Shea Butter Shelf Life?

[RobinHoodFan]

So I'm thinking of purchasing 5lbs of shea butter that says to have 12-18 month shelf life...what happens after that? Does the nutrients just start to fizzle away or is it unsafe to use? What about if its in the soap already? If it's already made into CP soap, is that insluded in the 18mo or does it expand it? Like if it gets close to 18months am i better off making soap with it to prolong it or is it just bad by then?

Any advice would be awesome.

I ask b/c it's either available in 1lb or 5lb And if I get 2 1lbs, it's only like 5 bux more to get an extra 3 pounds...the 1lb only lasted me for 2 batches of soap and I'd like to at least have it keep up with the other stuff that lasted me 3+ (i hate ordering stuff online when it's only like 1 item).

You think 5# is too much for me? I still have much of my 3 batches left for my own use from May (some of which I plan to make liquid soap out of). I've been trying to get hubby to use it too but he's a brat and doesn't trust/like it (he's a "it must be name brand" type o guy).

Anyway, I don't plan to soap too often, only when I run low. I'm def going to make a batch for xmas gifts and maybe one more batch with a better scent for myself sometime very soon (not too happy with my first two scented batches scent wise)...This still leaves me with about 8 batches worth of shea give or take. Is that too much for 18 mo you think? Or do you still think I can use it after 18 months and it won't effect the recipe at all?

 

[Cally]

I can't say much about the shelf life or what happens with the shea butter as I haven't had any long enough to know. However I was worried about how long my soap would last and it was mentioned that there are people that have soap from years ago (3+ years if I recall right) that is still good, so I don't think you would have a problem if it's already mixed up in your soap.

What I wanted to say is that if you are worried about having too much shea butter on hand you can do other things with it.Whipped lotion, solid lotion and scrubs all come to mind. Things that would go really nicely if you are giving away soap for christmas.

As an aside. If you brand your soap maybe your husband will use it?

 

[RobinHoodFan]

LOL! Maybe i should save some of the storebrand labels and wrap my soap in them and tell him they're store bought haha!!

Thanks for the tips. I guess when the date gets closer i'd be better off making soap and stuff with them.

Didn't think about scrubs! How do you make those? would I need KOH then? I could make some lotion bars too. Maybe even a whole gift basket as a gift with lotion, soap & a scrub...what about body butter? Hmmm...Would have to find some recipes for these things.

I asked the company if i should freeze it b/c they said to keep it below 70 degrees but referred me to someone else for an exact answer....still waiting to hear back form them about freezing it..but maybe having a soap/lotion/scrub making fest is the way to go lol!

I'm still nervous about selling my soaps..even though my first 3 batches have been fine and I've been using them no problem. I'd jsut be afraid that somewhere in the bar there's a hidden lye pocket :shock: I guess i jsut need alittle more faith in myself

 

[madhattersoap]

I had about a 1/2 pound of refined shea butter that I purchased from Wholesale Supplies that stayed good for about a year. I kept it in a ziploc bag stuffed into a plastic container and placed it in the fridge where it was always cold. I didn't see any evidence of rancidity and used it later on some personal soap batches I made. Had no problems whatsoever.

 

[Hazel]

Didn't think about scrubs! How do you make those? would I need KOH then? I could make some lotion bars too. Maybe even a whole gift basket as a gift with lotion, soap & a scrub...what about body butter? Hmmm...Would have to find some recipes for these things.

I'm still nervous about selling my soaps..even though my first 3 batches have been fine and I've been using them no problem. I'd jsut be afraid that somewhere in the bar there's a hidden lye pocket :shock: I guess i jsut need alittle more faith in myself

You don't need KOH to make scrubs. KOH is used for liquid soap. Shea butter makes a lovely whipped body butter.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... -butter-2/
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... -queen-tv/

Check Swift's blog for scrub recipes. She has quite a few so make sure you scroll down to see the different ones. http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=scrub

If you've only made 3 batches of soap, I don't recommend you start selling yet. Please read this topic since it really explains in detail how to decide if you're ready to be selling. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17621

 

[Walt H]

I'm not an expert on Shea butter, but I do use it in my soaps. I've had Shea butter for a while (not 18 months though).
One website says it doesn't expire. I'm not 100% sold on that. I think that any oil, when exposed to air and poor storage can go rancid.

I've seen yellow Shea butter get a little white on the surface where it is exposed to air. I've still used it in the batch of soap and not had any problems. It melted correctly and there wasn't any ill side effects. I also noticed it got drier and more chunky. But again, no problems in the batch.

My opinion is that the fresher it is, the better off you'll be with shelf life. Keep it stored properly and it should last a while. The draw back is the amount of shelf space it will take up.

Ask yourself:
Can you afford to have your shelf space taken up with 5lbs of shea butter for then next 18-24 months?
Will you still be making soap 12 months from now or is this a fad hobby? (I'm just asking.. not being rude... it's a legitimate question)

If you answer yes to both, then I would strongly consider it.
If you need the space or think you might not be making soap in a year from now, then pass and get a smaller quantity.

Based on what you said you're using about 8oz per batch. 5lbs = 10 batches. If you plan on giving this out during the holidays you can easily go through a couple of batches. Nothing says you can't make a few batches of soap ahead of time and just stock pile it in your closet . It doesn't spoil. The oils have been converted to soap for the most part. It might start to look a little discolored because of the fragrance oils or essential oils and oxidation.

On a side note: You can use a more masculine blend of fragrances in the batch (clove, sandalwood, cedar & lime, and frankincense, eucalyptus to just name a few.) maybe that will bring your husband around to trying it. Most guys I know don't like smelling like wild flowers and spring meadows. Combine the masculine scent with masculine colors (red, dark blue, dark green, black, and white). My most popular soap is red/black swirl bar with clove as the main scent followed by a blue/white swirl bar with eucalyptus.

I've used the website "basenotes.net" to get ideas for scents. They list the essential oils in many popular fragrances. You can get an idea of what's popular and what's not. If he has a favorite cologne you might be able to use some of those scents in your soap batch.


Good luck.
Walt H