One of the best ways to start formulating cold process soap recipes is to learn the properties of soapmaking oils and to see first hand what they contribute to your recipe. The best way to do that is to create single oil soaps! Here are some that I’ve created and some of my notes.
I really encourage you to make your own and compare your results with mine. If you do make your own, please post your results (or link to your blog) in the comments below. Let’s get started. I’ll be posting several groups as I go and add to this post.
Group 1: Single Oil Soaps
Olive Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Olive Oil – Refined A
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams olive oil, 23 grams sodium hydroxide, 34 grams distilled water
- Trace: Slow to trace.
- Setup: Very slow to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: It took 48 hours to unmold even with the water discount.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Medium, fluffy lather. I was surprised by the amount of lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Very hard bar of soap.
Refined Avocado Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Avocado Oil – Refined
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams avocado oil, 22.8 grams sodium hydroxide, 34 grams distilled water
- Trace: Slow to trace.
- Setup: Very slow to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: It took 9 days to unmold even with the water discount.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Medium, fluffy lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Medium hard bar of soap.
Soybean Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Soybean Oil, Liquid – 100% Pure
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams soybean oil, 23.1 grams sodium hydroxide, 34 grams distilled water
- Trace: Fast to trace. Soybean surprised me by being faster to trace than even coconut and castor oil.
- Setup: Very fast to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: Unmolded after 24 hours.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Medium, dense lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Soft bar of soap.
- Notes: (12/9/2015) Already showing signs of DOS (dreaded orange spots + that rancid smell).
Hempseed Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Hemp Oil – Refined
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams hempseed oil, 23.5 grams sodium hydroxide, 34 grams distilled water
- Trace: Medium to trace.
- Setup: Very slow to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: It took 9 days to unmold even with the water discount.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Medium, fluffy lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Soft bar of soap.
- Notes: (12/9/2015) Already showing signs of DOS (dreaded orange spots + that rancid smell).
Coconut Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Coconut Oil – 76 Degree
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams coconut oil, 31 grams sodium hydroxide, 62 grams distilled water
- Trace: Fast to trace.
- Setup: Quick to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: Unmolded after 24 hours.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Abundant, fluffy lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Hard bar of soap.
- Notes: Interesting to note that soybean and babassu oils traced quicker than coconut oil.
Babassu Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Babassu Oil – Expeller Pressed
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams babassu oil, 30.1 grams sodium hydroxide, 60 grams distilled water
- Trace: Fast to trace.
- Setup: Quick to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: Unmolded after 24 hours.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Abundant, fluffy lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Hard bar of soap.
- Notes: Interesting to note that babassu oils traced quicker than coconut oil.
Castor Oil
- Type/Supplier: Crafter’s Choice Castor Oil
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams castor oil, 22 grams sodium hydroxide, 33 grams distilled water
- Trace: Fast to trace.
- Setup: Quick to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: Unmolded after 24 hours.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Almost no lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Hard bar of soap. (Harder than coconut oil. Not soft like many soapmakers think!)
- Notes: Interesting to note castor does not lather on it’s own.
Rice Bran Oil
- Type/Supplier: Soaper’s Choice Rice Bran Oil
- Date Made: 10/21/2015
- Recipe: 180 grams rice bran oil, 22.9 grams sodium hydroxide, 34 grams distilled water
- Trace: Medium to trace.
- Setup: Slow to setup/harden in mold.
- Unmolded: Unmolded after 24 hours.
- Lather Results (12/9/2015) – See above. Medium, fluffy lather.
- Hardness Results (12/9/15) – Hard bar of soap.
Do you want to learn how to formulate CP soap recipes? My E-CLASS Formulating Cold Process Soap Recipes is now open for enrollment!