Ok I'm hooked on CP and need help with soap recipes!

[tincanac]

The other day I posted about making my first teeny batch of CP soap. So far it seems to be doing alright - it's definitely spongier and harder and less greasy! I AM HOOKED!

Now I need some help -

I want to make a Rice Bran Oil soap - I am an idiot with a low, low SMIQ (soap making Intelligence Quotient) and cant figure out how to make the lye calculators work for me.

I HAVE SO SO SO SO MANY QUESTIONS - please bear with me!

Anyway - can anyone advise on using Rice Bran Oil in soap (like eeks, show me how to design a recipe) - ideally I want the Rice Bran Oil to be the base oil. I have on hand Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Grapeseed, Sunflower (In large large quantities), Canola and Olive Oil. I also have smaller amounts of Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado and Macadamia Nut Oil.

How quickly does Rice Bran Oil soap trace? What is the general cure time for it to be user-friendly, what's it shelf like, at what temperature should it be mixed and how long does it last long? I read somewhere that it has a short shelf life??? I bought something called KEMABEN PRESERVATIVE - If I add that to it - will it extend it's shelf life? Do I add the preservative at trace or mix it in with the oils.

I have read that many people make Rice Bran Oil with success - help anyone?

Alternatively does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for a rice bran Oil soap where the bulk of the oil is Rice Bran?

I kind of want a creamy, sudsy, cleansing, moisturising, hard kind of bar (Is this too much to ask of one batch soap?). I want to make a 1- 2KG bar. How much Essential or Fragrance Oil should I use. Can I dilute Essential Oil into alcohol?

Help - anyone??

LASTLY - we use the metric system here in good ol' South Africa, so if you know of a great recipe in metric - I will send the soap fairies over your way for the rest of your soaping life

 

[zeoplum]

I am a newbie and I never make soap using other people's recipes. I think you will enjoy it better if you understand the different properties each oil lends to the finished product. If I were you, I would spend some time reading everything on http://www.soapcalc.net/ because that will get you going in the right direction.

I, personally, am just NOW testing a batch I made with a high percentage of Rice Bran Oil (also knowns as RBO) and I love it. And my testers love it too. My recipe was 36% RBO and it had a hardness of 44 (you'll learn more about that once you study SoapCalc) and my conditioning was only a 51. My testers are telling me love this soap more than others I've made that had a higher conditioning number. So my goal is to learn more about the fatty acid profile for this recipe and see if I can understand what all is going on here.

But don't be overwhelmed by anything you don't understand. Just take that as a sign of more that needs to be learned. You'll get the hang of it soon!

 

[tincanac]

sweet! tks hun - just found Ian T's tutorial on SoapCalc and that is what I am doing right now!

 

[heartsong]

x

hi there!

don't get discouraged-there's a wealth of ifo and nice people here to help.

i have never used rbo more than 15% in a recipe. some have reported DOS (rancidity) when used in combination with other short shelf life oils.

may i suggest a very simple recipe-try 5 or 6 times so that you know EXACTLY how it performs and then "tweak" it a little each time as you go.

keep in mind, you want to make sure that 6 months or a year from now the soap is as good a shape as when ist made.

try this as a 1st recipe:

40% olive oil (NOT VIRGIN!)
20% rice bran oil
40% coconut oils

10% lye discount/superfat

water to lye 2:1

soap temp 85-95 degrees

1st batch no fragrance or use an essential oil that does not seize or accelerate-lavender, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, etc.

hand stir to a thin pudding like consistancy-if it doesn't do this in 15-20 minutes give it a few shots with a stick blender.

if you don't have a wooden mold, stick it in the oven set on low for 1 hr then shut off oven and leave til cool. (no peeking!)

uncover and let air until it is the firmness of cheddar chees. then cut.

after you have made this a few times, start decreasing the olive oil and adding a little more rice bran oil.

www.soapersmarket.com will help you calculate how much oil you need for your mold.

another very helpful site is www.soap-making-essentials.com

good luck and happy soaping!

 

[LJA]

Tincanac,
I'm not sure what your reasons are for wanting to soap with mostly RB oil, but differen't oils contribute differen't qualities to your end soap result. Certain ones make more lather, certain ones contribute to harder bars etc. This link might be helpful in helping you decide which oils you want to use:
http://www.soapnuts.com/indexoils.html

Also, if the SoapCalc is too overwhelming at first, try Majestic Mountain Sage's lye calc. (link below) I found it simpler in the beginning.

Personally, I'd cure your soap for a minimum of 4 weeks. 6 is better. Of course there are several opinions on this. I don't add preservatives to soap. A GENERAL usuage rate for essential oils id .5 oz. per pound of soap. Some EOs are less. Some EOs shouldn't be used at all. Some shouldn't be used anywhere NEAR the hoo-ha, if you catch my drift. GENERALLY, the usage rate for fragrance oils is .7 -1 oz. PPO.

Read your face off, seriously. Post questions. I've learned so much from the experience here on this forum. If you're not sure about something, just ask. Someone will be along to help you.
Have fun!

MMS Lye Calc: http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

 

[ChrissyB]

I love rice bran oil in soap. The most I have used is 35%. It makes for a nice conditioning, hard shiny bar of soap.
It will contribute a yellow colour to the soap. I have soaped it with coconut/palm and castor.
My basic recipe is 35% Co/35% RBO/25% Palm 5% Castor, with a 8% superfat. I generally work with a 33% Solution and it gives me time with most FO's. I don't think you need to add ten thousand different oils to make a nice bar of soap. But if you wanted to you could sub out some of the palm or coconut for some shea or whatever "luxury" oil you would like.
I made this same soap yesterday but subsituted 3% of the palm for some beeswax. I have someone that specifically asked for beeswax in soap, usually I don't bother. But it came out well, waiting for it to set up so I can unmould.
It's a really lovely soap and I have received great reviews on this basic recipe. I also gel my soap and it doesn't zap after setting up.

 

[topcat]

I can vouch for rave reviews of Chrissy's soap!

I usually use RBO at 25% in my soap and love the feel it gives. I have also made two different RBO soaps using that as the only oil. What I have found is that the lather is creamy rather than fluffy and a little slimey/gooey as well, but it cleans very well and leaves you feeling moisturised. It also makes a soft soap. I added honey both times to help make the lather a little more fluffy. The second batch I made with only RBO also had sodium lactate added to help harden the bar. That one is still curing so I haven't tested it yet, but it was still a little soft to cut after 3 days unmoulded (I used an empty milk carton for this one).

The first batch is now 3 months old with no sign of DOS as yet.

Tanya

 

[ChrissyB]

I don't think RBO contributes to DOS either, Tanya, I have never heard of anybody contributing DOS to the rice bran. It's usually canola (notorious), or sunflower in high amounts, or soya bean oil.
I have never thought of doing a 100% RBO soap, but you are right, with the sodium lactate it should harden up.
Where did you buy the sodium from Tanya?

 

[topcat]

I got mine from Heirloom Body Care online (it is liquid and very cheap) and have found that the MMS lye calculator gives amounts to add (you add it to your lye water) depending on your batch and how hard you want it to get.

http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

Tanya

 

[zeoplum]

I would imagine that since RBO is so high in anti-oxidants, it wouldn't tend to get DOS very easily. Here's the blurb about it from www.oilsbynature.com ....

Rice bran, which is obtained in the milling process, is the part of the rice that is richest in fat. This natural oil, which is expeller pressed, has the presence of natural antioxidants which makes it an excellent ingredient for food grade products.

Rice Bran is full of antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, ferulic acid, linolic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and oryzanol. The oil acts as both a carrier and emollient and is available in several forms: extract, oil and wax.

In Japan, Rice Bran Oil is used as a skin and hair beauty enhancer. It also used throughout the world in a variety of cosmetics, especially those that treat dry, mature skin.

 

[ChrissyB]

I use it for cooking also. It's very handy in the kitchen because it can take really high temps.

 

[topcat]

Yes it's my fave in the kitchen too. When I first came up with a CP recipe I used the oils I had in my kitchen cupboard - coconut, olive and rice bran :wink: I also had some mango butter I had used in a balm....and there you are!

Tanya

 

[tincanac]

Aww thanks everyone - I think I am going to try all the recipes and see what I can pull off the best. I am thinking of adding Kaolin Clay to it, maybe that will make the scent hold longer and make it a bit harder. Is it true that if you add Castor sugar to soap it will make it more bubbly?

 

[Guest]

Is it true that if you add Castor sugar to soap it will make it more bubbly?

You mean castor oil & sugar?

Castor makes the lather fluffier, I use about 10% in my Olive & Shea recipes to get a nice lather.

Sugar and honey are said to increase lather as well, though too much honey apparently has the opposite effect 8) Ask me how I know 8)

 

[tincanac]

You mean castor oil & sugar?
.........
Sugar and honey are said to increase lather as well, though too much honey apparently has the opposite effect 8) Ask me how I know 8)[/quote]


No, I meant castor sugar......but now that you say that - I'm starting to think that that is what they meant - NOT CASTOR SUGAR but CASTOR OIL & SUGAR. I thought it was like real castor sugar!

How would you put sugar in your soap - add it to the lye water?