Hello! First time poster, preparing to finally make my first batch of soap after researching for over a year. I recently bought some beef tallow since I've read that it's so nice in soaps (and cheap) and I plan to use coconut oil. I've seen some recipes with these 2 oils along with olive oil added (the tallow as a replacement for palm oil) which I had originally planed to try, but long story short, I'd like to try making a bar with just tallow and coconut oil. I've been searching the forum to see if anyone has posted about this type of bar before but haven't found anything so far. I'm just not sure what kind of ratio would be good. I'd like a cleansing bar with a decent amount of lather but also with a good amount of conditioning. Would it be better to just have a three oil blend with olive oil? I considered castor oil, but the more I buy the longer I have to wait to make it as I'm on a bit of a tight budget right now. I already have everything I need, save for a stick blender which I plan to get next week. (My big jug of olive oil is near the end of it's shelf life, and while it still smells and cooks fine, I'm afraid to use it in soap and end up with DOS, but I don't want to buy more until we actually run out or the oil goes bad, hence wanting to just use coconut oil and tallow. I will buy a fresh bottle if it would be better to use it though.) I'm also planning on doing this hot process so I'll need a higher water content, correct? Coloring with a bit of bentonite clay and moringa powder, scenting with EOs. All advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!
Advice on a Recipe
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Hi and Welcome to the forum. Since your new here be sure to go to the introduction forum and tell us a bit about yourself.
You can make a soap with just tallow and CO. I personally would add another oil to the mix though. I would do 50% Tallow, 20% CO and 30% Olive or another HO oil. Tallow makes a hard bar of soap especially with CO. I say give it a try and see how you like it. There are quite a few recipes here on the forum using Tallow, Lard & Tallow, Lard, Palm, Butters no Palm. For HP yes, you need more liquid/water.
You can make a soap with just tallow and CO. I personally would add another oil to the mix though. I would do 50% Tallow, 20% CO and 30% Olive or another HO oil. Tallow makes a hard bar of soap especially with CO. I say give it a try and see how you like it. There are quite a few recipes here on the forum using Tallow, Lard & Tallow, Lard, Palm, Butters no Palm. For HP yes, you need more liquid/water.
atiz
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Welcome!
You'll probably hear a lot of different advice. Many people don't like coconut oil more than 20% (unless it is a salt bar or such), so that kind of determines your ratios. I think a little olive oil (or any high oleic oil) would be a nice addition; you can make a nice soap with 20% coconut, 40% olive, and 40% tallow.
You'll probably hear a lot of different advice. Many people don't like coconut oil more than 20% (unless it is a salt bar or such), so that kind of determines your ratios. I think a little olive oil (or any high oleic oil) would be a nice addition; you can make a nice soap with 20% coconut, 40% olive, and 40% tallow.
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For more sensitive skin types, beef tallow can be a bit more cleansing than lard. As Shunt and Atiz suggested, you can make a soap with at least the coconut oil and tallow but to balance it a bit, you may want to consider a third oil. I personally suggest capping the coconut oil at 20% to prevent the likelihood of potentially making a soap you may not like. Because the soap can come out very hard, using up to 50% tallow is recommended (you can try the full 80 if you like). the suggested remaining amount depends on the oil you have on hand and/or are willing to get. I agree with using olive oil or a high oleic canola or sunflower oil (they are good for frying) but I also suggest rice bran oil, if you can get it. You might find it on Amazon, whole foods or any Asian grocery.
Thank you all! I think I'll try 20% coconut, 30% olive and 50% tallow and go from there. I do have fresh canola on hand and it's cheap, but I think I'll try replacing the olive oil with it for the second batch to see how I like it.
I see a 33% lye concentration is pretty standard for hot process. Any recommendations on that front based on the nature of the oils I'm using and the fact that I'm adding a bit of clay?
I see a 33% lye concentration is pretty standard for hot process. Any recommendations on that front based on the nature of the oils I'm using and the fact that I'm adding a bit of clay?
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That's fine but if you're using a clay, remember not to use too much. Also before you add the NaOH, use some of the water/liquid you will be using and disperse the clay in that. That will allow the clay to absorb all the water it will and prevent clay lumps.
No, 33% lye concentrate is common for CP. I would leave the standard setting on soap calc for liquid. You need more water for HP.
andralynn62
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I have made a few batches of soap so far. I want to try milling some. Do I have to have a certain basic recipe for milling or can any soap recipe be milled?
Any soap could be milled but do you have the equipment to mill it and press it? Or are you talking about re-batching?
andralynn62
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According to my soap book I only need a grater, pan and molds. Do I need more than that?
You're wanting to know about rebatching.
I realize some people call it "milling." I have no idea why, since there isn't any milling operation involved when soap is rebatched.
Milling (aka French milling, triple milling) is the process of running dry soap through a narrow gap between chilled metal or stone rollers. One to three passes through the milling machine compresses and mixes the soap so it is very hard and dense.
Milling is out of the reach of the everyday small-scale soap maker due to the equipment required. Even most commercial soap isn't milled. Typically milling is done to the more expensive soaps.
Expensive perfumes and other delicate additives can be incorporated during the milling process to protect these ingredients from heat.
Rebatching is the process of heating, melting, and reforming soap. The end product is not any harder or denser than regular soap. In my experience, the soap is typically softer and not quite as dense, and needs some weeks to dry out and firm up.
There's a good tutorial on rebatching here -- https://pvsoap.com/re-batch-or-hand-milled-soap/ Even this soap maker calls it milling. Go figure....
A tip -- your question does not relate very well to the original poster's topic. If you want more and better responses to a question, start a new thread instead. Be sure to write an informative title that introduces your question. People are more likely to respond.
Another tip -- We also encourage people to introduce themselves in the Intro Forum so we can get to know you and become more aware of your soaping skill level.
I realize some people call it "milling." I have no idea why, since there isn't any milling operation involved when soap is rebatched.
Milling (aka French milling, triple milling) is the process of running dry soap through a narrow gap between chilled metal or stone rollers. One to three passes through the milling machine compresses and mixes the soap so it is very hard and dense.
Milling is out of the reach of the everyday small-scale soap maker due to the equipment required. Even most commercial soap isn't milled. Typically milling is done to the more expensive soaps.
Expensive perfumes and other delicate additives can be incorporated during the milling process to protect these ingredients from heat.
Rebatching is the process of heating, melting, and reforming soap. The end product is not any harder or denser than regular soap. In my experience, the soap is typically softer and not quite as dense, and needs some weeks to dry out and firm up.
There's a good tutorial on rebatching here -- https://pvsoap.com/re-batch-or-hand-milled-soap/ Even this soap maker calls it milling. Go figure....
A tip -- your question does not relate very well to the original poster's topic. If you want more and better responses to a question, start a new thread instead. Be sure to write an informative title that introduces your question. People are more likely to respond.
Another tip -- We also encourage people to introduce themselves in the Intro Forum so we can get to know you and become more aware of your soaping skill level.
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Google has steered me wrong I see. I'll have to search a little deeper. I do remember reading a long time ago that it was 33% for cold process now that you mention it. I was originally going to try that first but the more reading I did the more I liked the HP method.
On soapcalc, it automatically has 38 entered for water as percent of oils. Is that that you're referring to? I'll leave it alone for this batch as recommended.
I usually make HP soap using a 25% lye concentration. That seems to work pretty well.
I normally do CP around 33% lye concentration.
I normally do CP around 33% lye concentration.
