How to test oils?

[Sakina.murtaza]

It is difficult to find USA made oils for soap making in UAE markets. Therefore I am planning to use the oils that I use for cooking baking and hair. But is there any way of testing them that if they are suitable for cold process soap?

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "testing." What kinds of tests do you want to do? If you really want to get into doing analytical chemistry, I recommend Kevin Dunn's book Scientific Soapmaking as a good resource for test procedures modified to be suitable for a kitchen chemist. Otherwise the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) is a good resource for more official test methods, but you will need access to a chemistry lab setup to do these tests.

But there are simpler things you can do first -- One thing would be to compare the fats you have with the fats listed on various soap making websites. That would tell you if other people use these fats for making soap. Soapcalc.net or Soapee.com both have lists of fats people use for soap making.

Another thing to do is contact the suppliers or manufacturers of the fats you have to see what chemical data they can provide about their products.

 

[Obsidian]

A lot of people use cooking oils for soap making, including myself.

Just make sure the oils you are buying are fresh as possible.

 

[DeeAnna]

You could also share your list of oils here and see what people on this forum can tell you. We get that kind of question fairly often.

 

[Sakina.murtaza]

thank you for replies. i am planning to start with simple recipe.
7oz Distilled Water
4.5oz Sodium Hydroxide
20.6 oz Olive Oil
8.3oz Coconut Oil
4.1oz Castor Oil

and I am planning to buy these products as they are easy available in UAE stores.

coconut oil:
https://www.carrefouruae.com/mafuae...X0D280rRGv3UUmr-ASA-HouI62TAQ-nYaAvPYEALw_wcB

Olive oil:
https://www.amazon.ae/Rahma-Olive-O...ocphy=1000013&hvtargid=pla-803463915290&psc=1

Castor oil:
https://www.amazon.ae/Wells-Castor-Oil-70-ml/dp/B07MVXR892

I also have this fragrance oil. chamomile oil for fragrance
https://www.hashems.com/store/essential-oils/hemani-chamomile-oil-30ml

and finally caustic soda
https://www.desertcart.ae/products/...UfDOxb5HtQM_L2TlUbgDaNQhli-ZZ32UaAnuGEALw_wcB

Will this all work?

 

[shunt2011]

Your recipe will work. I would lower the Castor to 5-7%. Much more and it can be sticky. I also recommend not making more than 16 oz batches until you get the hang of it. Less wasted if something goes wrong or you find you don't like it.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with all of the advice Shari (shunt) gave you.

Many of us use sodium hydroxide from hardware stores and fats, oils, and other ingredients from food stores, especially when we make our first batches of soap. I do not see any problem with the ingredients you listed.

A suggestion -- Your lye concentration is about 40%, and I would not hesitate to use that lye concentration for this particular recipe. That said, you might consider trying a 33% lye concentration instead, given that this is your very first batch.

The little bit of extra water will probably give you a little more time to work with the batter. I remember I was awkward and "all thumbs" when I made my first batch, so it was a good thing my first batch moved fairly slowly.