Linoleic Acid
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What oils are you considering?
I have used hemp seed oil at 20% in a salt bar.
I have used non-HO sunflower up to 30% but quickly caused DOS. The recipes with 10% have no DOS.
I have used grapeseed oil at 10% with no DOS.
I didn't notice any difference in the soaps.
I have used hemp seed oil at 20% in a salt bar.
I have used non-HO sunflower up to 30% but quickly caused DOS. The recipes with 10% have no DOS.
I have used grapeseed oil at 10% with no DOS.
I didn't notice any difference in the soaps.
I've found that hemp seed oil will give off a faint "scent" of the plant family, for months and months after the soap is made, so if your "filler" is hemp seed oil, you'll (and maybe people around you) will know 
Dean
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I've found that hemp seed oil will give off a faint "scent" of the plant family, for months and months after the soap is made, so if your "filler" is hemp seed oil, you'll (and maybe people around you) will know
Filler is almond. Hemp is refined so no hippy smell. No offense to the hippies.
I've read that linoleic acid is more conditioning than oleic acid and I tend to add a small amount of linoleic in all my soaps - mainly because of this article, though I have to admid I never straight up compared a low-linoleic soap with a no-linoleic soap.
(source: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/soapcalcs-soap-quality-numbers/: "...For instance, linoleic acid also contributes a silky lather feel and more conditioning in a small amount in comparison to oleic acid. If a formula contains 30% oleic acid, 5% linoleic acid, 1% linolenic acid, 4% ricinoleic acid, it will feel more conditioning than a soap that contains 40% oleic acid and 0% of other other unsaturated fatty acids. But in SoapCalc’s eyes, the soap formulas will have the same conditioning rating of 40.")
(source: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/soapcalcs-soap-quality-numbers/: "...For instance, linoleic acid also contributes a silky lather feel and more conditioning in a small amount in comparison to oleic acid. If a formula contains 30% oleic acid, 5% linoleic acid, 1% linolenic acid, 4% ricinoleic acid, it will feel more conditioning than a soap that contains 40% oleic acid and 0% of other other unsaturated fatty acids. But in SoapCalc’s eyes, the soap formulas will have the same conditioning rating of 40.")
I recently tried my first hemp soap. I made it using locally grown hemp oil I was gifted by a friend during a June trip to Vermont. I used my usual 60% lard recipe, which also includes 20% of a high oleic oil (most of the time OO), 15% CO and 5% castor. I’ve made the recipe a number of times with slight variations and we like it, although I personally think the lather may be just a tad too dense at 60% lard. For the hemp bar, I subbed in 12% hemp oil for a portion of the high oleic oil. That took my combined Linoleic and Linolenic to 15%, which is the percentage I have been staying at or below in order to reduce the risk of DOS. For comparison, with the OO at 20% the percentage of L&L in the recipe is 7%. It didn’t seem like much of a change in the recipe but, IMHO, it made a big difference in the feel of the soap, which is also making bigger bubbles. I think the soap is fabulous. It’s definitely a lard rich soap, but the lather is more open and slippery, but in a nice way (IMHO) and not leaning towards slimy like OO can (again, IMHO). That led me to thinking about making some soap with a higher percentage of hemp oil, which would also mean breaking my 15% rule. Coincidentally, just after I started using the hemp soap, I read an Instagram post by Clara Lindbergh (Auntie Clara) where she mentioned making a high Linoleic soap for personal use and despite the shorter shelf life, because she likes the soap. That’s all the “permission” I need to make some small batches of soap with higher L&L percentages for personal use. I add ROE to my soaps and finally started adding citric acid (thank you SoapMakingFriend!), which I hope will help to keep any DOS at bay until I can use up a small batch.
This thread went quiet pretty quickly. Is there is more to add about soaps with Linoleic and Linolenic at > 15%? Is the shelf life likely to be months? What other high Linoleic oils do people like in soap?
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The OP of this thread hasn't been around for a while, that's why it went quiet.
@Mobjack Bay Interesting! I've actually had a kind of opposite experience. When I was doing experiments with high oleic oils at 75%, RBO (the one with the most linoleic/linolenic acids) had a bit of a slimy feel and a bit denser lather, especially compared to 75% OO (the one with the least linoleic/linolenic acid), though differences weren't very big and I've only been testing for 3 months.
I'm wondering if linoleic/linolenic acids have different effects on soap depending on the amount of oleic and other fatty acids in the soap. I'm also wondering if unsaponifiables could play a role in how hemp oil behaves?
There's a very interesting thread by @earlene about 100% hemp and RBO soaps here
@Relle Is it ok to keep this thread going? I think the subject is interesting and it seems nice to keep all the info in 1 thread instead of spread out over 2 or more threads. I'd understand if that would be considered necroposting though..
(edited to fix link)
I'm wondering if linoleic/linolenic acids have different effects on soap depending on the amount of oleic and other fatty acids in the soap. I'm also wondering if unsaponifiables could play a role in how hemp oil behaves?
There's a very interesting thread by @earlene about 100% hemp and RBO soaps here
@Relle Is it ok to keep this thread going? I think the subject is interesting and it seems nice to keep all the info in 1 thread instead of spread out over 2 or more threads. I'd understand if that would be considered necroposting though..
(edited to fix link)
And, I assumed Dean was still around since he was so active when I first joined.
@szaza @earlene without having studied Earlene’s findings, it does looks as if my observation of an increase in bubbles is consistent with the addition of the hemp oil.
I have only a tiny bit of the original hemp oil left, but remembered that I have an unopened bottle of grapeseed oil. The expiration date is a year out, so I think I will give it a try. It’s mostly Linoleics while the hemp also has a fair amount of Linolenic FAs.
@szaza @earlene without having studied Earlene’s findings, it does looks as if my observation of an increase in bubbles is consistent with the addition of the hemp oil.
I have only a tiny bit of the original hemp oil left, but remembered that I have an unopened bottle of grapeseed oil. The expiration date is a year out, so I think I will give it a try. It’s mostly Linoleics while the hemp also has a fair amount of Linolenic FAs.
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No problem keeping it going, I was just letting mobjack know why it went quiet. Dean hasn't been in since April. People come, people go.
Yes, I found hemp to be very very bubbly! I still have some high hemp oil soap, and it does continue to produce the largest bubbles of any soap I've made. But I doubt I'll be making such high percentages again. The 100% hemp oil was for experimental purposes and although I do love the odors of the oceans (for the most part), the lingering seaweed smell on my hands after washing with 100% hemp is quite noticeable for some time thereafter. It doesn't bother me, but I don't think most most people would feel the same.
As for shelf life of the soap, so far I can only report that the surface of the soap discolors, but the discoloration washes off with use. Besides discoloring on the surface, an outer layer of a sort of gooey type coating forms when the soap doesn't dry as fast as I'd like (the nature of the FAs involved, I believe), which can be scraped off like slime from the outer surface. If left to finish drying on it's own, that does harden back up on the soap, though. I believe this soap would not fare well in highly humid conditions, but have not tested that out sufficiently to say positively. Other than one bar at sinkside (now gone as I used it up at last) I do not store it out in the open, but inside a cardboard box. Yes, I do still have a few bars left. I'll get back to them at some point.
As for shelf life of the soap, so far I can only report that the surface of the soap discolors, but the discoloration washes off with use. Besides discoloring on the surface, an outer layer of a sort of gooey type coating forms when the soap doesn't dry as fast as I'd like (the nature of the FAs involved, I believe), which can be scraped off like slime from the outer surface. If left to finish drying on it's own, that does harden back up on the soap, though. I believe this soap would not fare well in highly humid conditions, but have not tested that out sufficiently to say positively. Other than one bar at sinkside (now gone as I used it up at last) I do not store it out in the open, but inside a cardboard box. Yes, I do still have a few bars left. I'll get back to them at some point.
Thanks Earlene. I’m thinking I will try 15% and 25% for the grapeseed and 25% for the hemp when I figure out where to get more of it locally.
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