Cleansing???

[ladysj]

What is a good percentage for a good cleansing bar? Here is what I came up with using the soap calc and wanted to see if this is good numbers for a good cleansing bar. I want a good conditiong soap also. I'm using PKO for my highest percentage of oils. Or is there an oil that is specifically good for cleansing that might up the percentage a little?

Hardness 41%

Cleansing 25%

Condition 52%

Bubbly 30%

Creamy 20%

I'm using the following:

PKO 30%

Coconut Oil 10%

Lard 15%

Safflower 20%

Olive Oil 15%

Castor Oil 5%

Shea 5%

[Rebecca_IA]

What kind of bar are you going after? A strong cleansing bar, like a mechanics bar? Or just an everyday kind of bar?

If you are creating a strong cleansing bar, like a mechanics bar, you can use whatever percentage of the "cleansing" oils you want to (CO, PKO or babassu), even up to 100% (but I'd make it very clear the bar is for scrubbing hands only).

If this is an everyday bar, I wouldn't use a combined percentage higher than 30% of the "cleansing" oils.

[SheilaW]

There is a page on the soapcalc called soap qualities and I refer to it a LOT

Their summary of values is

Hardness 36-50

Cleansing 14-22

Condition 45-80

Bubbly lather 14-33

Creamy lather 16-35

There is also an oil list page that tells you which oils are high in Lauric, Myristic, Linoleic etc.etc. (another words which fatty acid contributes certain qualities to the soap.)

Soap Calc is a great site.

[RobinInOR]

Another way to get more cleansing is to drop your lye discount. If you're doing the "standard" 5, try 4, or even 3. Less excess oil, more cleansing. That kind of change won't show up in the calculator property percents, though.

[ladysj]

Thank you so much for the help. I'm wanting just an everyday use bar. I'll check out their soap qualities & oil section and go from there.

[Rebecca_IA]

Since you are going after an everyday bar, I wouldn't go to high on the cleansing oils.

Have you read this page at the soapcalc.com site?

http://www.soapcalc.com/soapqualities.asp

Maybe this will help you a bit too.

[ladysj]

Yes I did thank you and I think I have the type of bar I'm looking for. We'll see in a few days. Thanks for all the help.

[Tall Blonde]

I'm probably too late for you, but from what I understand, PKO can be drying and irritating to the skin if used at more than 20%. You would probably be better off upping the olive oil. Remember, that although olive oil is considered a "soft oil," it acutally creates a very hard, long lasting bar, and it good for all skin types.

Personally, I never use palm or PKO. I've found that if I up the castor oil to 7% and the coconut to about 23% I can get a really nice lather going. I use as close to half olive as I can get for hardness.

[amillion3147]

Another way to get more cleansing is to drop your lye discount. If you're doing the "standard" 5, try 4, or even 3. Less excess oil, more cleansing. That kind of change won't show up in the calculator property percents, though.

Robin this is great info. It amazes me even a year of doing CP I still learn something new. I have wrecked my mind for weeks when I come up with a good recipe but I want to boost my cleansing. I never thought of doing a more than generous lye discount.