Shea Butter Soap Recipe

[Eagertolearn]

Hello Everyone,

I am very new to soap making and would please like you advice. I am looking to make shea butter soap, with shea butter, palm oil and coconut oil.I have found 3 recipes but all contain different ratios in relation to the oils and I was wondering which is best and why?

1) Base Ingredients Grams Ounces Percentage
Coconut Oil 270 gr. 9.524 oz. 30%
Palm Oil 270 gr. 9.524 oz. 30%
Olive Oil 270 gr. 9.524 oz. 30%
Shea Butter 90 gr. 3.175 oz. 10%
Distilled Water 326.07 gr. 11.502 oz.
Lye 124.451 gr. 4.39 oz.

Water as % of Oils = 36.23; Super Fat/Discount = 8%

2) Base Ingredients Grams Ounces Percentage
Coconut Oil 270 gr. 9.524 oz. 30%
Palm Oil 180 gr. 6.349 oz. 20%
Olive Oil 360 gr. 12.699 oz. 40%
Shea Butter 90 gr. 3.175 oz. 10%
Distilled Water 326.07 gr. 11.502 oz.
Lye 124.451 gr. 4.39 oz.

Water as % of Oils = 36.23; Super Fat/Discount = 8%

3)
4.8 oz olive oil
4.8 oz coconut oil
3.2 oz shea butter
3.2 oz palm oil
6oz distilled water
2.2oz of lye

Thank you in advance

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Why don't you make small batches of all of them and compare? That's the best way to learn. :wink: You may want to convert the ounces to grams as well.

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thanks so much the response Jenny, I appreciate it.

 

[Hazel]

I agree with Jenny. There really isn't a "best" recipe. It's what you like which is what would be best for you.

For example, what is best for my skin would be more like the recipe below if I was only using those 4 oils.


45% Olive Oil
25% Coconut Oil
25% Palm Oil
5% Shea Butter

What I'd prefer to make would be

40% Olive Oil
25% Coconut Oil
25% Palm Oil
5% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

or I'd eliminate the shea and just use

40% Olive Oil
25% Coconut Oil
25% Palm Oil
10% Castor Oil

I also generally use a 7% SF.

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thank you for your advice Hazel.

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I like the simplicity of #1. I had good results with the 30, 30, 30, 10 break down when I started soaping. Now I would go crazy, up the olive, add pko and lower the co while upping the shea. But if you can make really small batches of all three, you will be surprised at the difference.

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thank you so much Soapy Gurl.

 

[honor435]

run them through soap calc and see what properties you like? I like this:
10 oz oo
9 oz co
6 oz po
3 oz shea
3 oz castor 9-10 oz water 4.25 lye

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thank you Honor435. I see that you and Hazel mentioned castor oil. How does the castor oil positively affect the soap?

Thanks again.

 

[Hazel]

Castor adds conditioning and helps create bubbly lather.

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thank you Hazel,so it helps with the lather and makes the soap more moisturizing.I will be sure to incorporate it into my recipe.thanks again

 

[Hazel]

Soap isn't moisturizing. I understand conditioning to mean the soap leaves more oil on the skin which helps to retain moisture. The oil reduces evaporation and makes the skin feeling softer.

However, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Eagertolearn]

Thanks for the explanation Hazel.I tried to google the difference between conditioning and moisturizing and could not really find a satisfactory answer,so thought maybe those two words were just used interchangeably.

 

[Hazel]

You're welcome. There probably isn't much of a difference. It may just be semantics. I do know you don't want to say your soap is moisturizing because then the FDA wouldn't consider it soap. I think it would be considered a cosmetic product.

I may be wrong but I think a moisturizer can increase the hydration of the skin while a conditioner would just prevent moisture loss. It's been so long since I studied any of this that I've forgotten most of it.

I just went and looked on soapcalc. I found their definition of what conditioning means. I don't know if this is new or I just never noticed they had this page.

http://www.soapcalc.net/info/SoapQualities.asp

 

[Maythorn]

#3 has more lather than the others it looks like to me but too many hard oils in my humble opinion. It needs more liquid oil.