Would these oils work?

Zing · Oct 6, 2021

Meldoesasoapy said:
Ok, would this recipe create a bar that would not melt away? I'm trying to stick to 60:40 on hard vs soft oils while also steering away from lard/tallow (for now) :

Palm 35%
Coconut 15%
Olive 25%
Sweet almond 10%
Shea butter 5%
Soy wax 5%
Castor 5%

You are getting awesome advice from all my favorite experts. My 2 cents is I've tried recipes similar to what you posted with great success and also do a 60:40 ratio -- but I've not used soy. I'm all about the bubbly (coconut) but finally reduced it to increase longevity. Two things. I use these pads, https://www.amazon.com/Snowkingdom-...t=&hvlocphy=9019664&hvtargid=pla-872238703885 which keeps soap dry.

Also, now I dissolve 1tsp ppo of sugar to my distilled water BEFORE adding lye and it's a gamechanger with the bubbles.

Sorry to overload you with suggestions. It's hard to experiment and change too many variables at the same time! Anyway, good luck, keep us posted.

And using soy wax will bond you forever to @KiwiMoose -- always with the soy wax, that one.

Meldoesasoapy · Oct 6, 2021

Zing said:
You are getting awesome advice from all my favorite experts. My 2 cents is I've tried recipes similar to what you posted with great success and also do a 60:40 ratio -- but I've not used soy. I'm all about the bubbly (coconut) but finally reduced it to increase longevity. Two things. I use these pads, https://www.amazon.com/Snowkingdom-...t=&hvlocphy=9019664&hvtargid=pla-872238703885 which keeps soap dry.

Also, now I dissolve 1tsp ppo of sugar to my distilled water BEFORE adding lye and it's a gamechanger with the bubbles.

Sorry to overload you with suggestions. It's hard to experiment and change too many variables at the same time! Anyway, good luck, keep us posted.

And using soy wax will bond you forever to @KiwiMoose -- always with the soy wax, that one.

Hahaha I might be grateful for that bond, I really really want longevity over anything else, so she might be on to something! My skin could take straight lye, I swear, so I'd rather it last longer than feel super luxe or bubbly. But who knows! I'll give it a go and see if I like it! I really appreciate your help and I'll let you know how it goes!

cmzaha · Oct 6, 2021

42% Palm 10% Shea 18% CO/PKO Split, 5% Castor Balance percentage whatever liquid oil you prefer gives a very long-lasting soap with good lather. This is the Vegan soap that I sold for years. The only downside is it down move pretty quick so I suggest a 30% Lye Concentration, not my normal 33% Lye concentration. If you are not opposed to animal fats 40% Tallow 27% Lard 17% CO/PKO split balance whatever you want makes a fantastic long-lasting soap with lots of working time. Adding in 1% per batch weight of Sorbitol really helps boost lather.

Meldoesasoapy · Oct 7, 2021

cmzaha said:
42% Palm 10% Shea 18% CO/PKO Split, 5% Castor Balance percentage whatever liquid oil you prefer gives a very long-lasting soap with good lather. This is the Vegan soap that I sold for years. The only downside is it down move pretty quick so I suggest a 30% Lye Concentration, not my normal 33% Lye concentration. If you are not opposed to animal fats 40% Tallow 27% Lard 17% CO/PKO split balance whatever you want makes a fantastic long-lasting soap with lots of working time. Adding in 1% per batch weight of Sorbitol really helps boost lather.

This is super great! Thank you! I'm not necessarily opposed to using lard or tallow, I think i would just prefer to see if I can find something that works without it first. This is really helpful!!

Vicki C · Oct 7, 2021

Zany_in_CO said:
BASIC TRINITY OF OILS

Once you understand the 3 legs of soapmaking oils, you can tweak to your heart's content to find the combination that works best for you!

TIP: When you have a moment, please go to the Introduction Forum and tell us as much as you care to share about yourself, but especially about your soap making experience. This will help us to help you when questions or problems arise.

Before heading off to the Wild Blue Yonder of adding various additives to your soap and rather pricey techniques of artisan soapmaking, you might want to read this thread -- it's long but fairly entertaining and definitely helpful for where you seem to be at the moment.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR BEGINNING SOAPING SELF?

ETA: I would also recommend, to advance your general knowledge of soapmaking, you take some time to browse

@DeeAnna 's SOAPY STUFF

There you will find a wealth of excellent information for Beginners. Be sure to bookmark it for future reference.

Great advice… I keep going back to @DeeAnna ’s Soapy Stuff for all kinds of things. The other day I thought it had been taken down and had a moment of panic as I was making pine tar soap and knew she had good guidance. Luckily for all of us, no, it’s still there.