Using 5% beeswax in recipe

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

When I made my boot oil, I put the wax and oil in the jar and then put that in hot water to melt it down - no pouring worries! Not always possible, I know.................

 

[kazmi]

It was helpful to hear so many people chime in with their experience with beeswax.

I've decided to skip it altogether; the only reasons I going to use it was because someone else used it in their formula. Now I see it was probably used in a very tiny amount, and I'd rather just not have the hassle of keeping one extra ingredient that only contributes 2% hardness.

And thanks to Efficacious Gentleman, who mentioned in another post that Mango and palm are very similar. The recipe I made was going to contain 17% mango; but changed it to palm because I'd much rather save the mango for my body butter!! (Love that stuff!)

This is what I ended up with:

Pko: 18% Palm: 17 rbo 30 olive 30 castor 5

Trying to make a mild bath bar so I wanted low cleansing (would prefer 10), but want as hard of a bar as possible, which doesn't seem possible with higher pko or coconut.

Since I expect this to be the softest and mildest bar I've made so far, I'm going to add some pink color, and use rose absolute to scent. (Hmm. Might have to scratch that....found out this is rose absolute in jojoba oil.)

Yes! I get to soap today!!

Not sure if you made this soap already but had to chime in here. You may find that 18% Pko is quite high. If I use Pko I typically stick with 5% or less. A high percentage can make your soap feel 'waxy' and the bar will be hard but it won't last long in the shower. If you made it already let us know how it comes out.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

PKO in this case is being used as a CO replacement, I belive, hence the high %

When you used it, was it with or instead of CO?

 

[shunt2011]

I tried using beeswax once. Because I RTCP I melted the beeswax and then added it to my oils it was a total failure. I use PKO at 15% in one of my recipes that is coconut free and have never had a problem with it. I also use it at 12% in conjuction with CO and love it.

 

[judymoody]

Not sure if you made this soap already but had to chime in here. You may find that 18% Pko is quite high. If I use Pko I typically stick with 5% or less. A high percentage can make your soap feel 'waxy' and the bar will be hard but it won't last long in the shower. If you made it already let us know how it comes out.

I use PKO as a sub for CO all the time, at 28% of my recipe, and my soaps don't feel waxy at all. I SF at 9% 18% should provide some decent bubblage but not be too drying or stripping.

 

[kazmi]

My problem may have been that I didn't use it as a substitute for CO. In both batches that I made with it the bars didn't feel very creamy and a little waxy. Great bubbles but didn't last very long in the shower. Since I still have some PKO left I'll have to try a batch using it as a sub and see how it comes out. Good to know.

 

[jnl]

I agree with DeeAnna. Beeswax solidifies easily when poured on its own; that's why I mix it with at least some oils / butters when melting it before adding it in with the rest of the oils. For applications where you can't avoid pouring pure melted beeswax, like candlemaking, anything that touches the beeswax (pots, spoons, etc.) will be ruined for any other purpose, as some of the hardened beeswax is virtually impossible to remove. At least that's been my experience.

beeswax is super easy to remove. just wipe the container with paper towel while its still warm to get all the wax off! if it hardens, just warm up the container again. a quick wipe has always removed all the wax for me, and then washing is easy. its never left even a thin residue of wax for me, it seems to want to get sucked into the paper towel and leave the pot.