What are your top 5 can't soap without 'em oils?

[soapsydaisy]

I have my usuals, probably closer to 7 than 5, but what are your favorites?

 

[VanessaP]

The five oils I use the most: avocado, olive, coconut, lard or tallow (depending on what I have on hand), and a butter (shea or cocoa, again, depending on what I have on hand but I do have to say, I think shea wins most of the time)

 

[innerdiva73]

My favs are Coconut, OO, Avocado, Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

 

[scrubbadubdub]

Pretty much the same as above... Coconut, Olive, Avocado, Lard, & Castor.

 

[Lotus]

Olive, coconut, Palm, and castor. Grapeseed is a plus if I have it. Most of my recent recipes are this combination. I would substitute lard for the palm if I'm short on palm, but I've found that palm really makes a pretty superior bar of soap. My soaping changed caliber once I started using it.

 

[VanessaP]

See, Lotus, I'm the opposite. I feel that lard trumps palm in feel LOL

 

[Lotus]

Isn't that crazy? I never saw anything too special about the lard. I mean, it definitely makes a more than decent bar of soap. But, something just felt incredibly right, when I started using the palm.

 

[CaliChan]

lard, Olive oil, Coconut oil, Castor. i like to add other oils to that mix, but all my recipes have some combination of those. i absolutely love the turn out.

 

[soapsydaisy]

I think the ones I use most frequently are olive, castor, coconut, avocado and Shea. I like palm and lard but I feel like I catch guff from the vegans if I use lard and and guff from the activists for palm. I guess I need a new group of friends... I haven't eaten beef or pork since I was 13 but I feel ok using lard since it is a leftover product that would otherwise go to waste. I never thought making soap would lead to so many ethical and philosophical choices.

 

[kazmi]

Mine are olive, castor, avocado, palm, and a butter (cocoa or shea). Haven't tried lard because it had somewhat of an ick factor for me. But after reading that so many people feel that it makes good soap I may have to give it a try.

 

[jcandleattic]

My musts are Almond and castor.
I do have 1 main recipe that has 6 oils, but when I change and do either a specialty or other type bar, unless it is a castille or a mariner's bar, I will always use Almond and Castor in the recipe.

 

[CaliChan]

Mine are olive, castor, avocado, palm, and a butter (cocoa or shea). Haven't tried lard because it had somewhat of an ick factor for me. But after reading that so many people feel that it makes good soap I may have to give it a try.

I had that problem before I started using lard. It just seemed so strange to me. But one night i was determined to get over it and got a tub of lard out and started soaping with it. Now i cant soap without it!

 

[julieanne]

Much the same as previous posts: all batches have coconut, castor, and almost always palm. The oils I use are one or a combo of avocado, olive oil pomace, or sweet almond. No lard because of the long faces on friends when describing ingredients. Butter is almost a must too: kokum, cocoa, shea, or mango all work great, price then becomes the deciding factor. In order to get the lightest of fragrances to appear unhindered, I typically buy RBD (refined, bleached, deodarized). I buy these ingredients exclusively from Soaper's Choice/Columbus Foods. Great prices can be found there!!

 

[soapsydaisy]

Much the same as previous posts: all batches have coconut, castor, and almost always palm. The oils I use are one or a combo of avocado, olive oil pomace, or sweet almond. No lard because of the long faces on friends when describing ingredients. Butter is almost a must too: kokum, cocoa, shea, or mango all work great, price then becomes the deciding factor. In order to get the lightest of fragrances to appear unhindered, I typically buy RBD (refined, bleached, deodarized). I buy these ingredients exclusively from Soaper's Choice/Columbus Foods. Great prices can be found there!!

I think it is really funny that people look at us strangely for using lard in soap but they probably don't realize what is inside of their bar of Dove...tallow.

 

[Ginka]

I grow up in Russia.Back then, forty somewhat years ago, we had in stores this laundry soap, cheapest soap ever. I think it was from lard or tallow, but, for some reason, it was dark brown. Super cleansing, sons additives. So, my DH says, that my lard soap( which is only 40-50%! lard) has very faint smell of this old soap, even though I scented it with sweet orange. But I looooove, how it makes you bar pure white and hard. Anyway, I don't have a lot of experience, so OO, CO, castor and lard. Want to try palm next week.

 

[thebarof]

Getting out of many months of lurkdom, and finally going to start contributing...

My must have oils have just recently had an addition. Before my mainstay was olive, coconut oil, and grape seed, I have added Lard, safflower, and castor to the list.
I adore the hardness of the addition of lard, but castor is my new favorite. Found out about that gem when I made myself a shampoo bar.

I switch back and forth now between safflower and grape seed. My new base is olive, coconut, lard, castor (grape seed/safflower)

 

[Skatergirl46]

Coconut, Olive, Castor, Lard, Cocoa Butter. Do I have to pick only five? :crazy:
Having a lot of fun with different recipes.