Lanolin is also in the wax family, right? And I really like how my skin feels when I use it in soap. Not a lot, but a small percentage like Millie talks about. I think it's the waxiness of it that makes it feel so nice.
SoapCalc soap bar quality range question.
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Soapprentice
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In that case, would all the waxes serve that purpose? Even bees wax?
I think jojoba might help suspend and stabilize lather similar to the way castor oil works. It is liquid at room temp, I am not sure if a solid wax would work the same way for lather, as waxes are mostly unsaponifiables. The lanolin I have seen came as a paste. Earlene, did you notice any change in lather? I havent tried beeswax in soap, but many soapers seem to enjoy the skin feel of beeswax in small amounts. I haven't read anything about beeswax contributing to lather, except for inhibiting it if too much is used. Castor oil is a cost effective lather stabilizer, some people find it a little drying though. Good luck! I think I'll have to get experimenting soon, try out all these waxes with the same base recipe 
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The problem I found with beeswax is that you need to soap pretty warm because it melts at around 145°F. It's impossible for those of us that often soap near room temperature (80°F~) to aid in slowing trace. At 1%, I didn't think it made enough difference (in bar hardness or feel) to warrant the trouble and giving up cool soaping temperatures. All my soap cures super hard after a good cure anyway, especially my 100% olive castile. It's rock hard, and could be used as a weapon if required. Beeswax also not vegan friendly for those entertaining that market. But I know many people swear by it and use at least that amount in every recipe.
I do have a ton of beeswax on hand though. It's a must have ingredient in lube recipes for homemade bullets! :mrgreen:
I do have a ton of beeswax on hand though. It's a must have ingredient in lube recipes for homemade bullets! :mrgreen:
Not Steve, but I use the "Lasting" quality too. It can be found in soapee.com but not in soapcalc. This number is the total % of palmitic and stearic acids. You can get this number by adding Stearic + Palmitic or by subtracting Hardness - Cleansing. Since these fatty acids make soap that is not very soluble in water, this number is a rough indicator of how long a bar will last when in use. Other factors affect longevity too, such as the amount of cure time (young soaps don't last as long) and additives, so this number is not the be-all, end-all of this matter. But it's a rough start.
Hmmm interesting. Jojoba oil isn't really even an oil as it contains only a trace amount of triglycerides. It's a liquid "wax" that likely survives the lye monster and is present in the finished soap in almost unadulterated form. So maybe it's not exactly wasted after all
Only you can say whether it is wasted or not. I did my experimentation on every oil I had, so I KNOW it is wasted in my lard soap. Your recipes may need it. I can't say it won't help your recipes. That is the lovely thing about making soap, every person and every recipe is different. So YMMV.
Which brings me to the point of this: Even though "the numbers" are similar between recipe A and recipe B, the actual experience can be vastly different. You need to actually try the soap from recipe A and recipe B to know what that soap feels like and lathers like. No numbers on a calculator can ever replace actual experience of each soap.
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Thank you DeeAnna!
Oh gosh, jojoba is way too expensive for me. Heck I render my own lard I'm so cheap. I'd probably render my own coconut oil too if I lived in the tropics! Haha
I think jojoba might help suspend and stabilize lather similar to the way castor oil works. It is liquid at room temp, I am not sure if a solid wax would work the same way for lather, as waxes are mostly unsaponifiables. The lanolin I have seen came as a paste. Earlene, did you notice any change in lather? I havent tried beeswax in soap, but many soapers seem to enjoy the skin feel of beeswax in small amounts. I haven't read anything about beeswax contributing to lather, except for inhibiting it if too much is used. Castor oil is a cost effective lather stabilizer, some people find it a little drying though. Good luck! I think I'll have to get experimenting soon, try out all these waxes with the same base recipe
Lanolin probably would not help with lather if used in large amounts. Yes, the lanolin is paste-like. I used to buy it for a reasonable price at HEB when visiting my son in Texas, but the store near my son's house stopped carrying it so now I buy it online now. I had not been able to find it locally, so I was really happy to find a source. I have also used beeswax in soap, but only a couple of times in HP soaps. Since doing CP more lately, I haven't used any in awhile.
As for castor oil, I know many soapers always use it, but I don't find it to be so absolutely necessary for my personal tastes. I use it because I have it, but when I don't use it, I don't really notice a huge loss.
