Oils Found In Supermarket

[rjlnokom]

Hi there!

I'm new to soap making and I was wondering can I use the coconut oil or palm oil I see in the supermarket aisles? Most of them are in the cooking oil section.

Thanks!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You usually can. You just need to make sure that it isn't a blend of oils. So "vegetable oil" is going to be a mix of different oils which makes it harder for working out a recipe

 

[rjlnokom]

You usually can. You just need to make sure that it isn't a blend of oils. So "vegetable oil" is going to be a mix of different oils which makes it harder for working out a recipe

Thanks! I found picture of the oils I have mentioned:

Can I use these? Thanks!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye, that looks to be fine to use for your coconut oil [emoji106]

 

[rjlnokom]

Aye, that looks to be fine to use for your coconut oil [emoji106]

Thanks! How about the second one? That is for the palm oil...

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Palm olien is also used by a lot of soapers. Do a quick search in Google "palm oil olien site:soapmaking forum.com" as some people have done a bit of work on that before

 

[rjlnokom]

Palm olien is also used by a lot of soapers. Do a quick search in Google "palm oil olien site:soapmaking forum.com" as some people have done a bit of work on that before

Thanks! Much appreciated!

 

[SunRiseArts]

I would say yes you can use them. Some of them have preservatives which is fine!

 

[rjlnokom]

I would say yes you can use them. Some of them have preservatives which is fine!

Thanks! I just attended my first soap making class last week and I am now curing my first batch of soaps.

The reason behind my questions was I was looking for cheaper alternatives to the oils that I can use. Since both coconut and palm oil is quite cheap here in the supermarkets and grocers.

I also am looking for those oils which have no discernible smell which lead to also ask the question. These oils (I think, based on experience and on their labels) have no smell but again as someone new in soapmaking, I figured out to ask first.

 

[Pjclark1]

The coconut oil should be fine.
But not the palm olien.
Palm kernel oil is great for making soap, high in stearin.
I use these two oils all the time soap.

 

[DeeAnna]

@rjlnokom -- What you've got is not exactly palm oil -- it's palm olein, sometimes spelled palmolein. It will be slightly higher in oleic acid and slightly lower in palmitic acid than actual palm oil. It is fine to use in soap, just realize it is a little different than regular palm.

@Pjclark1 -- Palm KERNEL (PKO) is high in lauric and myristic acids, similar to coconut and babassu. Palm is high in stearic and oleic acids, similar to tallow and lard. PKO and palm are different products with different benefits for soap, but both are fine in soap if you know the strengths of each.

 

[rjlnokom]

The coconut oil should be fine.
But not the palm olien.
Palm kernel oil is great for making soap, high in stearin.
I use these two oils all the time soap.

Thanks! I'll have this noted.

@rjlnokom -- What you've got is not exactly palm oil -- it's palm olein, sometimes spelled palmolein. It will be slightly higher in oleic acid and slightly lower in palmitic acid than actual palm oil. It is fine to use in soap, just realize it is a little different than regular palm.

@Pjclark1 -- Palm KERNEL (PKO) is high in lauric and myristic acids, similar to coconut and babassu. Palm is high in stearic and oleic acids, similar to tallow and lard. PKO and palm are different products with different benefits for soap, but both are fine in soap if you know the strengths of each.

Thank you! This is very enlightening!

I guess I have to go back to the grocery and take a few more pictures and read more on the ingredients list.

 

[ItsForrest]

There are definitely some good options for soaping oils in the supermarkets. Do a bit of searching and reading here on the forums and you will find good info on using shortening for a low cost oil. Read the ingredients like you are doing now and make sure you know which type to pick in whichever soap calculator you are using.

I started out with the more expensive base oils like coconut oil and olive oil. After making soap for about a year I am becoming more cost conscious and experimenting with the cheaper base oils like shortening, lard, sunflower oil, soy oil, etc.
The more expensive oils may have better label appeal but I think you can make soap that's just as nice to use using more common oils. Plus, if you use cheaper oils for the main oils in the recipe, it's easier to afford luxury oils and butters that you use in smaller percentages.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Oh good catch. I thought it was palm oil! Yikes!

In which country are you? Do you have Crisco where you live? I have made soap with just Crisco, and coconiut, and makes for a lovely inexpensive bar!

 

[rjlnokom]

There are definitely some good options for soaping oils in the supermarkets. Do a bit of searching and reading here on the forums and you will find good info on using shortening for a low cost oil. Read the ingredients like you are doing now and make sure you know which type to pick in whichever soap calculator you are using.

I started out with the more expensive base oils like coconut oil and olive oil. After making soap for about a year I am becoming more cost conscious and experimenting with the cheaper base oils like shortening, lard, sunflower oil, soy oil, etc.
The more expensive oils may have better label appeal but I think you can make soap that's just as nice to use using more common oils. Plus, if you use cheaper oils for the main oils in the recipe, it's easier to afford luxury oils and butters that you use in smaller percentages.

Thanks! That is exactly what I have been thinking! Much appreciated!

Oh good catch. I thought it was palm oil! Yikes!

In which country are you? Do you have Crisco where you live? I have made soap with just Crisco, and coconiut, and makes for a lovely inexpensive bar!

Hi there! I'm from the Philippines. I think I seen Crisco on the specialty stores that sell mostly items from the U.S.

 

[KristaY]

Hi rjlnokom! Certain oils are harder to come by or more costly in different countries so it would probably be easiest to let us know what oils are less expensive and readily available to you. From there we can suggest what might be best to use. There are many oils that have similar fatty acid profiles so picking the right combination from what you can easily buy might help you out. Good luck!

 

[rjlnokom]

Hi rjlnokom! Certain oils are harder to come by or more costly in different countries so it would probably be easiest to let us know what oils are less expensive and readily available to you. From there we can suggest what might be best to use. There are many oils that have similar fatty acid profiles so picking the right combination from what you can easily buy might help you out. Good luck!

Hi there! Sure that is a great idea! I have to go to the grocers if I have time and I would probably take pictures especially with the ingredients list. Hopefully by weekend I can post it here.

 

[KristaY]

Pictures of the ingredient lists would be perfect!

 

[abby]

Omg. I have been

@rjlnokom -- What you've got is not exactly palm oil -- it's palm olein, sometimes spelled palmolein. It will be slightly higher in oleic acid and slightly lower in palmitic acid than actual palm oil. It is fine to use in soap, just realize it is a little different than regular palm.

@Pjclark1 -- Palm KERNEL (PKO) is high in lauric and myristic acids, similar to coconut and babassu. Palm is high in stearic and oleic acids, similar to tallow and lard. PKO and palm are different products with different benefits for soap, but both are fine in soap if you know the strengths of each.

Omg i have been inputting wrong oil on my calculator. Im using olein, thought thats the palm oil.

 

[DeeAnna]

Omg i have been inputting wrong oil on my calculator. Im using olein, thought thats the palm oil.

The saponification value for palm oil, palm olein, and palm stearin are nearly the same. So your lye weight will not change much if any in your recipes if you start using palm rather than palm olein to do the lye calculation.

What will be different between the three fats is the proportions of the fatty acids. If you pay attention to the fatty acids or the Soapcalc "numbers" (creamy, bubbly, hardness, etc.), you'll want to use the correct fat. Palm olein will give your soap more oleic acid. Palm stearin will give your soap more stearic acid. Palm is somewhere in the middle.