essential oils for a noob

[dudemanguy]

Hey everyone! My names Daniel and im a noob.

I'm about to make my first ever soap and wanted some advice when it comes to essential oils. This will be CP.

I'm going to use frankincense and myrrh ES. As is my first soap, I'm keeping it simple stupid and using 1KG of base oils.

85% Beef tallow
10% 76deg coconut oil
5% Lanolin

I think I'll be superfatting at 6% and adding the lanolin at trace with the essential oils.

So, how much essential oils? I have 40mls total. 20 of frank and 20 of myrrh. If I added the lot, that would work out at 4% right?

 

[dudemanguy]

Also, any advise with the lanolin would b be great. I hear it degrades at above 40c?

 

[Susie]

Hi, and Welcome!

I, personally, would not add the lanolin for a first batch. I would stick with basic oils to start with. Coconut, tallow, lard, palm, castor oil. Nothing fancy.

Do you know how to use a lye calculator? If not, that is where you start. You can just enter the oils and it will tell you how much EOs to add.

 

[dudemanguy]

Yes I've already run the recipe through soapcalc.

Why would you not add the lanolin? I can't see any reason not to, the main issue I see is whether to add it at trace, or in with the oils to start with.

I don't want a whole heap of different oils. I want a tallow bar with just a bit of coconut for a bit of bubble and a bit of lanolin because my skin loves it.

 

[Seawolfe]

If you're doing cold process, it doesn't matter when you add the lanolin, it doesn't help to add anything after trace, so just mix it in

 

[Susie]

What you want is a baseline to compare the soap made with lanolin to. Otherwise, how will you know if it makes it better or not?

I, personally, find no benefit whatsoever to adding small amounts of higher priced oils. You might think differently. Only way to know for sure is to make one soap without, and one with.

I understand that you don't want a bunch of oils. I love simplicity. But, after running your recipe through soapcalc, I see a very hard bar, with very low conditioning. Using a liquid oil like olive, almond, rice bran, etc will help a bit with that. But, again, it is your skin, and your soap, and you need to figure out what works for you.

 

[Candybee]

Suzie makes a good point. It does help a lot to start with a basic recipe to learn how the oils work and feel in your soap, what they do or do not contribute, etc.

Having said that, I make a few soaps with lanolin and I can most definitely feel the difference with it in my soap. But I tend to use it in my specialty soaps like my shaving soap. It really makes a difference.

If this is the base recipe you want to start with then I don't see why you can't make what you want to make. You have to start somewhere. Maybe next time use the same recipe without the lanolin so you can make a comparison.

 

[dudemanguy]

Okau guys Thanks for all the input.

I wanted a more conditioning bar, so I changed my recipe to include olive and castor oil.

40% beef tallow
40% olive oil
5% castor oilt
15% coconut oil

I also decided to yo with eucalyptus and tea tree oil at 3%
I did the lanolin at 2% (next time I'll leave it out and compare and try it at 5%)

Also, I know is not recommended for a noobs first soap, but im pretty confident so I did it Hot process.

Made the soap last night, it was effortless and no issues at all. Un molded the soap this morning. Washed my hands with a little chunk and im pleased with its performance, but for me and my dry skin I think it cleans a little too well. Maybe less coconut next time.

I think I'm now addicted to making soap. The wifes gunna kill me...too many hobbies

 

[Susie]

Welcome to the addiction!

HP does not eliminate the need for cure time. Your recipe looks wonderful if you gave it a decent amount of superfat. I like at least 5%. Give it 4-6 weeks, and you should have a very conditioning soap there. I just can't explain how much more marvelous that soap is going to be in time. THEN you will be forever spoiled rotten to using hand made soap! AND your wife is going to absolutely adore you for it!

 

[dudemanguy]

Right, I thought the point of HP Wad so it was ready to use basically straight away? And that it just needs a couple of weeks to dry out some?

I did superfat at 5%

Well seiing as it will take a few weeks, I mught do a large batch of this recipe CP.

 

[Susie]

Nope. I truly don't understand the appeal of HP since it still needs the same cure.

 

[dudemanguy]

But everything I've read online says otherwise? That once its been cooked the saponification is complete and all it need is time to dry out?

 

[jade-15]

But everything I've read online says otherwise? That once its been cooked the saponification is complete and all it need is time to dry out?

Yep. Saponification is complete and it needs time to dry out aka cure... Lots of stuff happens during cure, more so than just losing water. The bad becomes milder. So yes, even HP needs cure.
The benefit of HP, as far as I'm aware, is that you can add things after its cooked so it uses less EOs, or you can add a specific oil for superfat.

 

[dudemanguy]

Ah okay well that makes sence. If it takes the same amount of time I the end, ill stick to CP. As I dont really like the semi translucent colour the HP did to my soap, from gelling I assume. Id like to avoid that and get a nice white solid bar.