Green Olive Oil Soap

[StolacSapun]

When making a Castille soap the soap turns out white, so how do some manufacturers of olive oil soap make their soap green without any colorants?

 

[CaraBou]

They are likely using pomace olive oil, which has a green tint. Regular and EV OO do not have that same effect.

 

[Obsidian]

Most likely raw unfiltered pomace.

 

[StolacSapun]

Most likely raw unfiltered pomace.

I was thinking that too, but do you know where to get it? I only managed to find one source but they only ship in bulk.

 

[DeeAnna]

Where in the world do you live? We're an international bunch.

 

[BeesKnees]

The EV OO I buy from Costco is greenish in color, but the bul EV OO I bought from a soaping supplier isn't, so does that mean the EV OO from Costco is pomace?

 

[StolacSapun]

Where in the world do you live? We're an international bunch.

I live in California specifically the Bay Area.

The EV OO I buy from Costco is greenish in color, but the bul EV OO I bought from a soaping supplier isn't, so does that mean the EV OO from Costco is pomace?

I think it's just because some EVOO is green and some isn't

 

[kayjmp]

I use hemp oil to get a bit of a green colour!

 

[earlene]

I wonder how long the green lasts. I've made Castile without any added color using OO that looks dark to me, but the soap is not green.

Since you live in the SF Bay Area, you have access to so many stores where you can go and ask the buyers (those who choose what the store will buy to stock the shelves) if they carry what you want, should you not find it on the shelves. Plus you have the whole California Olive industry at your disposal.

Here is one example of an unrefined California OO that you can purchase. I am sure there are many more, but you may have to contact the OO manufacturers for more information.

I also went to the Papoutsani website and saw that they say the don't use artificial colorants. That does not mean they don't use natural colorants. I don't know the rules about listing colorants on soaps in Greece.

My guess is that they do use some sort of naturally occurring colorants, but without further research and actually working for them, I guess I cannot know this for sure. I just don't believe a 100% Olive Oil soap without additional colorants is going to be that shade of green no matter what OO you buy or how soon you sell it after it was made. And as we all know, it needs a good long cure, during which time the color tends to fade anyway with most natural colorants. So I wonder which one they are using (if they are using one) and if it lasts the life of the bar. So far I haven't found one that stays green as it ages.

 

[StolacSapun]

I wonder how long the green lasts. I've made Castile without any added color using OO that looks dark to me, but the soap is not green.

Since you live in the SF Bay Area, you have access to so many stores where you can go and ask the buyers (those who choose what the store will buy to stock the shelves) if they carry what you want, should you not find it on the shelves. Plus you have the whole California Olive industry at your disposal.

Here is one example of an unrefined California OO that you can purchase. I am sure there are many more, but you may have to contact the OO manufacturers for more information.

I also went to the Papoutsani website and saw that they say the don't use artificial colorants. That does not mean they don't use natural colorants. I don't know the rules about listing colorants on soaps in Greece.

My guess is that they do use some sort of naturally occurring colorants, but without further research and actually working for them, I guess I cannot know this for sure. I just don't believe a 100% Olive Oil soap without additional colorants is going to be that shade of green no matter what OO you buy or how soon you sell it after it was made. And as we all know, it needs a good long cure, during which time the color tends to fade anyway with most natural colorants. So I wonder which one they are using (if they are using one) and if it lasts the life of the bar. So far I haven't found one that stays green as it ages.

I've tried contacting Californian olive growers but they all responded by saying they only produce EVOO and that they give dried pomace to livestock instead of processing it. I've tried looking for bigger olive operations in California but I have difficulty finding any. As for what makes the soaps green, I'm fairly certain it's crude pomace olive oil as I've seen in videos and soapmaker's websites that big-scale soap producers use crude pomace which in turn makes their olive soap green. Although the soap is green, it does slightly fade away but it still keeps some of its green color.

 

[Susie]

Could it possibly be an Aleppo soap that also uses Laurel Berry Oil? Those are green.

 

[StolacSapun]

Could it possibly be an Aleppo soap that also uses Laurel Berry Oil? Those are green.

I think the laurel berry oil makes the soap even more green than it would otherwise be. But there are cases where companies like Patounis have a Castille soap that is green but the outside does eventually turn golden with the inside staying green.

 

[penelopejane]

You have to use HP crude OO. Otherwise you will get DOS. It's like thick brown sludge.

 

[StolacSapun]

You have to HP crude OO. Otherwise you will get DOS. It's like thick brown sludge.

You would probably have to use the boiled method.

 

[penelopejane]

You would probably have to use the boiled method.

Yes you are right sorry that is what i meant. Boil it for days - the old traditional method. I was talking to an Italian whose grandmother used to use it to make soap. It didn't come out green, though, it was cream.

 

[randycoxclemson]

My pure castille with Pomace is nowhere near green. It's just off white.

I made a soap with some hemp oil, and it was much darker green in the oil mix and after trace, so I thought I'd get a nice green soap. Nope, after gel it was off white.

I also made an Aleppo with 20% Laurel and 80% pomace, sort of light tan.

Other than colorants or maybe hot process, I can't think of a way to get a green soap.

 

[StolacSapun]

Yes you are right sorry that is what i meant. Boil it for days - the old traditional method. I was talking to an Italian whose grandmother used to use it to make soap. It didn't come out green, though, it was cream.

With modern high purity lye, it can be done in 4-8 hours but I'm not sure if cooking the soap for more will improve the quality.

My pure castille with Pomace is nowhere near green. It's just off white.

I made a soap with some hemp oil, and it was much darker green in the oil mix and after trace, so I thought I'd get a nice green soap. Nope, after gel it was off white.

I also made an Aleppo with 20% Laurel and 80% pomace, sort of light tan.

Other than colorants or maybe hot process, I can't think of a way to get a green soap.

I'm trying to get crude pomace olive oil to truly see if it makes the resulting soap green. With many producers of soap using it and adding no colorants and their soap being green, I'm inclined to believe it will make the soap green.

 

[Nevada]

Given that some EVOO is actually cheaper oils colored with Chlorophyll, perhaps that is why their soap is green?
But wouldn't Lye make the Chlorophyll turn brown?
Roy

 

[StolacSapun]

Given that some EVOO is actually cheaper oils colored with Chlorophyll, perhaps that is why their soap is green?
But wouldn't Lye make the Chlorophyll turn brown?
Roy

I don't think so because many of these companies have said they use crude pomace.

 

[Gerry]

I've seen ebay ads for pure 100% EVOO castile that say their soap being a light shade green is proof of the extra virgin being used in their bars. That puzzled me because my EVOO castile is never green!