What other oils give you a good lather?

[emilaid]

I've run out of coconut oil and I'm itching to get started on another batch of soap!!
The very first batch I made was with lard and vegetable shortening, but my hubby doesn't like it because it doesn't bubble when he uses it.

All my other batches have been made with 60% coconut oil and lather up with the most amazing bubbles

In my kitchen I've got palm oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, and lard, so I've got plenty to make soap with, but I like my bubbles too much

Would any of these oils give me a bubbly lather like coconut oil does?

Thanks x

 

[andreja]

None of those would give you lather as coconut. Palm kernel oil would act similarly. I think babassu (spelling?) too. Castor oil also gives bubbles. You could add 1 tsp ppo of sugar, honey or substitute milk or beer for water, sugar in those gives more bubbles. Can't you go to Walmart and buy some coconut? Maybe you are itching to make one right now? Then play with soapcal some to see which combo gives the most bubbles and add sugar to your batch.

 

[emilaid]

So if I add sugar to my lye water before mixing it with the oils, it will create a good lather?

 

[Guest]

So if I add sugar to my lye water before mixing it with the oils, it will create a good lather?

No

LOL

 

[emilaid]

So when do you add the sugar?

 

[rubyslippers]

Wow Emilaid - 60% coconut is really high. Do you also superfat at a high percentage?

 

[emilaid]

Wow Emilaid - 60% coconut is really high. Do you also superfat at a high percentage?

I superfat at 8% in this recipe.

 

[honor435]

i always use castor, plug it in soap calc and see what it does to your bubbly numbers, it helps!

 

[honor435]

also, i dont know where you live ,but super walmart has coc oil, for a good price.

 

[Healinya]

Honey, milk, and sugar are said to help increase lather. I have used all, and notice a nice difference. Also, as mentioned, 5% castor can bump the numbers up quite a bit.

I agree that 60% coconut is pretty high. I usually soap with 27%, 30 being the 'normal' maximum recommended usage. I have used pko in substitution for it a few times in facial soap - but other than that I couldn't soap without coconut.

 

[emilaid]

I'm in Scotland
It's only health food shops that sell it in the high street here. I checked out the price yesterday and it was around £7 for 500g - way too expensive! I can order it online for £3.15 for 1Kg, it's waiting for it to be delivered I find almost impossible!!

 

[emilaid]

I agree that 60% coconut is pretty high. I usually soap with 27%, 30 being the 'normal' maximum recommended usage.

What can I say - I'm still learning I've still got a long way to go

 

[Healinya]

I was playing on soapcalc with some of your oils. I'm sorry I am no help on the coconut sub (unless you want to try a 100% olive oil soap), but when it's delivered - this recipe sounds nice (for me anyway)

30% Olive
26% Coconut
27% Palm
10% Sunflower
7% Castor

I know castor wasn't on your list. In the US, it's sold in the pharmacy section with the laxitives. But if you love bubbles, and you're just starting to learn the craft - it should be on your list, imo.

 

[emilaid]

I know castor wasn't on your list. In the US, it's sold in the pharmacy section with the laxitives. But if you love bubbles, and you're just starting to learn the craft - it should be on your list, imo.

Thanks - it's now added to my shopping list for tomorrow

 

[sandyvern]

I agree that 60% coconut is pretty high. I usually soap with 27%, 30 being the 'normal' maximum recommended usage.

What can I say - I'm still learning I've still got a long way to go

We are all learning...and just recently I have seen a bunch of people mention that they have made lots of soap with 100% coconut oil...granted from what I read they superfat at like 17-19% but depending on what you want to use it for I think it is ok. I actually have it on my list of experiments cause from what I have read it is a great cleaner!

And just to put in my 2 cents...I have had good luck with castor oil and palm kernal oil (as well as coconut oil) for lots of bubbles....I am actually hoping to try the sugar thing today to see what the difference is.

Just my thoughts...
Sandy

 

[madpiano]

I'm in Scotland
It's only health food shops that sell it in the high street here. I checked out the price yesterday and it was around £7 for 500g - way too expensive! I can order it online for £3.15 for 1Kg, it's waiting for it to be delivered I find almost impossible!!

Sainsburys has Coconut Oil, so do most Indian Corner shops. It is sold in plastic jars and cost about £1.70 per 500ml.

If you can't find it, try and email KTC (main distributer of coconut oil in the UK) and ask them where they deliver to locally.

Lard does make nice soap, but it's creamy rather than bubbly. Are you in a hard water area ? I always assumed all of Scotland has soft water ? I am just wondering why you feel the need to use 60% coconut. I am in London and we have liquid rock here, but I still get nice fluffy bubbles with under 30% coconut. I tried some of my soap under the rainwater tap in the garden and noticed that the ones high in coconut don't bubble as much in soft water and are hard to rinse off the skin.

 

[emilaid]

Yeah, we have really soft water in Scotland. The be perfectly honest, when I was trying out my first 'own recipe' I didn't know what to put in so I just threw some figures into the lye calculator on MMS. The soap turned out great, so I stuck with that recipe for my next few batches ( I've only done 4!)
Anyway - I've sooooooooooooo much to learn

 

[andreja]

So if I add sugar to my lye water before mixing it with the oils, it will create a good lather?

I've read to dissolve sugar first in water then adding lye. I usually use honey, which I add at light trace mixed with some oil. Yes, it will give you good lather, but I don't think it will give you as good as with 60% coconut oil.

As for where to buy it. In France I am able to buy it as fat used for frying. It's very cheap. It doesn't say on the front page that it's coconut, but you can see it on the ingredient list. It's 92 degrees one. It works great for me.

As for using high amount of coconut, there is nothing wrong with it, if you up your superfat. I have few great soaps with contain more than 60% of coconut. But they do have higher superfat (more than 10%), not drying at all.

 

[Ishbel]

Hi Emilaid, its touch as we are UK soapmakers, it seems that coconut oil is pretty easy to come by in USA, I know how frustrating it is though, having to wait for the order to come in :x However, it also really gets to me as I want to try caster oil, I know we can get it here but go to Boots Pharmacy and they say, "no sorry" Ive tried Tesco and they do sell it but at stupid prices. Thats supposed to add lots of lovely bubbles!! I just think that CO is the best and you maybe have to wait for your delivery (thats my experience anyway!!) :cry:

 

[Guest]

So when do you add the sugar?

Can someone answer this question? I would like to do a batch tonight and add sugar, do you add to the lye water, to trace???? Help please and thank you.