The elusive perfect bar of soap

[John Harris]

If you were forced to present your "perfect bar of soap" recipe, what would it be?

After returning to soap making, I've been looking around to make some oil substitutions from my usual recipe. My final analysis: there is nothing new under the sun. An example of oil substitutions can be found here:

https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-...ow-to-substitute-oil-in-cold-process-recipes/

The conclusion I have come to is that I already have the perfect recipe. It is

Palm
Coconut
Olive
Bees wax
and a couple of luxury oils, one of which has to be Castor.

Lard can be used to replace (or modify) the palm oil.

How about you? Do you dare hold up your perfect recipe to the Forum's scrutiny?

 

[shunt2011]

My perfect bar of soap is simple but awesome. Lard, CO, Avocado, Olive or HO Sunflower, Shea & Castor.

 

[cmzaha]

Mine is Tallow, Lard, (Sunflower HO, Canola, or AVO), PKO, CO & 3% Castor. One of the liquid oils not all. Vinegar, Sorbitol low superfat and lathers like a champ out fresh out of the mold.

 

[Dahila]

Mine OO, CO, Avo, Lard, Tallow, Castor

 

[shunt2011]

Also keep in mind what my perfect bar is may not be someone else’s.

 

[Relle]

I agree with Shunt .

I'm happy with my 'perfect' bar of soap, have been for a while. I don't need to have it scrutinized by the forum, OR feel the NEED to share my recipe.

 

[cmzaha]

We all have our favorite and mine has been known to change. Of course, we notice I do not list percentages. What is one's favorite is certainly not another's favorite.

 

[John Harris]

My perfect bar of soap is simple but awesome. Lard, CO, Avocado, Olive or HO Sunflower, Shea & Castor.

Shunt ... what percentage of avocado do you use?

As most of you know, I would think, many of us on here have spent years perfecting our favorite soap recipe(s). My thread was just a light-hearted invitation to share, if you were so inclined. I for one am curious and interested. I already have been researching shunt2011's avocado oil suggestion.
Now, if you don't feel like sharing, it's very simple: just don't share.

 

[Millie]

Well, as a soap connoisseur, I have a number of favorites

And sometimes I like a lot of coconut oil *sshhh*

 

[lenarenee]

I can usually find something to love in any bar of soap. In fact, I like having different recipes on the shelf at all times so I don’t get bored (and I’m not talking about fragrance)

My go to recipe is determined by cost, skin friendliness, and how it’s makes a white batter that rarely needs td added to it, the colorants come out true, and there’s plenty of working time.

Give or take a few numbers, it’s 65% lard, 20 % co, 10% ho oil of some kind and castor.

 

[GML]

My regular recipe is olive, coconut, sunflower, castor and I superfat with shea butter. I also add salt and sugar to the water and finish with coconut milk and yogurt after the cook.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I have something like 30 different soaps made from almost the same number of recipes sitting at various sinks or in the shower at my house. I’ve had to convert small serving dishes to giant soap dishes to accommodate my love of soap! I honestly like almost every one of the soaps I’ve made since I started studying the info on this forum and developing my own recipes. I call them my 2nd and 3rd gen soaps. My 1st gen soaps were made from recipes off the web, mostly had 30% CO (which was appealing to me when I knew nothing) and got me squeaky, squeaky clean. Only one 1st gen recipe, for goat milk soap, has moved forward.

About a month ago I thought that maybe the recipe I make with 60% lard, 15% CO, 5% castor and the rest soft oils was going to be my absolute favorite. Then I started testing a bar with 80% lard and 20% CO and thought the extra bubbles were a nice addition and then I started testing a bar that is based on OO, and a high percentage of Shea and cocoa butter. It totally surprises me that I like that one as much as I do. I find that I like different soaps on different days and it’s fun to change it up, especially since I’ve learned and tested enough to be able to tell the difference between them.

I love good soap and love that I have learned how to make my own so that I can have soap for every mood

 

[John Harris]

I have something like 30 different soaps made from almost the same number of recipes sitting at various sinks or in the shower at my house. I’ve had to convert small serving dishes to giant soap dishes to accommodate my love of soap! I honestly like almost every one of the soaps I’ve made since I started studying the info on this forum and developing my own recipes. I call them my 2nd and 3rd gen soaps. My 1st gen soaps were made from recipes off the web, mostly had 30% CO (which was appealing to me when I knew nothing) and got me squeaky, squeaky clean. Only one 1st gen recipe, for goat milk soap, has moved forward.

About a month ago I thought that maybe the recipe I make with 60% lard, 15% CO, 5% castor and the rest soft oils was going to be my absolute favorite. Then I started testing a bar with 80% lard and 20% CO and thought the extra bubbles were a nice addition and then I started testing a bar that is based on OO, and a high percentage of Shea and cocoa butter. It totally surprises me that I like that one as much as I do. I find that I like different soaps on different days and it’s fun to change it up, especially since I’ve learned and tested enough to be able to tell the difference between them.

I love good soap and love that I have learned how to make my own so that I can have soap for every mood

Now, YOU sir (ma'am?), are a Soapmeister!

 

[Millie]

Sometimes a bad bar of soap transforms with a long cure too. One of my all time favorites is one of my first ever batches. Tossed the recipe because I was sure I was already making better soap. When I tried a bar again much later .... it is one of the most elegant soaps I have ever used. And I have no idea how to replicate it, because any new soap will not feel similar. It's an oat, milk and honey with the usual oils and a redicoulously high superfat (because I was so afraid of lye that I undermeasured lye and overmeasured oils somewhat haphazardly in my dim recollection).

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Now, YOU sir (ma'am?), are a Soapmeister!

Yes I am . And ma’am it is.

ETA: I almost forgot about the bar I started testing not too long ago that has some hemp oil in it. It’s nice too.

 

[shunt2011]

Shunt ... what percentage of avocado do you use?

It varies between 10-15%.

 

[SoapySuds]

I can’t tell you, it’s too perfect.

 

[Dawni]

My favorite soap has lard, RBO, CO, sweet almond, shea, cocoa and castor.. In descending order

I noticed that I love lard when it's above 30%, and coconut when it's less than 20%.. I like RBO a lot more than olive oil (notice it's not included here), almond oil is just plain nice, cocoa n shea give me longer lasting bars.. And castor I only use when I have a lot of butters and/or salt.

I don't mind sharing my final recipe if you want to try it, lemme know. The initial test recipe is here though

 

[KiwiMoose]

My fav is OO, CO, Soy Wax, RBO, then Shea Butter, Avocado Oil and castor is lesser amounts. And lately ALWAYS aloe (unless I'm making a coconut milk or oat milk soap).
My friend had a massive tidy up in her garden which resulted in me acquiring 4 aloe plants which should keep me in good supply for a while to come.

 

[MadScientist]

My go to is Lard, Babassu, Grapeseed, Hempseed, Tamanu, and Castor. I add sodium lactate, activated charcoal, and EO infused diatomaceous earth (DE). Infusing the DE seems to protect a portion of the essential oils, enhancing scent strength.

I usually pick tree sap based EOs (dragons blood, tea tree, cedar) for their health benefits as well as citrus-type scents (love me some lemongrass). I find my oily-sensitive skin is soft and hydrated after a shower and that my skin heals easier. 5% superfat with a focus on high conditioning and minimal cleansing in the calculator usually yields best results for me with a 2.5:1 water:lye ratio.