My Soap Making Adventure

[dabrock]

Yes, very interesting another 20 minutes in the cooker and it would have hit the right consistency. The formula lathers very easily.

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Nice lather!

 

[bobmsp]

Just out of curiosity as I'm not vegan but I was wondering since both bees wax and lanolin would tend to make something non-vegan but I'm guessing bees wax is still considered vegetarian.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I play one on TV.

I think that the term "vegetarian" is much more, umm, flexible than "vegan." (I've encountered people in Minnesota - no joke - who have said that chicken is vegetarian.) But I think most vegetarians would agree that beeswax is vegetarian just as dairy products are vegetarian. They're both products of animals, but not meat.

 

[dabrock]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I play one on TV.

I think that the term "vegetarian" is much more, umm, flexible than "vegan." (I've encountered people in Minnesota - no joke - who have said that chicken is vegetarian.) But I think most vegetarians would agree that beeswax is vegetarian just as dairy products are vegetarian. They're both products of animals, but not meat.

Sounds about right on the bees wax. I know there are some who consider poultry and fish to be somewhat vegetarian but I think the term for fish is pescetarianism but not sure what poultry is. Labels can be fun sometimes.

 

[dfoulk]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I play one on TV.

I think that the term "vegetarian" is much more, umm, flexible than "vegan." (I've encountered people in Minnesota - no joke - who have said that chicken is vegetarian.) But I think most vegetarians would agree that beeswax is vegetarian just as dairy products are vegetarian. They're both products of animals, but not meat.

Amazingly, I had the same conversation with my friends niece who told us she was vegetarian. Not from Minnesota though.

It went something like this.

Her - "I'm a vegetarian, so I can only eat chicken"
Me - "Honey, chicken is not a vegetable"
Her - "Yes it is"
Me - "When was the last time you say a farmer plant a crop of chickens"
Her - "Aw crap now I can't eat chicken"

 

[dabrock]

Amazingly, I had the same conversation with my friends niece who told us she was vegetarian. Not from Minnesota though.

It went something like this.

Her - "I'm a vegetarian, so I can only eat chicken"
Me - "Honey, chicken is not a vegetable"
Her - "Yes it is"
Me - "When was the last time you say a farmer plant a crop of chickens"
Her - "Aw crap now I can't eat chicken"

 

[paintflinger]

Despite the mislabeling of it as "wool fat" is a wax so it won't saponify and it's not technically a "super fat" either, for the same reason, but certainly adds to moisturizing and a wonderful face feel. I have added liquid lanolin to lathers but it does tend to kill the lather a bit. Any soapers here that know what a vegan equivalent to lanolin might be? Just out of curiosity as I'm not vegan but I was wondering since both bees wax and lanolin would tend to make something non-vegan but I'm guessing bees wax is still considered vegetarian.

Candelilla Wax is apparently the go to for beeswax replacement. Carnauba wax also works, but it sounds like it is sourced from palm. Soy wax may work as well.

 

[dabrock]

Candelilla Wax is apparently the go to for beeswax replacement. Carnauba wax also works, but it sounds like it is sourced from palm. Soy wax may work as well.

Thanks, carnauba makes a great shoe polish too.

 

[dangerousdon]

Candelilla Wax is apparently the go to for beeswax replacement. Carnauba wax also works, but it sounds like it is sourced from palm. Soy wax may work as well.

I actually have seen soy wax in formulas. It's supposed to add a lot of slickness. I think it has a high stearic acid content.

Sent from the Danger Phone

 

[dangerousdon]

Candelilla Wax is apparently the go to for beeswax replacement. Carnauba wax also works, but it sounds like it is sourced from palm. Soy wax may work as well.

Okay I have to ask...I see it all the time...what is the big deal with palm oil or other palm sourced products. Forgive my ignorance, I just don't know.

Sent from the Danger Phone

 

[rockclimber]

Okay I have to ask...I see it all the time...what is the big deal with palm oil or other palm sourced products. Forgive my ignorance, I just don't know.

Sent from the Danger Phone

Unfortunately, palm oil is responsible for large-scale forest conversion in the tropics and extensive carbon emissions, contributing to global warming.

With that said my formula has lots of palm oil because let's face it, it really is the best ingredient for shave soap and substitutes generally are more difficult to use especially for a new soaper like me.

 

[Parjay]

Okay I have to ask...I see it all the time...what is the big deal with palm oil or other palm sourced products. Forgive my ignorance, I just don't know.

Sent from the Danger Phone

I'm no expert, but I believe it is because of the deforestation that typically precedes the planting of palm trees for the harvesting of palm oil. I think that palm farming and cattle are two of the biggest reasons for destruction of rain forests.

 

[rockclimber]

Palm oil adds condition and creamy to soap, today I am going to make a bath soap using a palm oil replacement just for kicks since this gets brought up a lot.

 

[dangerousdon]

I'm no expert, but I believe it is because of the deforestation that typically precedes the planting of palm trees for the harvesting of palm oil. I think that palm farming and cattle are two of the biggest reasons for destruction of rain forests.

Thanks. I just wasn't too sure.

Sent from the Danger Phone

 

[rockclimber]

Shea Butter, while much more expensive, contributes most of the same qualities that palm oil contributes.

 

[dabrock]

Unfortunately, palm oil is responsible for large-scale forest conversion in the tropics and extensive carbon emissions, contributing to global warming.

With that said my formula has lots of palm oil because let's face it, it really is the best ingredient for shave soap and substitutes generally are more difficult to use especially for a new soaper like me.

That's the reason that's usually given for palm free ingredients it's tge sustainability argument and in a way that makes a lot of sense but being a cynic I also feel there is a lot of marketing in it for those pushing alternatives.

Palm is probably the best vegetable based oil for soap making AFAIK.

 

[rockclimber]

Ok, here is palm oil free Tallow bath soap beta 1.0
This is for meat eaters who care about deforestation

 

[kingfisher]

You know, bubbly is OK for bath soaps. In fact, some people might argue that bubbly is important for a bath soap. Creamy is not as important as it is in shave soaps.

Your bath soap should certainly be more cleansing than your shave soap, and more bubbly (probably). Hardness is a good thing in a bath soap (at least to a certain extent) and usually a bad thing in a shave soap.

 

[rockclimber]

 

[dabrock]

Ok, here is palm oil free Tallow bath soap beta 1.0
This is for meat eaters who care about deforestation
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With all that oleic acid it will probably be really slick. Maybe you could, I don't know, shave with it?

 

[rockclimber]

I didn't want to make my own recipe again (the 50% olive oil 50% coconut oil soap I made first) since I'm new to this so I went ahead and copied a famous soap maker recipe but removed the palm oil and replaced it with shea butter for this experiment. If all turns out well I can start to adjust and make my own custom recipe, we will see. Well, by "we will see" I mean I will see and not be able to report back the findings to you so...