Newbie confusion

[kitterz]

I have been playing around with soapcalc and it all seems fairly self explanatory if you read about stuff. . . .my question is. . . .am i limited to what oils I can mix together? For example, can I mix:

Crisco 65%
Coconut oil 15%
Sweet almond oil 10%
Canola oil 10%

Just as a rough idea.

SoapCalc results come out ok but just wondering if any of the more experienced soapers would avoid mixing some types of oils with others.

Sorry if this has been asked before and I missed the thread

 

[Seawolfe]

Hi! I'm a newbie too, and I do love playing with soap calc.
There are recommendations about each type of oil and how much to use in soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
There is also a handy dandy chart at the end if you scroll down.

Edit to add: I've never heard of oils that should not be mixed, just that different oils do different things to soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Also, feel free to post the % of each oil that you are thinking of using, as that'll help people with advice

 

[jenneelk]

I just make sure not to use too many soft oils if possible in a batch. DOS (dreaded orange spots) I've only had twice but it's not a fun issue to deal with since not much can be done afterwards.
But if you watch you numbers on soapcal and know what to look for, you should be fine mixing away.
Know your oil properties, wax, butters etc when making your recipe also. Some can behave differently so you don't want to bad guys in there together. Kwim?

I suggest looking up the oils before using Until you are comfortable knowing how they work in soap. At least when making up your own recipes.

 

[seven]

why not? who knows your skin might love that combo. just try it. mixing all sorts of oils is part of the fun in soapmaking. that said, i love soap queen and the multitude of oils she used in her recipes. don't be afraid to try and don't lean so much on what others are saying. like someone here said, the best judge is yer own skin..

 

[jenneelk]

True. But just throwing oils together willy nilly can cause problems and why waste time and money? I agree your skin is the best judge but I see no problem leaning on what others say. That is one of the big positives of a forum like this right?
My two wasted DOS bars looked ok on soapcal until I later got the DOS and found my error with the oils.. And some other numbers I didn't know to look closer at.