Luxury oil and butter

[biarine]

Anyone use luxury oil and butter in soaps? There's any difference between just normal recipe? I did use some mango, cacao, Shea and avocado butter as well a black seed, meadowfoam and wheatgerm oil. But I can't find the difference at all.

 

[toxikon]

The only luxury ingredient I use in some of my recipes are butters. They can be a nice addition and can produce a firmer, creamier bar.

Stuff like meadowfoam, argan, jojoba, etc. I don't notice a difference with, and you'd probably have to use a lot of it to sense a difference and for me, it's not worth the money. I like applying those kind of luxury oils as a facial oil though!

Most of my recipes are simply lard, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil and castor. If I'm feeling fancy I'll throw some Shea in, but that's about it.

 

[dixiedragon]

I'm with Toxikon. For the most part I think luxury oils and butters are wasted in soap. The only exception is that if you are trying to make a hard bar that is all veg and palm free.

 

[earlene]

One of my favorite soaps has jojoba oil in it, in a small amount, simply because when I made it I had a free sample of jojoba (from ED - commonly included sample back then) and had run out of Almond Oil. So I made the change in the lye calculator and used up an oil that would have gone to waste had I not used it in soap. Now I want to make that soap again, because it's one of my favorites, and am not sure if I should go back to the Almond Oil or see if I can find another jojoba oil sample (I might have one more left.)

I did try jojoba oil in bath bombs once, and didn't like how they turned out; of course it could just have been me, but I probably won't use it again for that purpose.

I regularly use shea butter and/or cocoa butter in soap. I really like the feel of cocoa butter alone and in soap. Shea has become relatively inexpensive for me to use in small percentages in soap due to vendor give-aways and pricing deals.

 

[bumbleklutz]

I use cocoa butter and shea butter in my bar soaps; but only at 5% each so it's not a huge amount. I like the hardness that they add to the bars and the creaminess they add to the lather. I once added macadamia nut oil to a bar soap, but I couldn't really tell it made a difference.

On the other hand I do like to use luxury oils like macadamia nut oil, camelina oil, and meadowfoam oil to super fat my liquid soaps after dilution. Since the saponification is already completed at that point; the luxury oil really gets an opportunity to shine.

 

[Obsidian]

When I first started soaping, I tried various butters and luxury oils. I found they didn't add enough to the soap for me to continue their use. I can tell a difference between a recipe with shea and one without but it only affects the lather, it doesn't make my skin feel different.

The one exception is argan oil. I made a small batch with 10% and I really like it. Its a nice gentle face bar that makes my skin feel soft. I'd never use it in gift soaps or sale soaps but for my personal luxury bar, I don't mind spending a bit extra once a year for a batch.

I was using avocado instead of OO since my skin doesn't like OO but I recently switched to HO safflower. Its cheap, easy to find and works great in soap.

 

[Cellador]

I am pretty new to soap making, and I have used some luxury oils & butters in some of my soaps. I think I can tell a difference in some of them, especially jojoba & shea butter.

 

[Saipan]

Anyone use luxury oil and butter in soaps? There's any difference between just normal recipe? I did use some mango, cacao, Shea and avocado butter as well a black seed, meadowfoam and wheatgerm oil. But I can't find the difference at all.

There is a difference. People love shea, cacoa, mango, argan, etc.

As to what they do to the soap, minor things.

 

[shunt2011]

I add a bit of Shea or Cocoa Butter to soap. No other fancy schmancy oils. I save my meadowfoam, argan etc for leave on products.

 

[Kittish]

I'm really liking cocoa butter and shea in my soaps. I'm not going to be using palm oil or (once I use up what I bought) PKO, and I haven't yet ventured into trying to use lard or tallow.

 

[penelopejane]

When I first started soaping, I tried various butters and luxury oils. I found they didn't add enough to the soap for me to continue their use. I can tell a difference between a recipe with shea and one without but it only affects the lather, it doesn't make my skin feel different.

The one exception is argan oil. I made a small batch with 10% and I really like it. Its a nice gentle face bar that makes my skin feel soft. I'd never use it in gift soaps or sale soaps but for my personal luxury bar, I don't mind spending a bit extra once a year for a batch.

I was using avocado instead of OO since my skin doesn't like OO but I recently switched to HO safflower. Its cheap, easy to find and works great in soap.

Argan oil is $368 AUD for 5 litres wholesale from my supplier so I won't be using it in soap. But I love it on my face - one drop twice a day! It really makes a difference I think. I currently pay $20 for 100ml which runs out at $1000 for 5 litres but it will take me a year or more to use 100ml so I am happy.

 

[Obsidian]

I don't know the cheapest place to buy argan in the US but one place has it at 15oz for $20 which really isn't terrible considering I only use a couple oz in a soap recipe. I too love it on my face and hair, in fact I really need to order more.