Hemp soap

[Pansy]

Has anyone had success making hemp soap with 40% hemp oil?

 

[fiddletree]

I haven't ever used hemp oil, because I've read that it goes rancid really fast. I think making a soap with that much of it in there is asking for DOS!

 

[green soap]

Hemp oil is a wonderful oil to eat raw, in salads and so, it has heaps of omega 3 fatty acids.

It is very perishable and it is better to keep it refrigerated. So your soap would have a little extra fat which would be 40% hemp oil. This means you would have to treat the soap the same as your oil. You don't want to make a soap that should be refrigerated, right? not practical. But you could do it, and just be aware of that fact and use the soaps as soon as they cure.

If you try it make sure to post about your experience!

 

[moosie]

I made some back in October I think, I was still and am still very new at soap making. In hindsight I wouldn't of made it but being new I tried it out. So far so good, though I have to look up my notes to see what percentage I used, maybe around 30?? I"ll update if I start seeing DOS

 

[judymoody]

I was curious as I just got some hemp oil that I used in lotion and it's lovely stuff. Playing around with soapcalc, I got some nice numbers using 20% hemp, 25% CO, 35% PO, and 20% OO. Linoleic and Linolenic acids combined were at 22, a bit higher than the regulation 15 but not too bad. If you used ROE or vitamin E to retard oxidation, I think you'd get a reasonably stable soap at 20% hemp. You might even push it to 25% but I'd hesitate to go beyond that.

Hmm, I think I may give this recipe a shot myself.

 

[dirrdee]

I've used hemp in recipes before but not more than 3 oz or so...it makes for a really nice lather (which is why I used it) but all the soap I made with it got DOS at about the 9 month mark

 

[xyxoxy]

10% is the highest I ever go with hemp... but I love what it does for my soap.

 

[moosie]

I've been using my hemp soap for the last couple days and it lathers awesome and makes my skin feel so silky

 

[yarnivore]

When I first started making soap last year I made a 40% hemp oil soap and it did not turn out well. It was very very soft and had DOS and smelled rancid after only a few weeks. I've since read that a much lower percentage if better when using hemp oil. I haven't used it since that bad experience but Dr. Bronner's uses it in their soaps and their soap lasts for years. It's one of the last ingredients listed on their label so I assume it's a very small amount and they also use tocopherols for preservatives. Keep trying and let us know if you figure out a good maximum percentage!

 

[Pansy]

Thanks for all the feedback. I will try 20% hemp. My niece loved it the last time I made it.
Hate to sound so ignorant, but what does DOS mean?

 

[green soap]

DOS = dreaded orange spots. These are usually pea sized spots on your soap, which are the beginning or rancidity.

 

[Pansy]

Thanks. I have seen those on old soap bars

 

[Jamison]

I have used hemp oil (at under 10%) in every batch of soap I've made. I have bars I made almost a year and a half ago that don't have orange spots.

Hemp use to be my most expensive ingredient in the batch (even at 10%) but after a vendor change, CO is my most expensive oil.

 

[Pansy]

May I ask who your current vendor is? Thanks for the info.

 

[Jamison]

I'll send you a message about it.

I was getting it from Mountain Rose Herbs (Eugene, OR) for quite a white at $99/gallon.

I'm getting it from a more direct source from Canada now though.

 

[Pansy]

I usually buy mine from Columbus Foods. Sometimes I get it from Mountain Rose Herbs

 

[Padamae]

I use hemp in many of my soaps in small amounts though never more than.10% and I have not seen dos. I get mine from.Columbus foods.

 

[youreapima2]

Not to be redundant or ask a stupid question, but I've read that Hemp oil goes rancid quick. The shelf life is approximately 6 months.

If you keep it in the refrigerator does it last longer than 6 months?
I really want to try hemp oil from Columbus foods, but I would hate for it to go bad before I got the chance to use it all. I usually make small batches of soap 2lbs. at a time.

What about once you make soap with it? Can it still go rancid in the soap after say 6 months?

 

[judymoody]

If you keep it in the freezer in a container without a lot of air space it can last a good long time. How long, I don't know but I've read that some folks have extended the shelf life for years. YMMV.

I have some in the freezer now and it's the only oil I have stored there that does not go solid. it's still pourable and it's one of those heavy duty chest freezers. So far so good.