Grease Cutting Shower Bar Ideas?

[jadiebugs1]

Ok, I've been wanting to make a soap for my XDH. He works with Heavy Equipment in the construction field. He sometimes uses Dawn dish detergent to shower with! (ugh) 'cause he says it's the only thing that cuts the grease. So here's my idea so far with what I have....let me know what you think would possibly help. I did a search on the subject and found only this thread which has helped a little....but I'm not sure I want to add any "scrubbie" stuff since the plan is to make a shower soap, not a hand soap. Anyway....here's the link.....

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... se+cutting

Here's my recipe idea so far....

85% Coconut Oil
5% Castor
10% Conditioning Oil (Olive??, I also have sweet almond oil and mango butter, safflower, canola, grapeseed)

I think using Goats Milk might make it more conditioning, but not sure if it will detract from the hopeful cleansing properties of the CO. (Paul?)

Orange Essential Oil. Not sure what to add with this to "anchor" it. I do have Rosemary FO (no essential oil).
How would coffee (brewed) work? Will the coffee fragrance remain in the soap, would that mix well with orange EO???? I've never used coffee before, so I'm not sure how it behaves.

That's my big plan so far! Any ideas or help would be much appreciated!
Thanks

 

[MikeInPdx]

I don't know how you feel about petroleum products, but I have a couple of recipes for shampoo bars, and mechanics bars that contain a small amount of kerosene or turpentine. I know they both help cut the grease on laundry...can't see why they wouldn't here either.

Coffee is not a big deal to soap with.....the lye solution stinks at first but it goes away quickly and leave a touch of coffee fragrance in the soap.

I've never had much luck with orange oil staying, but I've only tried to anchor it with castor.

Hope this helps,
Mike

 

[donniej]

The pure glycerin soap I make from my BioDiesel byproduct works *extremely* well at cutting grease. It is simply glycerin, water and lye.

 

[jadiebugs1]

yea..... :? Thanks for the idea, but I don't think I want to mess with the kerosene or turpentine, don't have either anyway. Maybe in the future I will give that a go.

Does coffee actually help cut grease?? Or is it the grounds that are sometimes added for scrubbieness which does it? I know Orange oil is known for cutting grease and I have some of that......wondering out loud here, just because the fragrance of the orange oil fades away, does that mean it's grease cutting qualities do too? Anyone know?

How's the base oils look as far as the recipe goes? I was planning on superfatting at 10% so it would not be so drying as coconut can be to some people, but then again if he can wash with Dawn!........

Oh, and thank both of you for your quick responses!

Donniej......is the vegetable glycerin that I have (clear, liquid, bought online) anything like your by product glycerin? Considering I don't have what you use, I'm wondering if adding some veg. glycerin to the soap recipe would have any effect. I don't have enough to make a whole batch of soap out of though! I only have like 4 oz. of it.

 

[MikeInPdx]

The base recipe is going to be very cleansing and really drying but your superfatting should help. Since coconut lasts so long, you may even want to consider upping the percentage to around 15%

Coffee really does nothing for grease, but I've found it to be a wonderful deodorizer in soap. It makes onion, garlic, permanent wave solution all go away.

With the orange EO.....I made some of my first soaps with these. I have noticed that they're more drying than some others, so I think the degreasing effect is still there if the scent isn't.

 

[mare61]

I'm selling my coffee soap at a farmers market and I had a guy stopping by a few weeks ago and buying more coffee soap because he liked it for the "grease-cutting" effect. He looked to be mechanic.

For my 1000g batch I use:
600 g Coconut Oil
200 g Olive Oil
200 g Veg. Shortening

Strong Instant Coffee to make the lye solution, added 2 Tsp. used Coffee Grounds and 1.5 oz Black Coffee FO.

Hope this helps

Sorry, forgot to add
that I superfat it at 8% and I also add 1 tsp Glycerin

 

[donniej]

Sharon,
Your glycerin is similar to mine... It should work the same. Mine is raw, un-bleached though so it's dark brown.

I think the main thing you need to do for a grease cutting soap is to play with the lye... the more you add, the more grease cutting power it has. The question is how much is "too much".

I just noticed you're in PA. If you're near Philly I'd be happy to give you a gallon or two. In fact I'll be running a batch this weekend. Let me know if you'd like some (free, just bring a jug).

 

[cdwinsby]

For a conditioning and grease cutting bar, I would up your superfat to 15 or 20% since your using quite a high amount of coconut oil. The sweet orange can be fixed by using a number of things....

"Benzoin powder or e/o, orris root powder, frankincense e/o, patchouli e/o, oakmoss e/o, cedarwood e/o, myrrh e/o, ylang ylang e/o, vetiver e/o, copaiba balsam e/o and kaolin clay are all examples of fixatives that can be used in soapmaking."

Also spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg....just a small amount and it will add some scrubbie effect.

Coffee and orange smell great together as well....I do a bar that uses some of the above but not with the high percentage of coconut.

Here's a link to the recipe:
http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/soap-recipe-coffee.html

 

[earthsessencellc]

My husband is a plumber and I have made up a bar soap that he says really gets the gunk off of him......

It's nothing much a basic bar, a little higher in coconut oil and palm kernal oils (10% more each), but I like to add/use tea tree oil some poppy seed as the exfoliant and I also add 1/4 cup of 'Fullers earth clay' to the mix, it will make your bar a slight 'earthy green' color. but Fuller's Earth clay is known to help cut through grease and dirt. My husband says it gets al the 'pipe puddy' that he uses off o fhis hands, and there is NOTHING on the market that gets this stuff off. I buy my Fullers earth clay at Nu Scents soap and candle making company.