Need some “white soap” tips…

[Jerry S]

I want to make some really white soap but want it to be pretty skin friendly. I know that using only hard oils will give me this, however it may also be on the drying and not so conditioning level. I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder here asking for a recipe but…
what does everyone think of the following percentages?

Lard, pig tallow….50 (I know a lot of people don't like using tallow)
Olive oil………… 20…(I’ve heard that will really light-colored Olive Oil. (Note: usually only the "refined grade A" is light enough color to not impart any o off the green to the soap.)….but I haven’t a clue as to what to look for as to maker, grade, etc…
Coconut oil………. 12
Castor oil……… 12
Palm Kernal O…… 8

These are some of the oils I have on hand so that’s why I’ve mentioned them.
What is everyone’s take on using Titanium Dioxide to make the soap white? I’ve heard that it can give a batch of soap of rather unattractive texture…
Jerry S

 

[soapbuddy]

All the oils you mentioned are very light in color, so that should give you a fairly white soap. I find if you don't use too much titanium dioxide, that will whiten your soap as well. If your recipe above is in %, I get 102%, not 100%.

 

[IrishLass]

What Soapbuddy said. All those oils/fats look great for what you are trying to accomplish. Your recipe is 2 over 100% oils, but if you knock 1% off each of the coconut and the castor to make it an even 100%, it looks like it would make a fine soap.

You'll also want to make sure your fragrance is not one of those that discolors.

I like using TD to get my soaps really white. I use a max of 1 teaspoon TD ppo and no more. At that usage rate, the color of my soap comes out snow-white (provided my FO doesn't have a lot of vanillin in it), and the texture comes out great. If I go too much over a teaspoon, my soap starts to get that chalky feeling.

IrishLass

 

[Jerry S]

Getting that really white bar of soap

Thanks for noting that I was over by the 2% you 2 …Soap Calc would have caught that when I went to finalize my recipe. Thanks Irish for the tip on the TD and also for that tip on what might be in my FO…All of my FO’s are from Peak and I guess I could look up to see if they have vanillin in it…what is that? :?
I was in the store yesterday evening and looking at all the Olive oils to find “refined Grade A”…or something close. All I could see on the shelf was “Extra light Olive Oil”. I usually buy my Olive Oil at Costco and get the biggest container of the cheapest stuff I can find which works really well in all my soaps, but I didn’t want to use that in soap that I wanted to be really white cuz it has that light greenish look to it.
Maybe I could go with the Costco oil and use TD to off-set it. Whatcha think?
Jerry S

 

[agriffin]

You can also make a whipped or partially whipped soap and it will be super white.

 

[llineb]

would white clay work? I've only made 2 batches of CP so I wasn't sure.

 

[soapbuddy]

would white clay work? I've only made 2 batches of CP so I wasn't sure.

White clay will not whiten. It will take on color of whatever oils you are using.

 

[llineb]

would white clay work? I've only made 2 batches of CP so I wasn't sure.

White clay will not whiten. It will take on color of whatever oils you are using.

Bummer!...I guess I'll order the TD.

 

[cmd439]

For my white soap, I like 20% coconut, 5% castor, and the rest vegetable shortening.

 

[DMCC]

@cmd439 - I made my first vegetable shortening soap recipe last night and used the Walmart GV Vegetable shortening. I really like it. It had a nice whiteness to it and it's super creamy. I ran the numbers for your recipe through soapcalc and the conditioning is very low and the hardness is at the top of the scale, which I like. How do you increase your conditioning - what % superfat are you using?

 

[IanT]

this link is your friend:

Zen Soaps single-oil swap results

 

[Saltysteele]

i LOVE, love, love, love, love, love, love, love lard soap.

i have traded soap with people who have asked what my recipe was, because it was what they were striving for. it is creamy, smooth and leaves your skin feeling moisturized. i guess, though, the gm and silk help with those things, too, but they were using them also and couldn't get the results i got with lard.

i've also found that if you make a big deal out of the soap having lard in it, people will suddenly become opposed. i don't hide that it has lard, but at the same time, if you tell people the ingredients and state them like lard is a natural soaping agent (which it is), they don't even bat an eyelash.

i only make one other soap that does not have lard in it, and it was an OMH soap from a friend with 73% OO. that is a good soap, takes forever to cure, but lard beats it, hands down.

lard gives a bar hardness, good lather and good cleaning, yet doesn't strip all the oils.

 

[hieroglyph]

beef tallow! superfat 3-4%, 15% coconut,5% sunflower,10% olive

white as snow / hard as marble

i love lard soap, but tallow moisturizes a little better imo

 

[IrishLass]

I usually buy my Olive Oil at Costco and get the biggest container of the cheapest stuff I can find which works really well in all my soaps, but I didn’t want to use that in soap that I wanted to be really white cuz it has that light greenish look to it.
Maybe I could go with the Costco oil and use TD to off-set it. Whatcha think?

From your description, I think we use the same olive oil- Costco's Kirkland Pure Olive Oil? Used without TD and without discoloring FOs, it gives me a soap that is very light in color, but not pure white. It's more of a very pale yellow/off white color. With TD and non-discoloring FOs it gives me a soap that is pure white.

IrishLass

 

[Jerry S]

making white bars of soap

Thanks for the note on the OO Irish. Yes we use the same OO. I may have to bite the bullet and buy some TD..(since you use it, may I ask who you get it from?) I have made soap in my early years…lol with just lard and a little coconut O. It turned out pure white, and very hard but I wasn’t happy with the total result of the soap (being skin friendly) until I started using OO, PO, PKO, Cas O and the rest of the menagerie of oils we all use today.
You’ve made some great points Salty… I have seen so much resentment to using lard in soap, I was reluctant to mention it on the forum, until now.

Jerry

 

[ToniD]

Yeah, Its a shame Lard gets the bum rap that it does in soap. On the other hand, I haven't used it lately cuz it doubled in price, at least where I get it! Ouch!

 

[IrishLass]

I may have to bite the bullet and buy some TD..(since you use it, may I ask who you get it from?)

I buy mine from Oregon Trails Soaps (it's the water soluble kind):
http://www.oregontrailsoaps.com/product ... 11&scat=35

Yeah, Its a shame Lard gets the bum rap that it does in soap.

I hear ya! I love lard in soap (and tallow, too)!


IrishLass

 

[Jerry S]

The price of plain lard...

Your right about the price of lard doubling…I was going to pick another couple of pounds up day before yesterday and it was a little over 2 bucks a pound….It used to be a dollar a pound…..what’s that about ????? :cry:
Jer