? about oils

[Robin29]

I want to try to make soap, but would like a cheaper alternative to buying the oils online.

I see my local grocery store has grapeseed, olive, and other oils with the regular cooking oils. Are these the same as oils used in soaps? Can they be used?

Thanks in advance for answering what may be a dumb question.

[Noodle]

I would imagine that it would be okay to use some of these oils from a grocery store. However, I only buy grapeseed oil from reputable suppliers online. It has a short shelf life and I want to be sure that I am buying something that has a fast turn over from the seller. Grapeseed could be sitting on the shelf for a while in the grcery store. Just be careful with the short shelf life items.

[swamp_deb]

Hi Robin29, no question is a dumb question. We all have to start somewhere.

The best oils for you to start out with are definately oils from your local store. Look for good starter recipes that include the oils that you can easily purchase locally. There are some good recipes with those oils on this forum. Make sure you run your recipe through a good lye calculator like soapcalc or mms.

Ask away, there are lots of people who love to help.

[mwolbers]

What deb said.

My first soaps were all grocery store soaps.

I think my first one was crisco, OO and coconut.

Nothing fancy, but not a bad soap, at all.

I got really adventurous, then and tried lard, castor, grapeseed, cannola.. all things I could find in the local grocery store.

The coconut was that ugly yelloworange stuff, that they use for popcorn, so needless to say, all my first soap were some shade of yellow.

I still have several bars of a margarine soap I made.

That puppy is rock hard.

[Robin29]

Thanks all.

NOODLE: How long is grapeseed good for? what can I do to keep it fresher longer? I have bought from chemeistry store before, are they good?

DEB: thanks for the tips, Now if only I could find lye.... The people at lowes acted like they never even heard of it before. Thanks about the 'no dumb question' thing. I am sure to pester you all with more.

MWOLBERS: Two questions... 1) Care to share any recipes? and 2) are you mooning me!!??!! :-O

[Candle Man]

Search the B&B recipe section here on this board. It also has soap recipes in it too.

[Noodle]

Grapeseed oil can start to go rancid as early as 3 months. Most can make it to 6 months. I refrigerate mine and keep it capped very tightly. I have never had Grapeseed oil go rancid on me once it is in a product. I use small quantities of it in perfume oils with great success. But I have had it go rancid and you will know it. To me it smells like a slight ammonia smell.

[Karen B]

MWOLBERS: Two questions... 1) Care to share any recipes? and 2) are you mooning me!!??!! :-O

I'm to new to try & answer any soaping questions but I don't see anything wrong with using grocery store oils. I have used grapeseed from the store but only buy in small quantities & try very hard to use it up fast. (plus store it in the fridge)

anyway I CAN help with mwolbers little guy. It's her little signature "dude". On another board she has something next to it but I can't remember what it said now. (If I try I know I'll screw it up) As soon as she came over here a lot of us asked where her little guy was, seems she can't go anywhere without him. I guess her little elf is mooning us but since most of us find it cute we really don't mind. :laugh2:If I needed to see cellulite I could just look in the mirror.

Edited because I found it, "The hurrier I go the behinder I get"

Karen B