Properties of Oils?

[Cal]

I am new to soapmaking and body products and so have been doing a lot of online research. Something that keeps cropping up is whether an oil is light, medium or heavy. I've looked for a chart showing which oils fall into which category but can't find one. I would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction for info and also is the weight of the oil an indication of how quickly it absorbs into the skin? Does oil weight affect a soap/body recipe?

Thanks in advance
Cal

 

[Hazel]

I've never seen a chart but that doesn't mean one isn't out there. You could easily make one of your own. However, I have seen oils given different weights in different articles. For example, one site described avocado oil as heavy and another stated it is medium weight. You might find these helpful if you haven't seen them already.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/carrier ... jojoba.pdf
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/carrier ... atgerm.pdf
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapm ... ngoils.htm

I don't believe the weight of the oil has a lot to do with absorbability but I could be wrong. In my experience, avocado aborbs well into my skin but I have dry skin. It might be different for someone who has oily skin. Fractionated coconut oil which is considered light takes quite awhile to absorb which is why I always liked it for facial massages. (Warning - it is comedogenic but not as much as regular coconut oil.)

I suppose oil weight could affect a body product somewhat since heavier oils might require a little more spreading and massaging onto the skin. But I believe you're better off using a combination of oils to balance one another. For example, I read a long time ago that rice bran oil and safflower oil balance each other. It was something about the fatty acid profiles. I'll have to dig around in my notes and see what exactly was stated. (You may have to remind me. I get busy on other things and forget to look things up. ) I don't believe weights would affect soap since the lye chemically alters the oils. You'd want to consider the properties of each oil. Although, you do always want to weigh your oils for soapmaking. :wink:

I don't think I've really answered your questions. Hopefully, someone who is more knowledgeable will see your post and be able to give you definite answers.

 

[Cal]

Thank you so much for your reply Hazel and for the links. I had seen them before but have now bookmarked them. It is a confusing issue and as you say they are often described differently. I see your links differ on the weight of Avocado as you pointed out.

I take your point about dry skin versus greasy skin and absorbency. I am still curious as to why the weight of an oil should be mentioned, as in .... Use medium weight oil for this recipe .... Or this recipe works better with lighter oils ...

I can understand looking at the properties of different oils when formulating and it's interesting what you say about oils balancing each other.

Thanks again for your help

Cal

 

[Hazel]

Please be patient. Other members will eventually see your post and will be able to help. I haven't seen carebear on the forum yet but she's very knowledgeable and can probably explain it.

I just added a reply to a discussion about whipped shea. I do know it's helpful to use a light oil in shea to help keep its fluffy consistency and make it a bit less greasy feeling. I think the weight is more important in body products such as lotions, butters and massage oils. It's been a long time since I researched oils but I do remember reading about balancing/blending oils to improve the ability to spread easily and the overall properties of the product.

I'll have to get back with you about this but I may not be able to do it today. I'll try to let you know soon.

 

[IrishLass]

Here is a great oil comparison chart from SwiftCraftMonkey's site that shows several different oils and which ones are considered light or medium or heavy:


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/carrier ... nchart.pdf


IrishLass

 

[Cal]

Hazel - thank you again for your input - appreciated

IrishLass - thanks for replying and for the great link - also appreciated

 

[Hazel]

You're welcome.

I searched through notes & books and the info was about balancing oils for massage oils and blending oils to rebalance skin types. My bad! Sorry about it!

Briefly -

Thick oils - higher in saturated fatty acids, stickiness, slower absorption - temperatures affect absorption (warming the oil will make it absorb faster)

Thin oils - higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids (some with GLA), spreads easily but absorbs faster