Hmm...Olive Oil & Coconut Oil ONLY as a Vegan option?

[NativeSoap]

I've been researching online Soap Shops, that sell mainly Vegan soaps, and MOST of the ones I've come across, list OO and CO as the ONLY oils in their ingredients. I could list a couple sites as reference, if you'd like. Having said that, if it's "common", for sellers to sell just these two-oil soaps, are there any recipes out there that you could recommend for this? I'm guessing getting the superfat just right would be really important as well. It just seems like that high of an OO content would take forever to cure in before those shops could sell their product.

It seems like a high OO would also make a soft bar (initially), and that a higher CO may lead to dryness. I've also read here on the forums that you can add Sodium Lactate to harden the bar quicker? Do you think that is what they most likely do? If you were to "guess", what would you say the percentages of each would be (ball park)?? I mean, if it's good enough for them to be successful and sell online, it must not be a bad bar of soap, I'm guessing, especially if they've been in business this long.

I'd love to be able to just use these two oils and get by with it for now, if possible. Maybe the addition of a little Castrol for extra bubbles. Anyways, I'm on the hunt for a 2nd recipe like this to do a test with when my supplies come in. Thanks!

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

OO and CO are most common because they are inexpensive. There are MANY plant oils that can be used in soap, they're just much pricier and the overhead is often too much for bigger businesses. ETA: I don't sell; just a hobby and give as gifts.

I use OO, CO, Organic and RSPO certified Palm Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, and Castor Oil. Sometimes I also use Jojoba Oil as an additive; it is technically a liquid wax.

Here is a link to a good OO, CO, Castor recipe:


It's from Katie Carson's Royal Creative Academy playlist on her Royalty Soaps YouTube channel (I recommend this to everyone; it's how I first learned.)

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

OH! ALSO...
People also use butters in their soaps; shea, cocoa, mango, etc. I'm, personally, not a fan of butters in soaps, but there are MANY people on here who are. Butters will help even out the texture; not too hard, not too soft.

You could also play with the Superfat. A 100% CO soap at 0% superfat is great for dish soap, but very stripping on the skin. A 100% CO soap with 20% superfat is lovely!

 

[NativeSoap]

OH! ALSO...
People also use butters in their soaps; shea, cocoa, mango, etc. I'm, personally, not a fan of butters in soaps, but there are MANY people on here who are. Butters will help even out the texture; not too hard, not too soft.

You could also play with the Superfat. A 100% CO soap at 0% superfat is great for dish soap, but very stripping on the skin. A 100% CO soap with 20% superfat is lovely!

Awesome, thank you. I believe I've heard about the CO soap analogy (or something similar) mentioned somewhere else in the forum. May have been you in another thread!

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

Awesome, thank you. I believe I've heard about the CO soap analogy (or something similar) mentioned somewhere else in the forum. May have been you in another thread!

LOL!!! It could have been any of us! I learnt about it on a reply somewhere here too! There are so many wonderful things on this forum to find. I like to go to the "New Posts" tab and look through all those. I learned A LOT by doing that.

 

[DeeAnna]

...Maybe the addition of a little Castrol for extra bubbles....

Oh, my goodness, I hope not.

Maybe you meant castor bean oil?

 

[NativeSoap]

Oh, my goodness, I hope not.

Maybe you meant castor bean oil?

Well that reminds me. I need to change the oil in the truck

Yes, CASTOR oil.

 

[Michelle0803]

Sunflower oil is also vegan

 

[NativeSoap]

Sunflower oil is also vegan

Yes, for sure. I had thought about it, but noticed it only has around a 6 month shelf life. I was thinking it's pretty short compared to like OO and CO. I plan on using ROE in all my oils accept for Castor and hard oils. Wondering if the 6 month shelf life applies after it's been soponified as well, or if it is is a long lasting oil in soap also.

 

[AliOop]

Yes, for sure. I had thought about it, but noticed it only has around a 6 month shelf life. I was thinking it's pretty short compared to like OO and CO. I plan on using ROE in all my oils accept for Castor and hard oils. Wondering if the 6 month shelf life applies after it's been soponified as well, or if it is is a long lasting oil in soap also.

High-oleic sunflower or safflower have a longer shelf-lives than the standard versions of those oils. This means that your soaps will have a longer shelf-life and will be less prone to DOS due to the lower total amounts of linolenic and linoleic acids.

Adding the appropriate (tiny) amount of ROE to those oils when purchased will further extend the shelf-life.

 

[dibbles]

I have been using high oleic sunflower oil at 10-20% in most of my batches for many years. When I was able to buy 2 lb. bottles at Trader Joe's I didn't add ROE. When TJ's didn't have HO sunflower available, I bought a 7 lb. bottle from Soaper's Choice and did add ROE to that when it was first opened. I haven't had any problems with DOS. Since I make a lot of soap and don't sell, it can be up to a year before it is given away or donated, and sometimes 2+ years before I use it myself.

 

[NativeSoap]

I have been using high oleic sunflower oil at 10-20% in most of my batches for many years. When I was able to buy 2 lb. bottles at Trader Joe's I didn't add ROE. When TJ's didn't have HO sunflower available, I bought a 7 lb. bottle from Soaper's Choice and did add ROE to that when it was first opened. I haven't had any problems with DOS. Since I make a lot of soap and don't sell, it can be up to a year before it is given away or donated, and sometimes 2+ years before I use it myself.

Wow, thank you for that info! I've got ROE enroute and it should him my mailbox any day now. I'll give Sunflower Oil serious consideration!

 

[dibbles]

I'll give Sunflower Oil serious consideration

Just so I am clear - high oleic sunflower oil is what you want.

 

[NativeSoap]

Just so I am clear - high oleic sunflower oil is what you want.

Yes, the high oleic.

 

[FrayGrants]

I can't believe no one has recommended this yet. It is a big hit around here and many people's favorite.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/

 

[NativeSoap]

Thank you. I've definitely seen it and have it bookmarked! Will def try one of these days!

 

[NativeSoap]

Thank you. I've definitely seen it and have it bookmarked! Will def try one of these days!

 

[lenarenee]

Did all of your questions get answered? And yes, a 75 to 80 percent olive oil soap with coconut makes a nice soap. Castor is bonus.
Yes, it will need a nice, long cure. And when it's done curing, it will need to be kept as dry as possible between uses because olive oil soap is a very "thirsty" soap and will soak up lots of water and soften the bar....leading to swelling and cracking.

I prefer high oleic safflower and sunflower over olive oil for many reasons, and don't have issues with shelf life, so if you want to replace a percentage of olive with either of those I don't think you have anything to worry about. (I haven't used them at higher than 40 percent.)

 

[NativeSoap]

Did all of your questions get answered? And yes, a 75 to 80 percent olive oil soap with coconut makes a nice soap. Castor is bonus.
Yes, it will need a nice, long cure. And when it's done curing, it will need to be kept as dry as possible between uses because olive oil soap is a very "thirsty" soap and will soak up lots of water and soften the bar....leading to swelling and cracking.

I prefer high oleic safflower and sunflower over olive oil for many reasons, and don't have issues with shelf life, so if you want to replace a percentage of olive with either of those I don't think you have anything to worry about. (I haven't used them at higher than 40 percent.)

Thank you! I need to look into a supplier of those oils. Current recipe I'll try uses 40% OO. I'll try a test batch using 20 OO and 20 sun or saf oil. If I can find a supplier that doesn't have outrageous shipping to northern Az.

 

[johnnyusa]

Oh heck yea!
Those were my only two oils for a couple years but eventually one can't help but notice how much better it is w some cocoa butter for stearic and palm oil for palmitic...