# making soap more moisturizing



## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

Just wondering what you guys' opinion of the best oil for better moisturizing, and whatever it is, should it be used in combination with the oils or superfatting and adding just before trace?


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## Becky-DixieDoesAlpines (Oct 26, 2007)

it does not matter when you add an oil.

Lye does not discriminate, it saponifies whatever oils you add.

You can superfat your soap by using less lye than needed, but you can't pick which oil will be the one left to superfat.
Becky


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## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

So is there a way to add an oil that will help make a more moisturizing bar? or is there an oil that is best for that?


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2008)

Did you do any reasearch on oil properties?

Also, try running your recipe through www.soapcalc.com to check the properties of the butters/oils in your recipe.

Have the fun of soaping is coming up with your own ideas and doing the research and legwork to perfect your own fabulous recipe!

Sara


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## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

I have done research on oil properties, and I do have some ideas, I was just wondering what others thought. sorry


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

Try adding some butters to your soap. Like 5 percent shea, or cocoa or mango or something like that. Also try using half oils and half hard fats. Play with it a bit. Mine in general is nice for me, but I really like it with cocoa butter in it.


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## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

Mine has cocoa butter in it too, I agree, I do really like it with the cocoa butter in it. We have made some with mostly avocado oil in it and I didn't like it as much as I do with the cocoa butter in it. Thanks for the idea.
allison


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

If you put the Walmart recipe through the calculator you come up with an excellent bar of soap, bubbly, moisturising etc....so now tweak it. Look up the characterisitcs on soapnuts of each of the oils, so why is the Walmart Recipe so good? Because of the high percentage of butters to oils? Using expensive things like avacado in a wash off product is fine for label appeal so use it at 1% but what benefits does it give the soap beyond label appeal, none more than other oils, and less compared to alot of oils. Same with Olive and Sunflower. Vicki


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

I totally agree with Vicki. Is your soap drying right now? most calculators are default superfatted already at 5% and then if you are adding GM that's more fat. I make a bar that is over 30% shea and has cocoa butter, sunflower, coconut and castor. I still prefer my lard bars (ok Sara, it's time to hear your anti lard thing  ). I tell my customers that too. Maybe I just haven't found the perfect shea recipe. I have customers who are gaga over it, but really I love my lard recipe which is similar to the walmart recipe.

I feel that too much superfat (unless we are talking and all coconut bar or something), cuts your lather.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Christy just sent me a bar of soap and her soap is lovely. Creamy, bubbly, not slimey maybe she will chime in. Vicki


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2008)

I do as Sara and Vicki have recommended, I use soapcalc.com I can spend hours on that thing tweaking and reformulating. It is so much fun to see the difference you can make with different oil/butters.

If your soap is too drying you probably have too much coconut oil.

Check out soapcalc and let us know what you think!

Christy


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## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

Thanks for all the great advice ladies! I appreciate it. So...no to the superfat?


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2008)

Superfatting by adding oils at trace can be great or it can through off other properties, like the quality of lather. You can set the superfat on soapcalc.com

I guess what we are trying to say is that you need to make some test batches. There is not one better way, just what works best for your recipe  Don't forget to take really good notes in your soaping journal so when you find the formula that is just what you want you can make it again!

Christy


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## ali923 (Aug 8, 2008)

I did some experimenting today, a small test batch, I hope it is all that the soap calc said it should be  thanks again


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