Avocado oil: It`s official, I`m sold!

[ngian]

I asked my husband to test the piece for me, in the shower and general handwashing yesterday and today. He rubbed his hands together and said he really liked it, it made his skin feel really good, sort of "different good than my other soaps".

Hello SoapyHeart, are your "other soaps" have the same oils in the recipe and the same additives with the one having avocado oil that your husband tested?

Well my opinion about AO is that it is an expensive oil while my skin doesn't seem to feel anything different than other similar oils (with similar fatty acids profile).

I ground my view on a test I did a while ago:

Testing a few soft oils in 40%

where I didn't feel any real difference after bathing. I think that the difference for me might be on how easy it lathers against other oils, and while only one soaper among 3 found that her skin was feeling better with this oil in the soap. I think that the palmitoleic fatty acid that avocado oil has at 9% maybe is doing that little difference as I mention it here: Palmitoleic acid (16:1) - Does it bring anything to a soap's behavior?

Below you can see the certificate of analysis of the avocado oil I used:

Lately I bought macadamia oil too that has also similar fatty acid profile but with the palmitoleic acid being at 20%. See below its CoA:

So in the next soap I will make I'll also use macadamia oil at 40% with everything else being exactly the same as the other soaps of the specific experiment, hoping to help me understand if the palmitoleic is doing that little "wow" factor...

 

[penelopejane]

Had heard about the glycerin but I was told I could use SLSA for more lather. What are your thoughts about that? Thanks!!

It is one of the ingredients in commercial soaps etc that made me make my own home made soap.

http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/todays-chemical/2012/9/25/sodium-lauryl-sulfoacetate.html

 

[Misschief]

So in the next soap I will make I'll also use macadamia oil at 40% with everything else being exactly the same as the other soaps of the specific experiment, hoping to help me understand if the palmitoleic is doing that little "wow" factor...

I haven't used macadamia oil in my cp soaps yet but I have used it to superfat my first batch of IL's glycerin liquid soap. I've also used it in a variety of creams and lotions over the years. I love it!

Don't get me wrong. I love avocado oil, too. Both are decadent skin-loving oils. For the price, though, I would only put a little in my cp soap.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Hello SoapyHeart, are your "other soaps" have the same oils in the recipe and the same additives with the one having avocado oil that your husband tested?

Well my opinion about AO is that it is an expensive oil while my skin doesn't seem to feel anything different than other similar oils (with similar fatty acids profile).
...
So in the next soap I will make I'll also use macadamia oil at 40% with everything else being exactly the same as the other soaps of the specific experiment, hoping to help me understand if the palmitoleic is doing that little "wow" factor...

Yes, I used the exactly same oils and additives (EDTA, SL, sugar, colors)

Regarding you not feeling any difference when using AO, that is really interesting, and perhaps just show how different we all are, which is cool because that makes things more diverse and interesting.
The macadamia sounds absolutely wonderfull. I love to eat them when I can find them, so a soap with the oil in it sounds intriguing. It sounds like a great experiment.

Even if the AO is a more expensive oil to use in soap, I really feel it needs a place there now. I simply can`t make soaps without it anymore if this turns out not to be a happy accident/fluke/dumb luck. Especially since avocado oil have been my trusted companion through so many years.

The "worst" thing about discovering something new that gives that extra special something to a soap, is the waiting game. It`s like time moves even slower when you really want to know if things consistanly works out the same, but you know you HAVE to play the curing-game to find out properly

The Curing Game -
The only game in the whole world that will make you lose if you don`t play it.

(Oooh, that almost sounded good, I should write that down somewhere. Wait, I just did....)

 

[soaring1]

I like to use a little Avocado Oil in my soap. I use the Avocado Oil for my dry skin right out of the shower.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

I really love the soap I made with 30% avocado oil (a tweak of Genny's shampoo bar). I also use it in my shave croap/soap, @ 10%. It's a lovely oil!

I really love avocado's (the fruit), too. I'm blessed to live in an area where they are always available year-round at the grocer's. One of my favorite ways to eat them (other than in guacamole or in salads or just plain straight up) is in ice cream. You'll never find a more creamy ice cream on the planet.


IrishLass

Well, I have tasted chocolate spread made with avocado - why not icecream...lol.
I am researching oils to try and gather up enough confidence to try a shavingsoap also. I reallyreally want to do it, because mu dear husband is a wet shaver so I know he would be more than happy to be a guiny pig for that too. He hates electric shavers like the plague. Just want to read up a bit more on the subject first. Have read a looot of pages in the huge shavingsoap thread, so much great information.

MSH, I don't live in Florida but my aunt sometimes mails some to us. I'm also fortunate enough to live near enough to ethnic markets to snag some when they have it.

Sounds absolutely lovely. The shops we have here are really not very impressive, I think I need to try and see if I can get a hold of some good avocado`s from stores that have a better selection. Half an hour from here there is a shoppingcenter with an etnic store that has lots of lovely spices and exiting fruits and vegetables a plenty, I need to revisit that shop again. Long traveldistance is the downside of living in the country, but at least we have lots `n lots of fresh air here.

I love it, too. Use it in a lot of my stuff.

Will try a variation of the 80% lard bar, adding in 10% avo and going for 70% lard.

On an eating note, make up some chicken mayonnaise with an avocado chunked up in it, put that mixture in a crusty baguette and you have just made a little bit of heaven

Lard and avocado oil, what could possibly go wrong with that, should make an awesome combo. I find myself reaching for lard more and more when I am soaping, it is quickly becoming one of my favourites. That it`s also real easy to get a hold of and inexpensive, is not a downside either...

Ps. That baguette sounded really delish. You had me at crusty...

AO lover here too. I sub it for OO in about a quarter of my batches, when I'm feeling decadent or confident my design will work.

Decadent, sounds like it would be an awesome name for a soap: )

Had heard about the glycerin but I was told I could use SLSA for more lather. What are your thoughts about that? Thanks!!

I have never tried SLSA I am afraid, so I haven`t got any comparison for you, sorry. Glycerin is more available to me, and more natural than SLSA, so I just reached for that when I needed something extra. The reason I started to make my own soaps from scratch was to embrace more natural ingredients

 

[CoolSuds]

I really like superfating with avocado oil. I use a soap calculator with 0% super fating, then figure how much I need for the superfating and add it after trace so the avocado oil doesn't have much of a chance to be taken up with the lye.

 

[cmzaha]

You just had to mention 'creamy' and 'ice cream'... 30% avocado oil would be nice in a soap.

MSH, I don't live in Florida but my aunt sometimes mails some to us. I'm also fortunate enough to live near enough to ethnic markets to snag some when they have it.

Sadly you are not getting the best avocados available. Most in the stores come in from Mexico and have been awful, and Florida avocados do not compare to a beautiful home grown Hass or Fuerte. I am fortunate to live where avocados thrive in many yards. My mom paid her taxes when I was little with her avocados. We had 13 trees at one time so it is a good thing I loved them although my mom never did like them. Hass and Fuerte are very buttery and definitely has a good flavor, but not a fruit type flavor.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I really like superfating with avocado oil. I use a soap calculator with 0% super fating, then figure how much I need for the superfating and add it after trace so the avocado oil doesn't have much of a chance to be taken up with the lye.

Unfortunately, you're keeping the avocado oil out of the lye for at most 1/12th of the time that saponification takes, which is not much at all. Dr Kevin Dunn did experiments on bars with oils added at trace or up front with the other oils and there was no material difference between the make up of them, meaning that adding the avocado at trace or before does not mean that more avocado is left unsaponified

 

[shunt2011]

I really like superfating with avocado oil. I use a soap calculator with 0% super fating, then figure how much I need for the superfating and add it after trace so the avocado oil doesn't have much of a chance to be taken up with the lye.

Doesn't matter when you add the oil if you are doing CP. The lye is still active and will take whatever it wants. You won't know for sure what oils are your superfat in the end. You would need to do HP and add it after the cook/saponification has taken place.

 

[LisaAnne]

Doesn't matter when you add the oil if you are doing CP. The lye is still active and will take whatever it wants. You won't know for sure what oils are your superfat in the end. You would need to do HP and add it after the cook/saponification has taken place.

Off topic, but are there many HP soapers on here? It doesn't seem discussed often.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I don't think that there are many people who only hp. There are many that only do cp, but many do both depending on the soap at hand.

 

[shunt2011]

There may be a couple. I think most do CP or both.

 

[Luv2Soap]

I'm totally going to agree with you here on this one!!! I ran out of sweet almond oil and needed to find something to substitute in a recipe not too long ago. I bought this at my local grocery store and used it instead - hoping for the best.

Holy Canoli! Did I ever love this!!! It just as creamy and moisturizing as the sweet almond - and the oil is so much more accessible. Love it!

 

[penelopejane]

I'm totally going to agree with you here on this one!!! I ran out of sweet almond oil and needed to find something to substitute in a recipe not too long ago. I bought this at my local grocery store and used it instead - hoping for the best.

Holy Canoli! Did I ever love this!!! It just as creamy and moisturizing as the sweet almond - and the oil is so much more accessible. Love it!

Which do you prefer though?
I have been getting my best feedback on the almond oil and I really love those soaps over the Avocado ones. Not 100% sure yet.

 

[Luv2Soap]

Which do you prefer though?
I have been getting my best feedback on the almond oil and I really love those soaps over the Avocado ones. Not 100% sure yet.

I know the almond ones are a little better but in a pinch the avocado works just fine

 

[penelopejane]

I know the almond ones are a little better but in a pinch the avocado works just fine

Good to hear your opinion! I find Almomd makes a harder bar that is less sticky. Both are the same price here and both available at soap supply shops so I think I will be changing to Almond after I use the 5 litre bottle of avocado I have!

 

[Arimara]

Sadly you are not getting the best avocados available. Most in the stores come in from Mexico and have been awful, and Florida avocados do not compare to a beautiful home grown Hass or Fuerte. I am fortunate to live where avocados thrive in many yards. My mom paid her taxes when I was little with her avocados. We had 13 trees at one time so it is a good thing I loved them although my mom never did like them. Hass and Fuerte are very buttery and definitely has a good flavor, but not a fruit type flavor.

The Florida avocados my aunt sent were from a neighbor's tree. I'm not as keen on the buttery aspect of hass but I don't outright hate them. I like both in guacamole the the Florida ones are demolished upon arrival.

home grown avocados would be nice though... If only I lived in the climate...

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Off topic, but are there many HP soapers on here? It doesn't seem discussed often.

I do both, love both of them because, fun to switch it up a bit. But I mostly do CP. But I have some essential oils I love, so always do a HP using those.
I actually did HP hours ago and it is cooling as we speak. It wasn`t with essential oils this time though, but had a scent from Natures Garden that was sort of weak, so wanted to see if it smells a bit better in HP soap than CP (It smells sooo good here right now...)

I'm totally going to agree with you here on this one!!! I ran out of sweet almond oil and needed to find something to substitute in a recipe not too long ago. I bought this at my local grocery store and used it instead - hoping for the best.

Holy Canoli! Did I ever love this!!! It just as creamy and moisturizing as the sweet almond - and the oil is so much more accessible. Love it!

I know, right? I get a lot of great feedback on the avocado oil ones, although they like my other soaps too (friends and family are my guinea pigs, gotta have èm, I need feedback, lol...)

I tweaked one of my favourite recipes a coupple of days ago, and made two identical versions of it in soapcalc, except 1 thing - I did a switheroo and had one recipe with 20% avocado and no almond oil, and the other one with 20% almond oil and no avocado . The only difference whas the switch between those oils.

I did the avocado oil a few hours ago, it was HP. Later this week I will do the almond one and see if there is a difference to be noticed just because of that switch.
I think I will make a new thread about it, but to late now, it is late and time for bed.

 

[TeresaT]

I cannot even finish reading this thread. All I can think of is, "YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY WASTE AVOCADOS IN SOAP?" I mean, really? You don't eat the flesh of the avocado, you PUT IT IN SOAP? You are all absolutely MAD, BONKERS, NUTS!! Oh! The inhumanity!!! (Now, I'll go back to reading. BTW: avocado gelato is the bomb!)

ETA: although I cannot imagine using purée, I do like the oil in my soap. One of the experimental soaps I made last year had buttermilk and avocado oil in it. I pulled a bar of that out a few weeks ago and was using it at the bathroom sink. The soap was amazing. I'm not positive if it was from the oil or the buttermilk, so I've got to recreate the bar without the buttermilk.

Actually, does anyone ever use the mashed avocado you can buy prepackaged at the store for soap? I just thought of that. I've never bought that, I always eat the fresh fruit, but the stores have it in the freezer and some in the fresh produce section. Hmmm, that might be an interesting experiment...