topofmurrayhill Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 This came up recently, as it often does, and I thought it might merit it's own thread.I think many would agree that you can make great soap from the staple oils and expensive luxury oils are often a waste in CP because their special qualities are mostly lost in the process. So what butters and luxury oils do you think add some noticeable good quality to CP soap and are worth using?I'll start off with a few.YES: babassu, cocoa butterNO: avocadoDON'T KNOW: apricot kernel, sweet almond, shea butter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 YES: sheaNO: emu DON'T KNOW: "kernels"- I use shea in soap quite a bit and like it better than cocoa butter. It doesn't make the soap move as fast and I get good lather and mild soap.- Emu is drying in my experience and I don't think it's terribly stable. Actually the concept of emu still makes me think of giant chickens...- I use apricot and peach kernel oils interchangeably and they are in my favorite recipe. I do NOT know if they could be swapped with something else for the same result but I love that soap... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystical_angel1219 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Butters:SheaMangoIllipiKokumHempseedOliveOils:Rice BranApricot KernalCherry KernalGrapeseedSunflowerJojobaHempOlive SesameBabassuMy theory is~ if you are going to try and superfat with really spendy oils, you should do HP and add them after the cook. Same goes with three step lotion making. These do not hold their properties well after heat, IMO. I have a few I've tried that do not CP well, as in~ giving any notable "quality" to the finished product using the CP method.Monoi de Tahiti BorageEmu [i totally agree CB~ yuk]Olive SqualeneEvening PrimroseAlso, not a fan of Cocoa butter in any recipes. Big pore clogger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostly Lurkin Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 LOL - giant chickens... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Top,I like avocado at 10%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBE Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 YES Butters: SheaCocoaMangoYES Oils: Mango Oil (strikingly the same numbers *almost* as Mango Butter)Apricot KernelSafflowerSunflowerCherry KernelAvocadoI've used these oils as my "conditioning" oils. An addition of 5-10% in a recipe makes a wonderful, conditioning bar.Don't know:Wheat GermTamanuMacadamiaHazelnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I like avocado at 10%.Hi E. A lot of this is subjective, or at least it would take a panel of testers to sort it out objectively.My "no" on avocado was based on trying it at a high %. Soaped fine, but compared to say the same amount of olive oil the soap was softer and had no special good quality that stood out for me. It was actually one of my less favored soaps.Hard to say sometimes how an oil affects a recipe. Maybe adding it is intrinsically good or maybe it just balances out something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleHippie Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Interesting how opinions vary. I am also not a fan of coco butter, makes the tub too greasy! I love Avocado! Love the type of creamy lather I get. During the winter months I rather creamy vs. bubbly. I also use at 8-10%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DONNAMAC Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Same here, I love the avacado, not sure about the scientifics, but love the way it feels in my soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 PurpleHippie - you find that SOAP made with cocoa butter leaves your tub greasy? I've never had a soap do that, though my melts are another story... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverm00n Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Are you guys referring to avocado oil, butter, or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Are you guys referring to avocado oil, butter, or both?My soap had 50% avocado oil, 20% avocado butter, coconut and babassu. It was a real avocado fest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I made one of my recipes and swapped in avocado for, I think, canola and found it more drying than the canola. On the other hand even without huge superfats, in a well balanced recipe I can easily tolerate huge levels of coconut oil, so perhaps I'm just different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferS Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I love soap with avocado oil. Next favorite would be macadamia. But my fav all time bar of soap was made with mink oil. I personally didn't make it but I received it from a friend and I sure hoard that bar, its by far the best bar of soap I've ever tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall Blonde Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I love soap with avocado oil. Next favorite would be macadamia. But my fav all time bar of soap was made with mink oil. I personally didn't make it but I received it from a friend and I sure hoard that bar, its by far the best bar of soap I've ever tried.According to Wikipedia, mac oil is a good sub for mink oil and actually has a higher percentage of palmitoleic acid than mink oil. And the minks like it better, too!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriegsxr6 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 It is true that you will not get the same properties from using oils in CP verses applying them on your skin like a lotion, because the properties change when added in CP and you can’t get any of the essential vitamin or healing properties out of them in soap. But they do add different properties in CP, such as more creaminess, or lather or silkiness or moisturizing.For me, I notice an extra silkiness from adding Castor, and I notice more moisturizing and creaminess when adding Shea butter.other oils may take away from the foaming lather, like the heavier oils, but lighter oils like sweet almond and sunflower, i dont notice less lather.for me I get less foamy lather when i add kokum or cocoa butters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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