Older Shea Butter

[JanO]

A lady just gave me her soap supplies. She's moving into a retirement community and said she hasn't made soap for years so she just wanted to get rid of them. Yea for me!

Anyway, there is a bucket of Shea Butter, I'm guessing about 2 lbs., and it has a little bit of a rancid smell to it. Not a rotten smell, just old and not real bad. She said she bought it a couple years ago. Also have a bucket of PKO that's about the same age, but it doesn't smell like the Shea Butter does. I'm wondering if I should toss it, or use it. I've never had supplies around long enough to even care if they went bad, so I have no idea if this is still good or not. What do you all think?

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't use oils that have gone rancid in my soaps.

 

[laVale]

Hello!
I wouldn't use that Shea Butter, it's very frail and usually it doesn't stand higher temperatures (usually it should stay under 20°c).
I have a small pot of S B that has been forgotten around for nearly 2 years, and still doesn't have any problem, but if it smells a bit rancid I would throw it away.
About PKO, I never used it, so I don't know, but many oils have a longer life (i.e. olive oil, especially if you don't expose it to the light or strange situation, it's very long life.

ciao
vale

 

[JanO]

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate them. I decided to go ahead and toss the Shea but I'm keeping the PKO. I haen't used PKO in many of my soaps, but I might as well use what I have, right?

She also gave me an assortment of dried herbs and flowers. I still haven't gone through them all but they look pretty nice. I'm going to have lots of fun figureing out ways to use them. They should make for some pretty combanations.

Jan