 

[Cal43]

I’ve often read that sunflower oil can be a contributor to DOS in soap in larger amounts so I’ve steered clear of it. Not sure if it is true but better safe than sorry I say.

What does DOS mean?

 

[Meena]

Thanks for that! Just when I thought I had my “go to recipe”....always looking for balance with properties of soap and price!

You might like it. I recently made a batch of face soap for my older skin (and our climate is terribly dry here), and used HO Sunflower in place of the olive oil just to try it, and it's my favorite soap so far!

 

[Meena]

What does DOS mean?

Dreaded Orange Spots. They are spots of rancid oil that can develop in soaps during or after cure. Adding ROE (rosemary oil extract) to sensitive oils -- those with short shelf lives -- functions as an anti-oxidant to help keep this from happening. A member here recently mentioned that she wears gloves to handle her curing soaps, and I surmised that DOS avoidance might be part of her reason.

 

[SaltedFig]

Linoleic acid is the one that makes "ordinary" sunflower turn (oxidize/develop DOS) pretty quickly in soap.
HO (high oleic) sunflower has a much better longevity in soap

@lenarenee
Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, so "ordinary" sunflower will have a high polyunsaturated percentage.
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated (containing just one double bond) fatty acid, so HO sunflower has a higher monounsaturated percentage.

@Cal43 DOS is short for Dreaded Orange Spots. They often start with a little contamination of the soap (eg. contact with copper, or using old oils), and will turn orange in a little spot first ... and will eventually spread until the whole soap is dark and smelly and awful.
You might like to look at this: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/the-acronym-and-abbreviation-definition-thread.51841/

View the sunflower (ordinary sort) in the single oil soap tests here:
http://www.zensoaps.com/singleoil.htm

 

[Chris_S]

You can't just substitute one oil for the other without reworking the recipe through a lye calculator. I understand that in the recipe you posted above that there will only be a slight change of superfat, but it is a really bad precedent to set for people who are not as familiar with how to manage a change in the recipe.

And while it is true there are only three oils, there are 7 ingredients. Yes, even water is an "ingredient".

Even if the water and lye wasnt classed as an ingredient the sugar and salt would be surely? I suspect what she meant was 3 oil recipe not 3 ingredients?

 

[Dawni]

DeeAnna....where are you? (I'm lucky TJ's just labels it for me!)

Not DeeAnna but I dug out her page from my bookmarks. The info on here helps a ton, @Hendejm! It also causes one to take an extra 1810137986 minutes reading labels inside the supermarket lol

Also, I think if making for just home use and if you constantly use your soap, regular sunflower is fine as long as you make sure all other factors that contribute to DOS are mostly eliminated.

I have used soap with sunflower oil and I like them more than ones without. I haven't tested out the one I made myself though....

Also sunflower oil itself is good for your hair and skin. I don't use conditioner but I apply lavender infused sunflower oil and it's always soft and shiny.

 

[Donee']

no DOS (???) yet but I add in a whole bunch of stuff.
As far as the 3 ingredients or 3 oils thing - really now..................
It doesw take longer to harden
I think getting pedantic about what oils go in and what happens is a bit over the top.
Maybe the admins can relabel it
THREE OIL

I should have put in the lard thing with a "put it through soapcalc.net first though (was in a rush)

I NEVER superfat - jsut a habit I have developed.

With this recipe I call it PURE because its unperfumed with no additives and no dried goodies on top (which for me are a no no - i dont like finding soggy flowers everywhere)

I use grocery store sunflower like Dawni and it works great.

But personal favourite is 100% lard with only poppy seeds as an exfoliant.

 

[Donee']

Not DeeAnna but I dug out her page from my bookmarks. The info on here helps a ton, @Hendejm! It also causes one to take an extra 1810137986 minutes reading labels inside the supermarket lol

Also, I think if making for just home use and if you constantly use your soap, regular sunflower is fine as long as you make sure all other factors that contribute to DOS are mostly eliminated.

I have used soap with sunflower oil and I like them more than ones without. I haven't tested out the one I made myself though....

Also sunflower oil itself is good for your hair and skin. I don't use conditioner but I apply lavender infused sunflower oil and it's always soft and shiny.

Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy
another one who knows that soap has so many other beneficial attributes than just cleaning.
I like to use simple and I find that my skin is conditioned and moisturised.
Just dont be afraid of the soft bar in the beginning.

 

[SaltedFig]

Donee' ... the zero (or near zero) superfat seems to becoming more popular.
What led you to making this choice?

 

[Donee']

Donee' ... the zero (or near zero) superfat seems to becoming more popular.
What led you to making this choice?

I just didnt like the idea of having free oil wandering around. I also figured that I didnt need extra"free ranging" oil in my soaps, so I stopped. Its just a personal thing for me - why should i have "free range" oil wandering around in my bar to get wasted down the sink when I can turn everything into soap.
That was my very very very basic thinking.