what percentages work best???

[angbaby4974]

I want to make an OO & CO soap, but not sure at what percentage for either oil... Been running a few different calculations through soap calc, but I wanted YOUR opinions also. What percentages make the best soap for YOU???

 

[IanT]

I like 75%/25% OO to CO

 

[carebear]

And strangely, I love the opposite!
75% CO/25% OO

 

[angbaby4974]

Any particular reasons why the both of you like those percentages?

 

[IanT]

i think its just cause that was my first recipe and it was easy...


cb, how does that bar turn out!?!? probably real bubbly??

 

[carebear]

Ian all my 75/25 bars are fabulous. Yea they bubble like nobody's business. But no they're not harsh because I superfat at 10%.

Try it - I promise you'll like it.

 

[angbaby4974]

I really like coconut oil, so I may try carebear's percentages. I was leaning toward more CO anyways. I will probably end up doing both to see which I like best

Thanks both of you!!!

 

[IrishLass]

I like making an olive oil soap based on a partial recipe I found on the net for Savon de Marseilles, the famous French olive oil soap. It's traditionally made with 72% olive oil, along with coconut oil and palm oil making up the rest of the percentages. Although it is pretty clear and well known that it's made with 72% olive oil, the percentages for the coconut and palm are a mystery, so I ended up devising my own version of it using 72% OO as my starting foundation, and then fudging on the rest.

I've made 4 batches of it so far and I really like it. Without giving my exact recipe away 8) , I use 72% OO, Coconut Oil in the twenty-something % range, and either palm, or tallow, or mango butter, or cocoa butter, or some other kind of solid fat/butter bringing up the rear %.

It makes a really nice, gentle, yet hard and bubbly bar of Castile-type soap.


IrishLass

 

[Guest]

Angbaby, the few batches I've made so far have been 75% olive oil and 25% coconut oil. The resulting soap is still curing, but it's hardening up nicely and the lather is pretty good too.

I think I'll try out Carebear's 75% CO / 25% OO recipe next......

 

[carebear]

mine will cure MUCH faster (4 weeks is ABSOLUTELY plenty!) - 75% (or there abouts) olive oil calls for 8 weeks or so... even more is even better.

 

[angbaby4974]

mine will cure MUCH faster (4 weeks is ABSOLUTELY plenty!) - 75% (or there abouts) olive oil calls for 8 weeks or so... even more is even better.

That settles it! LOL I hate waiting! I won't have time to soap until next week. :cry: I have to clean the house up (read:emergency cleaning :shock: ) Have my daughter's 8th birthday party here this weekend. And We are also going to the rodeo this weekend, so I will probably be too busy for much of anything :roll:

 

[Guest]

That settles it! LOL I hate waiting! I won't have time to soap until next week. :cry: I have to clean the house up (read:emergency cleaning :shock: ) Have my daughter's 8th birthday party here this weekend. And We are also going to the rodeo this weekend, so I will probably be too busy for much of anything :roll:

Always nice to have something to look forward to!

 

[carebear]

just be sure to superfat at 10% or you'll have a harsh soap.

for the 25% - Olive is nice, palm or lard or shea are very nice, and crisco or cocoa butter are fantastic. But all are great!

 

[MikeInPdx]

I'm going to have to try some of carebear's soaps......I'm thinking 75% CO and 20% Crisco, and 5% castor with a 10% superfat......that would make some loverly soap.

I find that when I do a more traditional OO soap, a 40% lye solution speeds up the tracing and the cure time a bit. I made some oatmeal soap with vanilla almond that's 70% OO, 25% CO, and 5% castor that's doing just fine at 4 weeks.

 

[IrishLass]

I agree with Carebear that soaps with a high % of CO (75% CO/25% other) are with a good superfat are fabulous. I make lots of variations on the same theme by keeping the high coconut amount, but subbing different butters and fats for the 25% portion. Sometimes I'll even lower the CO down to 70% and up the 25% portion to 30%.

My favorite is the one I make with 70% coconut and 30% mango butter, superfatted at 15%. I've tried superfatting these kinds of soaps at 10% like Carebear does, but I'm one of those whose skin just seems to like it better at 15% or more. Curiously, I've found that if I add salt to it as in a spa bar, though, then I can handle a 10% superfat just fine.

IrishLass

 

[Guest]

IrishLass -- how much salt per pound of oils? What is salt good for in soap?

 

[carebear]

I've not tried higher...yet

 

[IrishLass]

IrishLass -- how much salt per pound of oils? What is salt good for in soap?

I've used equal parts of oils to salt (example: if my recipe calls for a total of 40 oz. of oil, I add 40 oz. of fine sea salt at trace); and I've also used 50% of salt as per the total amount of my oils (i.e. if my recipe calls for 4o oz of oils, I add 20 oz of fine sea salt at trace). I actually like using 50% salt better. It lathers more yet is still rock hard.

Adding salt in these high amounts makes for a rock-hard bar of soap with an interesting lather. The lather is almost kind of like shaving-foam and very nice for shaving with.

Keep in mind that this is just anectdotal, but my hubby noticed that the salt bars I had made helped any cuts that he had on his face from shaving or on his hands from yardwork, etc.. to heal quicker. My nephew said they helped him with his teenage acne, too.

They feel so cool to wash with because they feel like a real rock or stone in your hand, and yet it lathers. They last forever and a day, too.

IrishLass

 

[topcat]

Yes salt soaps are awesome! I used 80% by weight of oils for my salt and the batch was really easy to handle - I was sort of expecting it to seize somewhat after adding the salt but everything went fine. I even feel I could have coloured some and swirled....next time I will try that!

I have some 80% CO 20% Shea Butter soap curing now and am looking forward to trying it soon....I used a 20% superfat.

Tanya

 

[IanT]

Ian all my 75/25 bars are fabulous. Yea they bubble like nobody's business. But no they're not harsh because I superfat at 10%.

Try it - I promise you'll like it.

Im going to give it a try in one of my next batches!!


what color do they usually turn out?