Superfatting and extra oil with additives

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Catscankim

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
2,465
Reaction score
5,841
Location
Florida
The title might be confusing. What I am asking is that if I am already at 5% superfat in my recipe, will adding the extra oils used to mix micas etc cause too much superfat? The second part to that is if I am over superfatting with the extra oils, am I lowering the bubble factor in my finished soap? Should I make it zero% superfat to account for the added oil?

I'm always searching for more bubbles in my recipes. I tried upping the coconut oil a bit and lowering the olive oil a bit, but I don't think that is making much of a difference at 5% (5% more CO and 5% less OO).

Funny side note: When I am measuring my oils and accidentally overpour 2 grams of something like olive oil into my already melted hard oils, it is like devastating to me LOL, but then I add all that extra olive oil anyway to my micas.
 
If the oils you're using to mix micas is not included in your soap recipe, then yes; it is adding more of a superfat.

What I do is I melt my oils together, and then pour a bit of the now warm, liquid oils into my mica containers and I mix that. It's so easy! No extra math to remember.
 
I usually melt my hard oils first, then add my liquid oils, would it make a difference if I used oils from that batch of melted oils, or do I need to use strictly liquid oil as opposed to a melted combination of hard/liquid...therefore having to dirty two containers and measure out separately LOL. I guess I could just measure out the liquid and then add the hard and melt all together.
 
If you are the type of person to melt the hard oils, then add the liquid oils to the melted oils, all before adding the lye-water mixture, I would suggest trying adding the liquid oils to the melted oils, then pour a little bit of that into the micas and mix, then go add the lye-water to the big container of oils. Does that make sense?

I learnt this from [my personal soaping goddess] Katie Carson on her Royalty Soaps YouTube channel. Try around minute-9 of this prep video from her Creative Academy series. Hopefully she can explain better than I can.

 
I don't disperse my colorants with enough oil or water for it to make enough difference. But if you are worried, just drop your SF down a percentage.
 
TBH, I never really gave it a thought. I am trying to figure out a vegan recipe with palm oil instead of my regular lard bars. I figured, while I am creating a new recipe I guess I should look into it.

Thanks all
 
Late to the party, but I have done both: added extra oil into the mica-mixing cups, or used some of the melted batch oils for that purpose. Doesn't seem to matter either way, but I do start with a low SF of 2% to 3%.
 
am trying to figure out a vegan recipe with palm oil instead of my regular lard bars.

You're more than welcome to try my recipe, if you'd like. It's Katie Carson's Royalty Soap recipe that she provides in the description of all her videos. I chose to switch her Sweet Almond Oil for my choice of Apricot Kernel oil. I usually add 15-30g per 1000g oils kaolin clay, if that helps. https://www.youtube.com/@RoyaltySoaps/about
 

Attachments

  • CWSoap_1kg_Unscented.pdf
    125.4 KB

Latest posts

Back
Top