Any suggestions for a soap noob?

[Lazy Bone]

I just ordered some new soaping supplies from Bramble Berry. Cocoa butter, shea butter, and the pigment sampler pack. I have never worked with those oils before nor have I ever used pigment. I am very excited! I haven't made soap in about 2 months and I can't wait to put on my goggles and get started!

My favorite recipe is pretty simple consisting of OO, CO, PKO, and Castor oil. I was hoping to use the same ingredients and with the addition of the cocoa and shea butters. Any suggestions or tips would be very much appreciated.

 

[Sunny]

My best suggestion is to add those specialty oils or butters at 5-10% of your recipe. I don't know about their pigment sampler, if it's powder it's best to mix the powder with a little veg glycerin or other oil, mix very well before adding to your regular batch or you may get clumps.

 

[honor435]

pk and co have the same properties, so watch how much you use of those, they can be drying, I use 1/2 co, 1/2 pk with oo, po, cocoa or shea and castor, i use 10% of cocoa or shea, and 10% castor, you will love it!
If you want cheaper prices on oils, go to soaperschoice, or butters oils by nature. brambleberry spendy on most stuff.

 

[Lazy Bone]

pk and co have the same properties, so watch how much you use of those, they can be drying, I use 1/2 co, 1/2 pk with oo, po, cocoa or shea and castor, i use 10% of cocoa or shea, and 10% castor, you will love it!
If you want cheaper prices on oils, go to soaperschoice, or butters oils by nature. brambleberry spendy on most stuff.

You know, I never even thought about the fact that CO and PKO being similar in properties. I will definitaly take your advice and go half and half . Thanks for the tip about soaperschoice and butters oils by nature. I will have to check them out.

 

[BakingNana]

Oh ya, you'll love shea. I also do 10% shea and 10% castor, and try to keep CO down to 20% or less. The rest is olive oil and a little palm oil. This has really been good on my dry skin. For some reason, I'm happier if I keep cocoa butter down to 5%, tho. Can't really explain why.

 

[Best Natural Soap]

I love shea!!! I use it at about 10%. The soaps I make with it trace faster than my non-shea ones.