How are you offsetting the cost of Olive Oil?

[Tuftyloves]

I’ve been making and selling soap for about 4 years now, and I really really like my recipe (below) but I think I’m gonna have to change it soon. The two pack of light olive oil at my Costco was $19.99 when I started, and it’s now $53.99. I definitely need to decrease the amount of olive oil in my recipe, or at the very least cut costs elsewhere in the recipe.

I’ve thought about Safflower oil, but I’m worried about DOS. Rice bran might be a good option? What do you all think for olive oil replacements?

Are there good options for removing the butters from my recipe? That could help some with the cost as well. Ugh!

Thanks in advance!

45% olive oil
35% coconut oil
10% shea butter
7% cocoa butter
3% castor oil
I know a lot of people are bothered by a coconut oil percentage that high but it’s never been a bother for me or my customers. But I also don’t really want to go any higher, just in case.

 

[AliensrReal]

High oleic sunflower or safflower oil is a good option.

 

[Deadgroovy]

I've halved my O/O with sunflower oil in a sample batch. I can't tell the difference. Still nice and lathery and moisturising.

 

[natik]

How about lard or tallow? Just saying... Love the feel and longevity of the soap with those. And they are cheaper for now.

 

[MelissaG]

I used sunflower oil in my last batch.

 

[2lilboots]

My soaps are mostly lard. Since I don't use a lot of OO, I'm not going to change my recipe.

 

[Obsidian]

I'd swap out the butters for lard or palm. I use sunflower, safflower or avocado in place of OO, depends on what is available and prices

 

[cmzaha]

I like HO Canola. I always hated OO in soap so I would have been okay, but I retired from selling during COVID. I just noticed the price increase in OO, but also Lard, Palm, and Tallow 50# blocks have doubled or close to doubled in price from what I used to pay.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I use 20% OO and 20% RBO in mine - but I don't think our OO is as expensive as yours by the sound of it. When I started a 1 litre bottle of extra light OO was $9 and now about 6 years later it is $11.90. Instead I buy the 'pure' OO which is not as light in colour, but it's only $9.90 per litre. Our RBO sounds like e it's way cheaper here by all accounts - and I can get that for $5 per litre.

 

[Relle]

I use 20% OO and 20% RBO in mine - but I don't think our OO is as expensive as yours by the sound of it. When I started a 1 litre bottle of extra light OO was $9 and now about 6 years later it is $11.90. Instead I buy the 'pure' OO which is not as light in colour, but it's only $9.90 per litre. Our RBO sounds like e it's way cheaper here by all accounts - and I can get that for $5 per litre.

I agree with you Kiwi, it's about time we had something that is cheaper here, I think it's because we grow it here, I've noticed the imported stuff is so much dearer. I also saw something about a disease in some crops o/s so there is a shortage.

 

[Zuleika]

Just to check, these 2 are Canola oil labels and would be considered mid oleic? I've been wanting to replace part of my OO and went back to looking at Canola and Sunflower. There are no cost friendly HO versions locally. Recently I found some Canola brands that have changed numbers for sat/unsat fat.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Just to check, these 2 are Canola oil labels and would be considered mid oleic? I've been wanting to replace part of my OO and went back to looking at Canola and Sunflower. There are no cost friendly HO versions locally. Recently I found some Canola brands that have changed numbers for sat/unsat fat.

View attachment 76936
View attachment 76935

Here is a great article that should help. https://classicbells.com/soap/highO... the label for phrases,mid or high oleic type.
These labels are for oils with around 60% monounsaturated oil which makes them mid-oleic.

 

[Zuleika]

Thanks @Tammyfarms ! This article really explained it easily. Off to the supermarket I go. Preparing for the inevitable OO price increase.

 

[Kcryss]

Looking at oil prices on soaperchoice, I found Cottonseed Winterized and it's the same price as their high oleic sunflower oil. Looking at the calculators, cottonseed oil would be more along the lines of grapeseed oil. It has a very high linoleic content. However, the calculators do not address "Winterized" cottonseed oil.

Doing a bit of research I came across a company selling winterized cottonseed oil and the description is the same as what Soaperschoice lists. If all winterized cottonseed oil follows the same process and results in a similar fatty acid profile, it is very different from regular cottonseed oil.

Is anyone (maybe @DeeAnna ?) familiar with winterized cottonseed oil or happen to know what the true fatty acid profile might be?

https://gatewayfoodproducts.com/wp-...onseed-Oil-WINTERIZED-Specification-Sheet.pdf

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Kcryss
The fatty acid composition for winterized cottonseed looked promising, but it's inconsistent with the fat composition given in the Nutrition Facts - 50% polyunsaturated (e.g. linoleic, linolenic).

 

[Kcryss]

@Kcryss
The fatty acid composition for winterized cottonseed looked promising, but it's inconsistent with the fat composition given in the Nutrition Facts - 50% polyunsaturated (e.g. linoleic, linolenic).

View attachment 76944

Ohh ... good point. I didn't think to look at the fat content. Do you think the facts that they are showing with 70% oleic is false? It's looking that way for sure.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Ohh ... good point. I didn't think to look at the fat content. Do you think the facts that they are showing with 70% oleic is false? It's looking that way for sure.

The Nutrition Facts label must follow FDA guidelines, so that's what I would rely on.

 

[Kcryss]

The Nutrition Facts label must follow FDA guidelines, so that's what I would rely on.

Good to know.

 

[Ahmad Habib]

I’ve been making and selling soap for about 4 years now, and I really really like my recipe (below) but I think I’m gonna have to change it soon. The two pack of light olive oil at my Costco was $19.99 when I started, and it’s now $53.99. I definitely need to decrease the amount of olive oil in my recipe, or at the very least cut costs elsewhere in the recipe.

I’ve thought about Safflower oil, but I’m worried about DOS. Rice bran might be a good option? What do you all think for olive oil replacements?

Are there good options for removing the butters from my recipe? That could help some with the cost as well. Ugh!

Thanks in advance!

45% olive oil
35% coconut oil
10% shea butter
7% cocoa butter
3% castor oil
I know a lot of people are bothered by a coconut oil percentage that high but it’s never been a bother for me or my customers. But I also don’t really want to go any higher, just in case.

I think that rice bran oil would be a good choice and you could reduce the percentage of butters a bit too. High oleic sunflower and high oleic canola oil would be good too. If these are not available then you should use canola oil and increase the percentage of butters in your recipe. Add salt at the rate of 3% to 5% of water in your soap and also citric acid, rosemary oleoresin extract and vitamin E oil will help reduce DOS in soap with canola oil. Adding beeswax with add a lot of hardness to soap and you could reduce the percentage of butters in the soap instead.

 

[MichaelP]

Just wanted to add that I am thankful for this thread! Went to Costco this past weekend and the 2-pack OO was $57.99!!! Yikes! I'll be looking at the substitutions that were mentioned here. Happy Soaping everyone!