Waxes in soap

[Dawni]

I was looking at the soy wax options I have locally, because a lot of people here have had good results with it. If you've not seen it and are interested, the current soy wax thread is here.

So in my search, I came across these other waxes, and was wondering if anyone knew about them and have used them in soap.

1. Carnauba wax
2. Candelila wax

Both these are in a couple of soap calcs I checked, and in non-soap products, are an alternative to beeswax, but here they also cost double, and triple, respectively.

3. Coconut wax
4. Castor wax
5. Rice bran wax

Now these three are new to me, and they're not also in the calcs so if ever, I am wondering how one would go about using them. Are they similar to coconut oil and castor oil, just in wax form? I searched and found a sap value range for castor and rice bran wax but not the coconut, and I can't seem to find anyone who has tried them in soap.

5. Palm wax

The supplier us unfortunately very vague and doesn't seem to know what it is, other than it is from palm and it's used for candles lol

I'm still searching for the right kind of soy wax, but in the mean time, I'm sticking to butters as hardeners as these new waxes aren't gonna save me much money and my logic says their conditioning factor would be less anyway.

Your thoughts?

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Not to add more confusion... but I've started using cosmetic grade rapeseed wax, which is an alternative to soy wax. The suggested use according to the website is as a hardener for lip balms, with a usage rate of 5-20%. I have only found one distributor in the Netherlands and it's not listed in the calcs either.

It has a high melting point, so my first few batches were very frustrating because I was soaping too cool and my wax started to harden waaayyy sooner than I was expecting. I ended up with ugly lumpy soaps. It is my sincere hope that I can figure out a way to make hard, long lasting, environmentally sustainable, pretty soaps. That's not asking too much, is it?

I've made 4 or 5 batches using different recipes and the wax from 10-20%, with the rest of my recipes using CO, OO, shea, castor, some have hemp seed oil and SA oil. Now I have to wait for them to cure to see if I even like the end product.

 

[gloopygloop]

I think Palm wax is stearic, here is some information from a UK company which sells it-:

Stearin
Palm wax
Our vegetable palm wax is gathered as stearic acid from the fruits of the oil palm tree. It is both organically sustainable and biodegradable. Typically, palm wax has a pure white- crystalline appearance, which remains unchanged even after melting and re-setting. This gives the candle its classic look. The scent of pure palm wax is neutral and it burns without smoke; the very bright flame burns calmly – and all of this contributes to the candles’ fine burning attributes. A stearin candle also retains its form, due to the hardness of the wax and relatively high melting point.
Beautiful to behold, the candle develops an ethereal lace rim whilst burning.
Kerzenfarm exclusively works with Stearin produced by RSPO–certified producers.
http://www.rspo.org

Carnauba from what I can remember in soap completely diminishes the lather. Coconut wax appears to be a hardened version of coconut oil but so far cannot find out why or how it is hardened.

 

[penelopejane]

FYI on the sustainability of palm oil and palm wax: https://www.candlescience.com/learning/the-problem-with-palm-wax

Canuba wax is a type of palm oil from a particular palm tree.

Stearic acid is a type of wax often, but not always, from palm. You can get stearic acid made from rapeseed oil.

 

[gloopygloop]

FYI on the sustainability of palm oil and palm wax: https://www.candlescience.com/learning/the-problem-with-palm-wax

Canuba wax is a type of palm oil from a particular palm tree.

Stearic acid is a type of wax often, but not always, from palm. You can get stearic acid made from rapeseed oil.

I have read so many times about Stearic Acid being mainly form Palm but not always, always, however I have not found out what other source it does come from. I know that Stearic Acid is different from Stearin as Stearin has evidently a neutral pH but am intrigued to know where else Stearic Acid comes from?

 

[Dawni]

I have read so many times about Stearic Acid being mainly form Palm but not always, always, however I have not found out what other source it does come from. I know that Stearic Acid is different from Stearin as Stearin has evidently a neutral pH but am intrigued to know where else Stearic Acid comes from?

There is coconut derived stearic acid too I think?

 

[penelopejane]

There is coconut derived stearic acid too I think?

There is also a corn based stearic acid.

 

[shunt2011]

The only stearic I've seen is from palm. There supposedly is also stearic from animal as well though I've not seen it.

 

[atiz]

I have used stearic acid but none of the others.
Another wax that I just discovered recently: Orange Wax! Has anyone used this, ever? As far as I can tell, it is made from orange peel (like super concentrated orange EO?), and it smells absolutely delicious. I'm wondering if this is something soap-able and whether it would preserve its color and smell.

 

[Dawni]

@atiz
https://www.google.com/search?q=ora...id-sonymobile&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

 

[Dean]

I have used stearic acid but none of the others.
Another wax that I just discovered recently: Orange Wax! Has anyone used this, ever? As far as I can tell, it is made from orange peel (like super concentrated orange EO?), and it smells absolutely delicious. I'm wondering if this is something soap-able and whether it would preserve its color and smell.

I make orange colored and scented soap with SW. A member recommended that I try Orange Wax. It provides my desired color, scent and wax all in one. The perfect ingredient! Wrong. It was horrid. I threw it out and never used it again. I accidently deleted my recipe with notes. If I recall, the bars were ugly and stinky. Seems like there were other issues too but I can't remember.

 

[earlene]

The only source for palm-free stearic acid that I have found is in the UK:

https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/palm-free-stearic-acid

If anyone knows of any other sources, perhaps they could post it, for others interested.

 

[gloopygloop]

The only source for palm-free stearic acid that I have found is in the UK:

https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/palm-free-stearic-acid

If anyone knows of any other sources, perhaps they could post it, for others interested.

I use that company a lot but had not noticed the Rapeseed version of Stearic Acid, I also know the company which supplies it so it would be possible to get more information. Well there may be more sources!

 

[atiz]

@atiz
https://www.google.com/search?q=orange+wax+site:soapmakingforum.com&oq=orange+wax+site:soapmakingforum.com&aqs=chrome..69i57.8752j0j7&client=ms-android-sonymobile&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Thanks, Dawni, I didn't have time to do the search when I wrote this. I can see though that it is not very promising as far as soaping goes (I love it in some syndets and in some cleaning stuff). @Dean yeah, this would have been the perfect ingredient for you I'm afraid though it is not real wax; it is really just like a super concentrated EO and those wouldn't soap well either.

 

[Dean]

Thanks, Dawni, I didn't have time to do the search when I wrote this. I can see though that it is not very promising as far as soaping goes (I love it in some syndets and in some cleaning stuff). @Dean yeah, this would have been the perfect ingredient for you I'm afraid though it is not real wax; it is really just like a super concentrated EO and those wouldn't soap well either.

Yep. Soy wax isn't a wax either.

 

[penelopejane]

The only source for palm-free stearic acid that I have found is in the UK:

https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/palm-free-stearic-acid

If anyone knows of any other sources, perhaps they could post it, for others interested.

Ian it a bit weird that there is only one retailer of non palm stearic acid in the world?

 

[SoaperForLife]

Another wax that I just discovered recently: Orange Wax! Has anyone used this, ever? As far as I can tell, it is made from orange peel (like super concentrated orange EO?), and it smells absolutely delicious. I'm wondering if this is something soap-able and whether it would preserve its color and smell.

I have used it in several different soap recipes - one a gardener's bar paired with orange essential oil and the other was a bar scented with an orange spice fo. I didn't want the orange scent to fade in the gardener's bar so I used about a tsp. of orange wax and after almost a year the orange scent has held strong. The orange spice I wanted a strong orange to offset the spice part of the blend and it has turned out really nice.

 

[atiz]

I have used it in several different soap recipes - one a gardener's bar paired with orange essential oil and the other was a bar scented with an orange spice fo. I didn't want the orange scent to fade in the gardener's bar so I used about a tsp. of orange wax and after almost a year the orange scent has held strong. The orange spice I wanted a strong orange to offset the spice part of the blend and it has turned out really nice.

Thanks, @SoaperForLife, that's good to know -- I will try it! A gardener's soap is on the shortlist for making now anyway.

 

[earlene]

Ian it a bit weird that there is only one retailer of non palm stearic acid in the world?

Either that or I am simply using the wrong search perimeters in my searches, which is quite possible. Sometimes it takes me a while to find stuff because I have to tweak my search words a few times to get what I'm after. But I also have a cold right now, so my mind isn't in top form either. (Not saying my mind is normally super high functioning, just that it's not at it's best with a head cold.)

Anyway, I do hope that if their are others, as others have mentioned may exist, they would post links. But that's the only one I have found.

 

[penelopejane]

Either that or I am simply using the wrong search perimeters in my searches, which is quite possible. Sometimes it takes me a while to find stuff because I have to tweak my search words a few times to get what I'm after. But I also have a cold right now, so my mind isn't in top form either. (Not saying my mind is normally super high functioning, just that it's not at it's best with a head cold.)

Anyway, I do hope that if their are others, as others have mentioned may exist, they would post links. But that's the only one I have found.

I have searched as well and come up with the same results. I just thought it was a bit strange! I've contacted our maize australia body and am trying to chase down some more info.