comment on my soap

[Kalpanaganesan]

hi friends
Iam from India.Many friends in this forum advised me to go for a simple soap with the following recipe.
Palm oil 50%
Pomace olive oil 25%
Coconut oil 20%
Castor oil 5%
I chose 40 percent lye concentration and used 5% superfat and used sandalwood fragrance oil.I cured the soap for more than three weeks.
The soap was good and soft .But it is disintegrating fast when compared with the soap bars available at stores.To make it a bit harder do i need to add some butters so that it will last for some more days.
Can i try modifing the recipe by reducing the plam oil percentage to 40 percent and add 10 percent cocoa or shea butter.
Also many soap makers in you tube videos say not to take more than 40 percent palms(ie they say palm oil and coconut oil combinedly not to exceed 40 percent).Also comment on the same.
Thanks in advance

 

[Rsapienza]

Commercial soaps are made differently than handmade soaps and that is why they last longer. They use industrial type equipment to “mill” the soap. I suggest that you cure your bars a little longer, be sure to use a draining soap dish, and keep the bars dry in between use. You can modify your recipe however you choose. What does your skin like? Upping your stearic and palmitic numbers is 1 way to produce a longer lasting bar.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Also many soap makers in you tube videos say not to take more than 40 percent palms(ie they say palm oil and coconut oil combinedly not to exceed 40 percent)

They can't stop you from doing that anyway . In particular when they do not say why this should be a bad idea. There are good reasons to not increase coconut far beyond 20% (many reports from people who find that high numbers of lauric oils make soap that is harsh, stripping, and irritant). But I am not aware of any restriction for palm oil (palm fruit pulp oil – palm kernel oil is something entirely different!).

You could, just for fun, make a small batch with 75% palm oil, 20% coconut and 5% castor. Good way to evaluate if it's worth tweaking the amount of palm oil, or rather give other hard fats (cocoa, sal, kokum butter or soy wax) a try in the future.

By the way, what kind of palm oil do you use? Is it semi-solid/grainy or liquid at 20–25°C?

 

[Ladka]

There are good reasons to not increase coconut far beyond 20% (many reports from people who find that high numbers of lauric oils make soap that is harsh, stripping, and irritant).

Coconut oil also makes soap disintegrate faster - be not deceived by the fact it makes a hard bar. Hardness is not the same as longevity, and coconut oil demonstrates it all too well.

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

Commercial soaps are made differently than handmade soaps and that is why they last longer. They use industrial type equipment to “mill” the soap. I suggest that you cure your bars a little longer, be sure to use a draining soap dish, and keep the bars dry in between use. You can modify your recipe however you choose. What does your skin like? Upping your stearic and palmitic numbers is 1 way to produce a longer lasting bar.

Thank you very much for spending ur valuable time

They can't stop you from doing that anyway . In particular when they do not say why this should be a bad idea. There are good reasons to not increase coconut far beyond 20% (many reports from people who find that high numbers of lauric oils make soap that is harsh, stripping, and irritant). But I am not aware of any restriction for palm oil (palm fruit pulp oil – palm kernel oil is something entirely different!).

You could, just for fun, make a small batch with 75% palm oil, 20% coconut and 5% castor. Good way to evaluate if it's worth tweaking the amount of palm oil, or rather give other hard fats (cocoa, sal, kokum butter or soy wax) a try in the future.

By the way, what kind of palm oil do you use? Is it semi-solid/grainy or liquid at 20–25°C?

As iam from india and in particular south india the weather is hot for nearly 7 months and palm oil will be in liquid phase.if it is semi soild in winters can i melt the same usiing double boiling or in microwave oven and use

Coconut oil also makes soap disintegrate faster - be not deceived by the fact it makes a hard bar. Hardness is not the same as longevity, and coconut oil demonstrates it all too well.

thank you

 

[TheGecko]

hi friends
Iam from India.Many friends in this forum advised me to go for a simple soap with the following recipe.
Palm oil 50%
Pomace olive oil 25%
Coconut oil 20%
Castor oil 5%
I chose 40 percent lye concentration and used 5% superfat and used sandalwood fragrance oil.I cured the soap for more than three weeks.
The soap was good and soft .But it is disintegrating fast when compared with the soap bars available at stores.To make it a bit harder do i need to add some butters so that it will last for some more days.
Can i try modifing the recipe by reducing the plam oil percentage to 40 percent and add 10 percent cocoa or shea butter.
Also many soap makers in you tube videos say not to take more than 40 percent palms(ie they say palm oil and coconut oil combinedly not to exceed 40 percent).Also comment on the same.
Thanks in advance

As noted by @Rsapienza, commercial produced soap is make differently than artisan soap. Bricks of soap are turned into noodles, milled, stuff added, then it’s extruded and compressed into bars.

You are more than welcomed to try my recipe:

35% Olive Oil
20% Palm Oil
20% Coconut Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

33% Lye Concentration
5% Super Fat

1 Tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 Tea Kaolin Clay

I usually soap around 85F if I want working time, a 100F if I’m doing a single color. My recipe likes an 8 week cure and the first time you use a bar, you have to give it a good rubbing, but then it’s sudsy and lovely.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Palm oil 50%
Pomace olive oil 25%
Coconut oil 20%
Castor oil 5%

That's quite a nice formula!

I cured the soap for more than three weeks.
The soap was good and soft .But it is disintegrating fast

Three weeks is too soon to judge whether a soap is to your liking or not. A longer cure of 6-8 weeks in a cool room out of direct sunlight will make a big difference in how the soap performs.

To make it a bit harder do i need to add some butters so that it will last for some more days. Can i try modifing the recipe by reducing the plam oil percentage to 40 percent and add 10 percent cocoa or shea butter.

You can certainly try subbing the butters for some or all of the palm oil but rather than making a harder bar it will be a more luxurious bar. Cocoa & shea are lovely additions to a basic soap recipe, which is what you have now.

Also many soap makers in you tube videos say not to take more than 40 percent palms(ie they say palm oil and coconut oil combinedly not to exceed 40 percent).Also comment on the same.

I think they meant to say that PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) + Coconut Oil should not exceed 40%. Normally, you use one or the other or a combination of the two because they serve the same purpose, i.e., hardness & lather. Try making a small batch with PKO subbed for the coconut oil to see how you like it.

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

As noted by @Rsapienza, commercial produced soap is make differently than artisan soap. Bricks of soap are turned into noodles, milled, stuff added, then it’s extruded and compressed into bars.

You are more than welcomed to try my recipe:

35% Olive Oil
20% Palm Oil
20% Coconut Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

33% Lye Concentration
5% Super Fat

1 Tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 Tea Kaolin Clay

I usually soap around 85F if I want working time, a 100F if I’m doing a single color. My recipe likes an 8 week cure and the first time you use a bar, you have to give it a good rubbing, but then it’s sudsy and lovely.

you ask me to use virgin olive oil or pomace olive oil
and by 1 Tea do you mean tea spoon
as iam a beginner could you please let me know what do you mean by PPO
instead of kaolin clay may i use turmeric for colouring

That's quite a nice formula!

View attachment 63962


Three weeks is too soon to judge whether a soap is to your liking or not. A longer cure of 6-8 weeks in a cool room out of direct sunlight will make a big difference in how the soap performs.

You can certainly try subbing the butters for some or all of the palm oil but rather than making a harder bar it will be a more luxurious bar. Cocoa & shea are lovely additions to a basic soap recipe, which is what you have now.

I think they meant to say that PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) + Coconut Oil should not exceed 40%. Normally, you use one or the other or a combination of the two because they serve the same purpose, i.e., hardness & lather. Try making a small batch with PKO subbed for the coconut oil to see how you like it.

That's quite a nice formula!

View attachment 63962


Three weeks is too soon to judge whether a soap is to your liking or not. A longer cure of 6-8 weeks in a cool room out of direct sunlight will make a big difference in how the soap performs.

You can certainly try subbing the butters for some or all of the palm oil but rather than making a harder bar it will be a more luxurious bar. Cocoa & shea are lovely additions to a basic soap recipe, which is what you have now.

I think they meant to say that PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) + Coconut Oil should not exceed 40%. Normally, you use one or the other or a combination of the two because they serve the same purpose, i.e., hardness & lather. Try making a small batch with PKO subbed for the coconut oil to see how you like it.

thanks for your explanation
may i try a revised recipe as below
palm oil-15%
pomace olive oil-50%
coconut oil-20%
castor oil-5%
shea butter 10%

now the amount of palm oil and coconut oil is less than 40 percent.will it be a luxurious soap.may i choose the lye concentration as 40 % or 33%.can i use 5% superfat. and soap at 85 degree farenheit or 100 degree.
kindly comment on the above recipe
Thanks in advance

 

[artemis]

may i use turmeric for colouring

You can. When you first add it, it will be a beautiful orange color. However, that fades pretty quickly into a more tan/gold color. I like to use it to make the color of sand in a beach themed soap.

I just made this soap last night. The darker swirl has ground turmeric powder blended into it. I used one Teaspoon Per Pound of Oil. (ppo)

 

[TheGecko]

you ask me to use virgin olive oil or pomace olive oil
and by 1 Tea do you mean tea spoon
as iam a beginner could you please let me know what do you mean by PPO
instead of kaolin clay may i use turmeric for colouring

I just use a standard Olive Oil. I don't use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or VOO (virgin olive oil) because of the green tint and the expense...I'd rather save it for cooking, not soap. I used to use POO (pomace olive oil) because it was cheaper, but then I got a Costco Card (warehouse store) and can get regular OO for less.

Yes, "Tea" is Teaspoon and "Tab" is Tablespoon. I should put a "." after them to denote that it is an abbreviation, but I am lazy.

PPO means "per pound of oil" which would convert to 453.592 grams. Somewhere here, there is a list of common acronyms.

I don't use the Kaolin Clay for color, I use it because it's supposed to provide 'slip'...make the soap glide more smoothly, and because it's supposed to 'anchor'...make for a longer lasting scent. I honestly don't know if either of these are true since I've been using both for most of the time I have been making soap, but I have several bars that are over a year old and still smell very nice. It could just be that it's a really good FO or it could be that I mixed it with the Kaolin first and let it sit a bit. But it only adds like $0.02USD to the cost so why not?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

now the amount of palm oil and coconut oil is less than 40 percent.will it be a luxurious soap.may i choose the lye concentration as 40 % or 33%.can i use 5% superfat. and soap at 85 degree farenheit or 100 degree.
kindly comment on the above recipe

1. Your original recipe is a good one. I think you will like it better than your revision.
2. Palm oil and Palm Kernel Oil are NOT the same thing. Make your second batch substituting PKO for the Coconut oil in the recipe to experience using palm oil and PKO together.
3. For a luxurious soap, @TheGecko's recipe is a good one. 33% lye concentration; 5% SF.
4. For that recipe, I would use 120°-135°F (49°-57°C). Just my personal preference.

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

I just use a standard Olive Oil. I don't use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or VOO (virgin olive oil) because of the green tint and the expense...I'd rather save it for cooking, not soap. I used to use POO (pomace olive oil) because it was cheaper, but then I got a Costco Card (warehouse store) and can get regular OO for less.

Yes, "Tea" is Teaspoon and "Tab" is Tablespoon. I should put a "." after them to denote that it is an abbreviation, but I am lazy.

PPO means "per pound of oil" which would convert to 453.592 grams. Somewhere here, there is a list of common acronyms.

I don't use the Kaolin Clay for color, I use it because it's supposed to provide 'slip'...make the soap glide more smoothly, and because it's supposed to 'anchor'...make for a longer lasting scent. I honestly don't know if either of these are true since I've been using both for most of the time I have been making soap, but I have several bars that are over a year old and still smell very nice. It could just be that it's a really good FO or it could be that I mixed it with the Kaolin first and let it sit a bit. But it only adds like $0.02USD to the cost so why not?

many thanks for spending ur valuable time.
Let me try your recipe .
Thank you

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

1. Your original recipe is a good one. I think you will like it better than your revision.
2. Palm oil and Palm Kernel Oil are NOT the same thing. Make your second batch substituting PKO for the Coconut oil in the recipe to experience using palm oil and PKO together.
3. For a luxurious soap, @TheGecko's recipe is a good one. 33% lye concentration; 5% SF.
4. For that recipe, I would use 120°-135°F (49°-57°C). Just my personal preference.

Many thanks for your reply.
let me try the recipe for a luzurious soap by TheGecko

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

You can. When you first add it, it will be a beautiful orange color. However, that fades pretty quickly into a more tan/gold color. I like to use it to make the color of sand in a beach themed soap.

I just made this soap last night. The darker swirl has ground turmeric powder blended into it. I used one Teaspoon Per Pound of Oil. (ppo)

Thanks for your reply
i have attached the recipe.I will add 1 tea spoon of sodium lactate.This is the recipe of The Gecko where i dint use kaolin clay as iam a beginner let me try simple with wild turmeric for colouring.ofcourse kaolin clay is not for the purpose of colouring.Let me try a simple soap.also let me know if i can drop sodium lactate from the recipe.
The recipe is
Olive oil -35%
Palm oil -20%
Coconut oil-20%
Cocoa butter-10%
shea butter-10%
castor oil 5%

1 tea spoon sodium lactate PPO
33% lye concentration
5% superfat
I dint use essential oil
Suggest me if i have to necessariy use essential oil
also tell me if i can drop sodium lactate for my first batch as iam a beginner.i have attached the calculated recipe
Thanks in advace

 

[artemis]

Suggest me if i have to necessariy use essential oil
also tell me if i can drop sodium lactate for my first batch as iam a beginner

You can make soap without essential oil. In fact, it is good to start with small batches with no fragrance at all, to learn how to do it.

I have never used sodium lactate at all, so I can not offer advice.

 

[TheGecko]

Sodium Lactate is not necessary, but many soap makers use it to help harden their soap faster and unmold more quickly.

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

You can make soap without essential oil. In fact, it is good to start with small batches with no fragrance at all, to learn how to do it.

I have never used sodium lactate at all, so I can not offer advice.

Many thanks for your reply

 

[Kalpanaganesan]

Sodium Lactate is not necessary, but many soap makers use it to help harden their soap faster and unmold more quickly.

thank you very much