cowgirl Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 I am going to take the plunge and dive into CP soapI need advice from all you experienced soapers. Which oils & butters do you recommend that I purchase (THE MUST HAVES). are these the most commonly used ??? i see these the most in the recipes i have foundcocoacoconutOOpalm & palm kernel oilcastorapricot kernel oil (have seen this mentioned in threads several times)TIAAnnettra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainmadness Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 IMO- you will find what oils you like the best through trial and error. It is a personal preference.I really like coconut oil in my soaps.... coconut is what causes lather. I do not like to really work the bar to get bubbles. Most people use 15% or less because too much coconut oil can feel more drying compared to other oils.If you do not want to invest a lot when first starting out you can usually find some great oils at the grocery store for your first few batches... i.e. coconut oil, soybean oil (Crisco), olive oil, castor oil, to name a few.Have fun! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowgirl Posted May 9, 2007 Author Share Posted May 9, 2007 The reason I asked that question is because of the co-ops that are going on right now. figured it was a good time. I have already stocked up on a couple of the grocery store oils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainmadness Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 The reason I asked that question is because of the co-ops that are going on right now. figured it was a good time. I have already stocked up on a couple of the grocery store oils.IMO- must haves for me:Palm oilcoconut oilcastor oil (I use for shampoo bars)olive oilI have done a lot of price comparisons and Brambleberry normally has the best prices if you are not purchasing 50# of more at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jes432 Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 I would agree with mountain madness. Castor, OO, Coconut, Palm are some good basics to start off with at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieJeanette Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 I always like to have these oils/fats on hand:Olive oilCoconut OilPalm Kernel OilCastor OilTallowLardCocoa ButterBabassu OilRice Bran OilI don't use all of them in every batch, but they are all a vital part of my 3 main base recipes.MarieJeanette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scent Cellar Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 My favorites are 92 degree coconut, palm, palm kernal flakes, rice bran oil, castor oil and babassu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryann Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 This is definately a preference thing. I like: Olive Oil Coconut Oil Palm Kernel Oil Castor Oil Babassu Oil Rice Bran OilPalm Oil (I use this in place of lard)As well as small amounts of mango or shea butter. A few bars have emu oil too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Oooh I useLard/Tallow/Palm - kinda interchangeablyPalm Kernel Oil (nice to have, not a need to have)CastorOliveCanolaOOCrisco/ShorteningShea Butterand on rare occasion Kokum or Mango Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonne Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 go to soapcalc.com and play around with the numbers. You need to get familiar with the properities the oils/fats bring to the soap to determine what it is you are looking for in your "ideal" bar. Everyone is looking for various different qualities and you may prefer creamy bubbles to big bursting bubbles, for example. There's a lot of homework involved before you dive into that first batch~read up and get a good base knowledge, then you can start oil shopping. I'm still a newbie (learned last summer) learning something new every day when it comes to soapmaking, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowgirl Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share Posted May 10, 2007 Thanks everyone for responding, I have been playing with the soapcalc. I have a couple books. i went to a friends house and we made soap and of course i have the itch to get some oils now. I have a couple recipes I want to try but just thought I would get a general idea of what everyone else uses. i took recipes and put them in the soapcalc and everything turned out the same as what the recipe online or in the book did except the water was always off for some reason but that i will figure out when i decide what oils to get or should i say what recipe i finally decide on. There is a lot to remember on the properties of the oils, thats for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Oh the water differences are not surprising. I started at about a 29% lye concentration and worked my way up and now typically do about 33%. But start with the easy (lower) concentrations first!And as you continue to obsess over soaps you will find the oils properties become second nature.But finally I will tell you that while soapcalc is a good general guide, it's not always spot on, so if it sounds interesting - try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 CoconutOlivePalmLardCastorSoyThose are my must-haves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkainePSP Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 Where are there oil coops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 All co-ops are in the co-op section http://candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50641 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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