Want to stop using palm oil, how to finish what I have left?

[aab1]

Shea Butter 35%
Mango Seed Butter 20%
Coconut Oil, 76 deg 20%
Apricot Kernel Oil 10%
Castor Oil 8%
Cocoa Butter 7%

I've just read that refined shea. which I was planning on switching to, is refined with chemicals, so unless the organic refined shea is refined without chemicals, I will stick with the unrefined shea I was using.

My question is, will the soap be white with 35% unrefined shea? I have a hard time seeing how it would be, when you said this recipe would make a white bar, was that considering refined or unrefined shea?

Thank you

 

[grayceworks]

Should be. Cocoa butter can be off-white in large amounts, but a 100% shea bar is white in the single-oil swap results, and i've not had a problem in my recipes.

 

[aab1]

Should be. Cocoa butter can be off-white in large amounts, but a 100% shea bar is white in the single-oil swap results, and i've not had a problem in my recipes.

Are you talking about refined or unrefined shea? In any case I think I found naturally refined shea that is made without chemicals so I will probably get the refined one after all.

Thank you

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Well thats what I ment, should I be melting my whole big pail of palm each time or can I chunk it out like I have been?

With palm, you're supposed to melt the whole bucket before portioning out. As palm cools down, the fatty acids migrate vertically in it, meaning that depending on where you pull chunks, you'll get different amounts of stearic, palmitic, etc. That can really screw with a recipe.

Palm is the only oil that does this, I don't know why. So far I'm still working off of my first tub of palm, and that one I melted the whole thing and then portioned it off to different amounts so that I can just use the smaller portions without worry. (It does limit how much I can use in a particular recipe and cause funky percentages, but that's less of a hassle than melting a whole tub for just a little bit!)

 

[Shalisk]

With palm, you're supposed to melt the whole bucket before portioning out. As palm cools down, the fatty acids migrate vertically in it, meaning that depending on where you pull chunks, you'll get different amounts of stearic, palmitic, etc. That can really screw with a recipe.

Palm is the only oil that does this, I don't know why. So far I'm still working off of my first tub of palm, and that one I melted the whole thing and then portioned it off to different amounts so that I can just use the smaller portions without worry. (It does limit how much I can use in a particular recipe and cause funky percentages, but that's less of a hassle than melting a whole tub for just a little bit!)

Well...Crap. I have already used maybe a pound or two. I guess I am gunna have to figure out what to do now. I suppose I could melt it all and mix it and re-portion it as is, or throw out the remaining :/ I dunno now.

Maybe thats why my soap cracked/overheated a couple times. THe container I got from WSP didnt say to melt and stir so I didnt :/

 

[Obsidian]

Don't throw it out. Melt it down and as it cools, stir it every few minutes so the steric doesn't sink back to the bottom. I doubt that made your batches overheat or crack.

 

[grayceworks]

You should be able to melt and stir the remainder, to get things distributed evenly in what's left, I would think? I don't use a lot of palm, but it will still make soap. Just maybe slightly different from what a fresh batch of palm might give. Anyone know for sure who uses palm often?

 

[aab1]

I just ordered a kilo each of mango, cocoa and organic refined shea butters along with 1 liter apricot kernel oil and 500 ml avocado oil.

I'll make the shea/mango butter soap recipe grayceworks posted when I receive my order.

 

[grayceworks]

I haven't tried the refined shea yet. I like the scent of the unrefined too much. I might get some with my next order and see what I think.

 

[aab1]

I haven't tried the refined shea yet. I like the scent of the unrefined too much. I might get some with my next order and see what I think.

It's mostly to make a whiter bar I prefer the refined. When you said the recipe you posted makes a white bar is that even with unrefined shea?

If I like the soap from your recipe and decide to make a similar recipe to sell, do you think it's best to keep a soap with expensive butters like this unscented or add one or more essential oils and if so what would go well with it? I was thinking maybe orange, lime and litsea essential oils for a tropical scent since it's made with tropical oils. Any other ideas?

Thanks

 

[seven]

if i have to melt my palm every time i wanna use it, i dont think i'm gonna like it so much. reading all the hassles, i'm so grateful my palm is already liquid in room temp, nice and golden.

 

[grayceworks]

Melt and stir once, divide the mixed palm into containers or bags in amounts you commonly use. Then you will kniw that all the amounts are mixed and the same.

 

[grayceworks]

It's mostly to make a whiter bar I prefer the refined. When you said the recipe you posted makes a white bar is that even with unrefined shea?

If I like the soap from your recipe and decide to make a similar recipe to sell, do you think it's best to keep a soap with expensive butters like this unscented or add one or more essential oils and if so what would go well with it? I was thinking maybe orange, lime and litsea essential oils for a tropical scent since it's made with tropical oils. Any other ideas?

Thanks

I always use unrefined shea in mine, it is white. I don't think it needs much, if any scent, as the natural shea scent survives but a tropical scent might be nice with it... I like jasmine or tuberose or honeysuckle too.

 

[nframe]

I am so thankful that I buy a cooking fat that is 80% palm and 20% Rapeseed. I cut off what I need from the 1kg block and use that - so far, no streaks.

What is that cooking fat called? Also, how do you work out the SAP values if the palm and rapeseed oils are mixed together? And, lastly, as I believe you are from the UK, do you know the SAP value of Cookeen? It is a very cheap cooking fat but I have never been able to find its SAP value so I have never used it but I would like to try.

 

[seven]

^^^
I am not TEG, but he did say that the mix consists of 80% palm and 20% rapeseed. in soapcalc, let's say you want to use 100 gr of that oil mix in your recipe, then you just plug in 80% (80 gr) for palm, and 20% (20 gr) for rapeseed.

oh, and i believe TEG is from Austria

 

[Susie]

I think TEG said he is from the UK, but currently living in Austria.

 

[nframe]

^^^
I am not TEG, but he did say that the mix consists of 80% palm and 20% rapeseed. in soapcalc, let's say you want to use 100 gr of that oil mix in your recipe, then you just plug in 80% (80 gr) for palm, and 20% (20 gr) for rapeseed.

oh, and i believe TEG is from Austria

I am so stupid! Of course, you are right. It is so simple. Sorry about that! Do you happen to know the answer to the second part of my question, ie. Cookeen?

 

[Obsidian]

Do you know the SAP value of Cookeen? It is a very cheap cooking fat but I have never been able to find its SAP value so I have never used it but I would like to try.

Does it have a ingredient list? It sounds like what we call crisco here in the US but it would help to know if it has palm in it.

 

[nframe]

Does it have a ingredient list? It sounds like what we call crisco here in the US but it would help to know if it has palm in it.

It does not have an ingredient list. I emailed the company to ask them what was in it and they did not reply. It only says "refined vegetable fat" on the label so I am worried about using it.

 

[seven]

i found an old thread about cookeen:

here

another member (faru) regarded it as the old crisco, and his soap turned out fine.