Scent Cellar Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 After 5 years of making soap with expensive oils & butters I decided to make a simple olive oil/palm/coconut recipe tweeked with a bit of castor oil. I am totally amazed at the feel of it and the amount of suds. Maybe it's back to basics for me with soapmaking. I might put a ton of PK flakes, babassu and butters in the classies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBE Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I hear ya!! Sometimes the most simplest recipes are the good ones. I've been using lard lately in all my recipes. I'm amazed at the different feel of my soaps. I did a Coconut/Lard/Hemp combo for one of the swaps here and I about fell over when I brought a bar in the shower to test (at a week old mind you!!). LOL The lather that this bar makes is incredible! I know as it continues to cure, the lather will just get better. And using less oils/butters is way cheaper, I've been thinking about going this route too... I'm fighting for space already, I'm running out with all the supplies I have/need. Condensing my supplies will be a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soycrazy Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Well gee I always use at least one butter in my soap, maybe I should try it without it for a change lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel91805 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Well gee I always use at least one butter in my soap, maybe I should try it without it for a change lol.Don't you DARE! I love your soap!!! I was up to 9 oils as my "base" recipe.....now I'm back to just the 4. Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesoapbox Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I just got back into cp soaping (since I was scared of it lol and took the plunge thanks to the castille/bastille swap) and have been making a batch everyday for 4 days now. Only cause I have the one log mold right now. Anyways, 2 batches are 100% olive oil with a bergamot/grapefruit eo blend (it has faint pink in it from the eo and came out a pretty ivory color), the 3rd batch is a 100% olive oil with french green clay and an energizing eo blend (it is a pretty light green color) and the last batch is lard, olive, coconut and sw almond with a melon ball fragrance. At first I was not thrilled with the smell. As I took it out of the mold it smelled like old grease to me (yeeeuck) but it has sat for 2 days so far and I can now only smell melon and it is getting a bit stronger each day. I will say that the lard blend lathered up really good as I was cleaning out my bowls but I do love the 100% olive oil one too . I think I may stick with using olive oil, coconut oil and lard for now since I like what I have gotten so far.Angi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soycrazy Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Don't you DARE! I love your soap!!! I was up to 9 oils as my "base" recipe.....now I'm back to just the 4. DonnaOh you are so sweet donna I guess I'll stick with that recipe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBrat Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I have always used babbassu oil and do love it but one time I was at my moms in Colorado visiting and I didn't bring any with me. I made a batch of soap using coconut, cocoa butter and grapeseed oil and tweaked the recipe through soapcalc and to my surprise it was one of the best batches I have made. I lost my recipe but as soon as I find I will be making it again. I think simple can be just as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I just created my favorite recipe EVER - 4 oils, none too pricy. I'd like to make it a bit harder but that I can do by balancing things a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Mae Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 As a new soaper I am very pleased to read this.....I've become mindboggled and paralyzed by all the different oils and butters and additives, oh my!Thanks for sharing! dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 OH Dana, you will start simple, buy tons of interesting sounding stuff and try to work them into your formulas, grow to love these ever expanding formulas and insist on using them, spending way too much money, watching impulse purchases go rancid... And then you will have an epiphany like what you read here and your soaping world will suddenly become manageable again...ETA: Everyone seems to go through these stages no matter how hard they try not to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Mae Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 ok, if i must dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I once started a thread -- one of many I assume -- asking which exotic oils people thought had some special property that made it worth using. Eventually I came to a conclusion...None of them.Oil is just oil. They're all made of the same stuff in varying proportions. There's an idea that certain oils contain mysterious substances or so-called emollients that have a dramatic or at least noticeable positive effect on the skin. That would certainly make certain oils unique and desirable if it were true, but these ingredients are mostly imaginary.When you design a great recipe, it's the overall balance that makes it so. All the individual oils in the recipe are gone the moment you combine them. The great oil is the mixture you created, not any individual ingredient that went into it. If you re-created the same fatty acid proportions with different ingredients, the soap would be just as great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazycacti Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 i use a bunch of oils in my soaps-and granted i am no professional--have not made that many batches-but have been really pleased with my results.Then made the soap for the swap with only 3 oils and really liked it!I agree with simplicity!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesoapbox Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I agree. I am completely loving my soaps I made with strictly Olive Oil and they have only been sitting a week. They are going to be really good in 6 months . I am also pleased with the lard, coconut, olive and sw. almond blend. The melon smell has come through wonderfully and the bar is very hard after a week of sitting.I think I will stick to these for now. I am sure I will experiment with more stuff though. The olive/coconut batch I did with the french green clay is taking a whole lot longer to set up than my other soaps. Very mushy and when I was finally able to take it out of the mold I had to let it sit until the sides and top hardened. When I took the liner off the bottom of the soap I found the bottom was still super mushy (too mushy too even attempt cutting) so I have let it sit upside down this weekend to harden up. It is almost ready to cut. So I am guessing it is the addition of the clay but I am hoping it comes out well in the next 6 months Angi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 And then you will have an epiphany like what you read here and your soaping world will suddenly become manageable again...ETA: Everyone seems to go through these stages no matter how hard they try not to...Thank you CareBear, there IS hope at the end of the tunnel for me after all. :smiley2: For a moment I wondered how you knew exactly what I have been doing.Digit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjb31apb Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 CareBear is so right. I am going through the have to try everything now stage. Wait just wait until you start swapping! Then you are in REAL trouble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elitenaildesign Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Not that I have tons of soap under my belt, buti have tried some pretty expensive recipes and I always go back to my 3 oil recipe of coconut/olive/palm. I think this will always be my favorite. It has huge bubbles that I love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall Blonde Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I agree with you about simple being best. I recently made a 100% oo, 40% lye solution, 7% superfat, and I fell in love all over again. I'm thinking of changing all my stuff to this! (Except for the occasional coconut salt bar!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire and Ice Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I'm sure I'll agree with Carebear on this topic but I'm still having a great time playing with the oils and butters! That being said, I have already decided what will not be returning to my supplies once they are gone. As well as what will! Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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