Recipe Suggestions ? Want to try something new.

[Gaspar Navarrete]

Hello everyone,

Up until now, my soap batches have been combinations of olive oil, palm oil, castor oil, and coconut oil.

I'd like to try a different recipe. Can anyone suggest a recipe ? I have a good amount of olive oil, coconut oil and bacon grease (lard). I also have a little bit of red palm oil.

Note that I'm still a beginner. I have made seven batches.

I was wondering about avocado oil. People say it's wonderful to include, but the soap won't keep as long.

Thanks

 

[snappyllama]

If you haven't tried a Salt bar, those are really nice.

100% CO.
Or 85% CO. 5% Castor and 10% something else (OO/AO/shea/whatever you like)
Or 90% CO with 10% Castor.

20% SF on any of those. I like 50% sea salt weight in my bars, but folks go from 20% to 100% weight. They need a good 3 months cure to shine. Put in individual molds to make life easy on yourself otherwise you have to watch them like a hawk and cut as soon as they are hard enough (1-4 hours) so they don't make a crumbly mess.

Of course, I love a high lard recipe: 55% lard, 5% Castor, 15% CO and the rest in OO. 5-7% SF. I've never used bacon grease, but I'd make sure it's really clean.

Those are just what I like though.

 

[kchaystack]

I don't know where they got the idea avocado oil would go off fast. I use it in all my soaps, as do several others here, and none of my batches have developed any problems. Some are over a year old.

 

[Arthur Dent]

My current favorite is:

Lard 80%
Olive oil 15%
Castor oil 5%

1Tblsp sugar PPO

 

[carlyjones]

I just made a few batches of 100% and aloe juice and it's my new favourite!

 

[penelopejane]

I just made a few batches of 100% and aloe juice and it's my new favourite!

100% what? OO?

I don't know where they got the idea avocado oil would go off fast. I use it in all my soaps, as do several others here, and none of my batches have developed any problems. Some are over a year old.

I agree. I use 30% avocado oil in a LOT of my soap and no problems at all. My oldest soap is 9 months old. So babies, really.

 

[Gaspar Navarrete]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Sounds like I can replace the coconut and/or palm oil with the lard. Don't know what to do with the avocado oil. People have said that avocado oil makes a great soap.

I am cleaning the lard. I melt it, then mix it with water, let it settle, dump the water out. Repeat a few times.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Don't know what to do with the avocado oil. People have said that avocado oil makes a great soap.

At least try it once, it does make awesome soap! I tried it for the first time in soap a while back and although I have been very familiar with avocado oil for years on end as it is my favourite oil in my rubs and lipbalms, I had never used it in soap as I started out a year ago + some months, and very much consider myself a newbie still. I now use avocado regularly, and it is a favourite oil of mine in soap!

 

[SuzieOz]

I've only used avocado oil once, in a facial soap which is curing now and is super soft - like mould it in your hands soft. I was a bit dubious about using it again. Does anyone have a particular recipe to share, as I have quite a bit of AO left??

 

[nikkisessence]

I've liked 25% Coconut and 75% Olive at 5%sf and 33% water. If you can get it, Castor Oil at 5-15% (added to above, subtract from Olive) works great (sf and water conc as above). Olive 85-95% with Castor 5-15% at 5%sf and water:lye 2.5:1 is my favorite for swirling. I usually add at least 1 Tbsp sugar in water before lye or use a saturated sugar solution. Best of luck with your soapy adventures and happy soaping!

 

[penelopejane]

I've only used avocado oil once, in a facial soap which is curing now and is super soft - like mould it in your hands soft. I was a bit dubious about using it again. Does anyone have a particular recipe to share, as I have quite a bit of AO left??

Susieoz
Try
40% OO, 30% AO, 10% Shea butter, 10% RB (or coconut or safflower high oelic or Palm) and 10% castor.
It's a modified Ginnys shampoo bar for skin not hair.

I was blaming oils on soft bars but I think it was my method.

 

[navigator9]

My favorite additions to my basic recipe are avocado oil, oatmeal ground to a fine powder, and any kind of "milk"... buttermilk, coconut milk, goat's milk. I find that even 10% avocado makes a noticeable difference.

 

[dibbles]

I've only used avocado oil once, in a facial soap which is curing now and is super soft - like mould it in your hands soft. I was a bit dubious about using it again. Does anyone have a particular recipe to share, as I have quite a bit of AO left??

I regularly use avocado oil at 10%. Then make up the balance with coconut, lard or palm, castor (5%) and olive in amounts you like. I always try to get soaps to gel, and I don't have a problem with softness.

 

[joellcox]

Anne Watson's Shea Butter Supreme Recipe makes a really great bar. 35/35/30 Olive/Coconut/Shea Butter. Very creamy lather, feels luxurious.

 

[Gaspar Navarrete]

Thanks for all these suggestions. I definitely want to try out the avocado oil, now that people say that its soap won't spoil. Sounds like I can use it at 10 to 30% without problem.

But there is one thing that I have been wondering about. Could I take the standard recipe that I have been using all along now, and swap the palm oil with lard ? In other words 50% olive oil, 25% lard, 22% Coconut oil, and 3% castor oil ? Could I make a decent HP soap with this ?

 

[dibbles]

But there is one thing that I have been wondering about. Could I take the standard recipe that I have been using all along now, and swap the palm oil with lard ? In other words 50% olive oil, 25% lard, 22% Coconut oil, and 3% castor oil ? Could I make a decent HP soap with this ?

I don't HP, but lard makes a great substitute for palm. So, yes - if you like the recipe you've been using and are subbing lard for the palm I think you will be very happy with your soap.

 

[SuzieOz]

Thanks dibbles and penelopejane for the AO suggestions, I will try them.

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks dibbles and penelopejane for the AO suggestions, I will try them.

Just be really careful with your extra water for adding colours etc. to so may soft oils. I used to use 1 tsp water extra to mix and even that small amount made my mixes relatively soft even after time. I now use 32% lye concentration and use reserved liquid from the mix evenly distributed and it's working well for a good hard bar.

 

[SuzieOz]

Just be really careful with your extra water for adding colours etc. to so may soft oils. I used to use 1 tsp water extra to mix and even that small amount made my mixes relatively soft even after time. I now use 32% lye concentration and it's working well for a good hard bar.

Thanks, I've been using 30% lye concentration for most recipes, but I might down the water a bit as you say. It does seem to make a difference. I use 32% for my bastille and that works really well.

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks, I've been using 30% lye concentration for most recipes, but I might down the water a bit as you say. It does seem to make a difference. I use 32% for my bastille and that works really well.

Yes just that tiny % makes a difference. You have to be careful if you want to do swirls or anything like that though because it moves!