Olive Oil vs. Olive Pumace

[cheri_j]

Hello Soapers!

Ok, what is the difference between Olive Oil and Olive Pumace besides not being able to find Olive Pumace in any store and it's only available online? At least that's the case for me.

In recipes that are offered by the soap supplies vendors, they almost always include oils that new soapers do not readily have on hand, including Olive Pumace oil.

I do my research and find out what I can "swap" for the oil I don't have and then run it through a calculator, but I always wonder if I'm missing out on something.

Thank you for listening to my frustration!

 

[toxikon]

Well, olive oil comes in a few different grades, mostly separated by extraction process. Pomace OO is the most chemically extracted oil, taken from the pulp of the olives that didn't make it into other grades.

In the soapmaking realm, all types of olive oils can be used interchangeably. Pomace CAN accelerate trace a little bit. I personally don't notice a difference in trace speed when using Pomace vs other types of OO. But some do.

The colour of the OO may also affect the colour of your soap. A deep green OO can tinge your soap green. A very light coloured OO will most often result in a whiter soap.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Pomace is the final extraction of olive oil, using heavy pressure and, frequently, hexane solvent.

It can be an edible oil as the hexane is scavenged and the trace amounts aren't considered a problem. Many people do try to avoid hexane exposure, however. It won't be a problem in your soap, so if pomace is cheaper, hexane is not a show-stopper.

Soap Queen notes that it may move a bit faster than other grades of olive oil. https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/olive-oils-created-equally/

I should point out that I've never had a problem with any olive oil, and I've used Bertolli, Classico, and whatever other brand was on sale and lowest in unit price per ounce. None have produced extreme heating issues, swelling, or DOS as pictured there.

The extra virgin and A grades should contain slightly more in terms of unsaponifiables and be a titch more skin-friendly. But I strongly doubt you'll notice the difference.

Overall? Choose what's cheapest. If you use Grade A, you're not missing anything that pomace users get, and vice-versa. I let the price point be my decision-maker.

 

[Cindy2428]

Cheri you have opened a can of worms....
a). The simple answer - pomace oo is a blend and not "pure" oo thus cheaper making it the preferred oo for soaping.
b). Because of the popularity in using oo in cooking, research has found a great deal of it is adulterated and not "pure" oo anymore.

Sam's Club sells pomace - it's just listed as Mediterranean"

Finally, you aren't missing out on anything except price.

 

[cheri_j]

Cheri you have opened a can of worms....
a). The simple answer - pomace oo is a blend and not "pure" oo thus cheaper making it the preferred oo for soaping.
b). Because of the popularity in using oo in cooking, research has found a great deal of it is adulterated and not "pure" oo anymore.

Sam's Club sells pomace - it's just listed as Mediterranean"

Finally, you aren't missing out on anything except price.

Ahhhh....Mediterranean....Thank you.

 

[SaltedFig]

Someone with multiple-chemical sensitivities, or a specific sensitivity to hexane, may actively choose a soap made using high grade olive oil, as there is a slight residue left following the hexane extraction process in chemically extracted pomace olive oil.

The original use of the word pomace was to describe the bulk of plant material that contained a small amount of oil, left after the first pressings. It was this pomace (not the modern-day version of chemically extracted pomace) that was traditionally used to make soap.

 

[penelopejane]

In Australia we get first cold pressed EVOO at excellent prices and when it is on sale it is cheap. The price difference between EVOO and the lighter grades (where heat can be used to extract the oil) is negligible so I always use EVOO but even if it wasn't I would only use EVOO. It is what I eat as well. I think the most beneficial properties of olive oil are retained by using the first cold pressed olive oil.

It is difficult to buy pomace in Australia and it is illegal to sell it as olive oil - it has to be labeled olive pomace oil. Pomace oil is extracted from the olive pulp after all other oils have been extracted. They use hexane and heat to do this. It can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzopyrene and they regulate the acceptable levels of these.

I am concerned with what I apply to my skin as it is the largest organ in the body. I am one who believes that while under the shower particularly where hot water i opens the pores of the skin substances are more likely to migrate through the skin. I make handmade soap to avoid chemicals and substances I am allergic to so I want my soap as pure as possible. So I avoid all the additives that I possibly can.

I think the Australian public is more conscious of the grades of OO. I wouldn't buy a handmade soap unless it was labelled EVOO or organic to ensure I didn't get pomace as I note that a lot of people (in the US particularly) on this forum use pomace in soap but label it as olive oil.

I also think that EVOO makes a better soap. I don't get the slime associated with pure Castile that people on this forum so frequently describe. But that could be the water I use, the olives used, the climate here, the water I shower in etc!