chuck_35550 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Help me out here, please. A well known company lists their soap ingredients: coconut, palm, olive and rice bran oil. If the coconut and palm (vegetable equivalent to tallow) are the hard oils and the olive and rice bran (substitute for olive) are the soft oils; would you use the rice bran oil to cut down on the cost of olive and therefore use a larger percentage? This seems to be a high linoleic and or oleic recipe with the cleansing and bubbling all from the coconut. What would be the percentages of these oils that would enable a soap to be firm enough to make frosting and set without being greasy or brittle? This is a goat milk soap. TIASteve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 You know I experimented with RBO to cut down on the cost of olive oil, because at the time there was like a $10 diff between the two oils. Now olive has come way down. There's not much diff between the oils. There is some, but IMO olive is the better of the two and so when I use my recipe that includes say 25% combined of both oils, the higher % split is olive oil ... maybe that's 13% or 15% and the rest of that 25% is RBO. Hope that makes sense to you. I can't give you percentages on your other question. I haven't tried doing the frosting bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 So what qualities does the rbo possess that keeps it in your recipe? There must be something that the rbo adds or improves in the overall quality of your soap. I can get oo but not rbo around this neck of the woods. Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I just reformulated my recipe and switched from RBO to Olive. I can't tell you what I liked about the RBO as much as I can tell you what I don't like about olive. Most soaps that I've tried with olive oil, at least fairly high percentages, are slippery and almost slimy in the shower. RBO doesn't do that. RBO is very expensive on the west coast and shipping from the east coast is cost prohibitive, that's why I switched, BTW.Don't forget, just because olive oil is liquid doesn't make it a soft oil Olive oil soaps harden up rock hard. It is actually considered by most soapers to be a hard oil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 See I still consider olive to have a better slip than RBO ... not a slimy slip, maybe more of a smooth slip. However, I don't like castile bars made with olive. I don't like castile bars at all, because I find the soap falls apart. What the combo did for my bars was to give me a little more hardness sooner, but really there just wasn't that much difference in the percentage that I used both when I used both. When I stay with my 25% olive, I like the feel of my bar better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 You are right about the slip. RBO tends to not have as much slip/glide, I call it a stutter, LOL.I think the last tweak to my new recipe had about 30% olive, I upped the lard, lowered the coconut and added some shea. Did you get that sample bar I sent, Scented? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 See, I don't like lard but love tallow. There's something about the feel and texture I like when using tallow. I've never used rbo and was curious why someone would use both oils when they seem to be similar but after reading some posts it seems that rbo makes for a harder bar and is good for older skin. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 In my recipe it only added a point to the hardness, but it makes a difference on how quickly I can unmold my soap. Weird, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 That's interesting to know Scented. I may have to give it a go and see what it does for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 You might try three test batches. Make one where it's RBO and no olive, then close to a 50-50 combo with olive oil and maybe a 70-30 combo and see how it reacts in your recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Good idea. Lord knows I've spent a bajillion dollars to get all the stuff to make these critters and if the soap isn't right; well that's not good. Appreciate the help.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 oh and make one with just olive, but I am supposin' you already know how that works lol. Good luck on this. Looking forward to hearing the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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