-Soap Oils

Ever wonder just what is in a good, handcrafted bar of soap? Well, lots of good things of course! Lol But the simple fact of the matter is, all soap is fat + lye. Remember that fats are oils, both solid and liquid. It is the type of fat, or fats, and the additives that set each handmade soap apart. I keep stressing "handmade" because most any soap that you buy from a big box store is going to be a syndant bar, a detergent bar, in other words, a made with synthetics bar. Just check out the ingredients.  Commercially made soaps are more harsh, using less fats and removing or harvesting the natural glycerin that is a byproduct of soap production.  
Anyway, there are not just one or two oils to choose from to make soap, and there are certainly not just one or two oils that are good for using in the soap. We jokingly say "too many oils, too little time", yet to most Soapers this is really not a joke. We are constantly experimenting and reformulating, striving for that perfect combination of oils. The problem is, there is not just ONE perfect combination, rather, there are many! So we find our favorites and stick to them, until we find new favorites. But I digress again....


So how do soap makers decide which oils to use? Certainly each Artisan has their personal favorites, for a myriad of reasons, I am sure. While availability and cost must factor in, hopefully there is an understanding of the oil's properties, as well as an understanding of how those properties will enhance the soap and benefit the user.  So here are just a few of the fats that are commonly used in soaping. Well, I say commonly, but I should have said, that I commonly use in soaping.  



Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus armeniaca) – is expressed from apricot kernels. It is known for its ability to penetrate the skin easily, leaving it soft and smooth. It is a very lightweight emollient, high in oleic and linoleic acids. It’s also high in minerals,  as well as vitamins A and  E. It's gentle enough for a baby, and it is very similar, both in how it feels, and in its properties, to sweet almond oil, to which many are allergic to. 


Avocado Oil (Persea americana) – This oil comes from....yep, you guessed it, the pulp, of the fruit, of the avocado tree. It is categorized as a vegetable oil, but the avocado is really a fruit since it has a stone. It is a great oil (and fruit), rich in protein, vitamins A, D and E, as well as lecithin and potassium. It is highly  moisturizing, and studies have actually indicated that this oil increases the collagen in the skin, which makes this a great oil for any skin, especially for aging skin. It is also purported to relieve the itching and dryness of psoriasis and eczema, as well as reduce age spots, alleviate scars and sun damage. 


Babassu Oil (Orbignya Oleifera (babassu) seed oil) is a solid, white fat, that melts when it touches the skin. In fact, it actually draws heat from the skin in order to initiate the melting. The resulting heat transfer produces a cooling effect on the skin as well. And the Babassu oil forms a protective, soothing coating when its applied. It leaves the skin with a very pleasant, velvety feeling, and has been used for centuries to soothe dry skin. 
This oil is cold pressed from the fruit kernels of the Babassu palm, which is native to the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil. It is ultra-refined without chemicals, and is a superior emollient. It is beneficial for both dry and oily complexions, and gently moisturizes the skin without contributing to an oily sheen. It's properties make it especially suitable for eczema, itchy, dry and inflamed skin. It contains about 70% lipids (fats), glycosides, vitamins and minerals, and it creates a nice, mild soap with good lather. This oil is a bit on the pricier side, but I really feel it is worth it! 

Besides that, the tree that bears the fruit used to make this oil is highly sustainable and quite beneficial. The fruit is used to produce products such as medicines, beauty aids, and beverages. The seeds contain the oil, which is used for cooking, as well as soap making. The leaves of the tree are used to provide thatch for houses, and woven into mats for constructing house walls. The stems are even used for timbers. Natives make use of every part of this tree, as well as benefiting from the exporting and sale of the oil.

Caster Oil (Ricinus communis) comes from the castor bean plant. I use cold pressed castor oil in almost all of my soaps. It is a humecant, meaning that it actually attracts and pulls moisture to the skin. Castor oil is a skin softener and emollient. It is great for many skin conditions, including psoriasis. When added to soap, it helps to create a nice, bubbly soap lather. Almost every bar of soap that I make has castor oil in it, it just adds so much! 

Coconut oil  (Cocos nucifera) is an oil that is not only in almost every bar of soap that I make, but is in most every bar that everyone makes. Why? It produces a nice, hard, bubbly bar of soap. Coconut will bubble and lather in the hardest of water, and has been used for centuries as a cleanser. But it is also, in the correct proportions, very moisturizing. Coconut oil presents as a solid, but melts as it is warmed by the skin.  

Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) has a high amount of essential fatty acids, and is considered a wonderful healing oil for all skin types. It is a very emollient, nourishing, balancing and restorative oil, so it is great for all skin conditions, even the most severe. Many studies have been done on this oil and all report great results. This is not the same cannabis variety that produces marijuana. This plant has so little THC that, even if you grew it, rolled it and smoked it, you would not get high. So don't worry about its use. It is even gentle enough for a baby! For more in depth info on hemp seed oil, check out this past post, as well as this one, from my exotic oil series.

Olive Oil (olea Europaea (olive) oil) is another oil that is in almost every bar of soap made. In fact, some soap has nothing else with it, Castile Soap, and some has just another oil or two with it, Bastile Soap. Why? Olive oil is exceptionally mild. In fact, it is almost always chosen for baby soaps and soaps for sensitive skin. While it doesn't really produce much in the way of bubbles, it does have a nice, rich, albeit maybe a bit slimy lather. Used alone, this soap may take some getting used to. But as a part of a base, this is considered the king of soaping oils. Not only is it a humecant, attracting moisture to the skin, but at the same time, this oil allows your skin to breathe, as well as preventing it from losing  its natural moisture. Olive oil keeps the skin soft and supple, and is very emollient. This is a wonderful oil for many skin conditions and is a good for infants to elders.

Of course these are but a few of the oils available, and are not even all of the oils that I regularly use. But these are my top "go to" oils. For more oil information, check out my Exotic Oils series from about this time last year. You can start with Babassu oil (3-1-11), and find about two a week, sometimes more, through the 5-27-11 Wheat Germ oil post.   

Frankly Speaking Friday- Hemp and Hemp Seed Oil

This weeks Franky Speaking Friday is all about the weed, the doobie, the blunt, and for you, um, slightly older folks, the J, the Mary Jane (now that's a dater isn't it?). Okay, the Pot plant, there I said it! Lol. We are going to learn all about the cannabis plant! Why? Because the cannabis plant seed oil is our next exotic oil! 

Commonly referred to as the marijuana plant, hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds of cannabis sativa. What everyone needs to understand, is that there is a difference between the hemp that is grown and the hemp that is smoked to get high. The cannabis sativa is the variety grown for industrial use, while cannabis sativa indica is what is smoked. The indica variety generally has poor fiber quality, and is primarily used for the production of recreational and medicinal drugs. While the difference between the two types of plants can be seen microscopically, the major difference is the amount of tetrahydrocannaninol that they possess. Commonly referred to as THC, this is the stuff that gets you high. The oil seed and fiber varieties of Cannabis, the ones that are approved for industrial hemp production, only produce minute amounts of THC, typically below 0.3% of the psychoactive drug that gets you high. While cultivars of Cannabis that are grown for smoking, called marijuana,  can contain anywhere from 6 to over 20% of THC.

The world's leading producer of hemp is  China, with smaller production in Europe, Chili, and Korea. In fact, hemp is legally grown in just about every country of the world, except for the USA. Yet, more hemp is exported to the United States, than to any other country in the world. The reason being, the US government does not consistently distinguish between the cultivars of cannabis, rather, it treats all cannabis plants the same, assuming they all are  high in THC.

Hemp has a tremendous commercial value. Aside from making a great food and cosmetic grade oil, hemp is also used to create sewing material, paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction materials, alternative fuel, health food, and medical products. 

As a crop, hemp is very environmentally friendly. It requires little to no pesticides, no herbicides, and no fertilizers. It is extremely low maintenance, growing just about anywhere. It is an ideal crop for organic sustainable farming, unlike cotton, especially because it is so quick and easy to grow. Also,  it does not require pesticides or a warm climate, nor does it require much rainfall to produce a good crop. It is said that growing just a few acres of this plant yields 8 times more paper producing material than 2 acres of trees. Additionally, hemp grows to maturity within 4 months of its planting, where trees take many, many years. 

The seeds of the cannabis sativa plant, hemp seed, contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain a healthy, human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect of a ratio to meet human nutritional needs. This oil has the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids at 8%, and the highest amount of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids at 80%, of any other oil. (Flax seed oil comes in second at 72% combined total essential fatty acids.) Hemp's nutritional advantage over other sources of fats and protein lies in this highly desirable balance of basic nutrients. Simply put, when eating hemp seed, nut and/or oil, our body obtains much of what it needs without the caloric ballast of non-essential nutrients. Yet, unlike fish and flax oil supplements and assorted protein powders, properly processed hemp seed offers these benefits with the additional bonus of a nice flavor profile. Simply stated, hemp tastes good! Fresh, cold pressed hemp oil, and hemp nuts, particularly when toasted, add a nice, nutty flavor to many dishes and pre- packaged food products.

Its seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, made into hemp milk (akin to soy milk), prepared as tea, and used in baking. The fresh leaves can also be eaten in salads. Products include cereals, frozen waffles, hemp tofu, and nut butters, to name a few. A few companies produce value added hemp seed items that include the seed oils, whole hemp grain (which is sterilized by law in the United States, where they import it from China and Canada), de-hulled hemp seed (the whole seed without the mineral rich outer shell), hemp flour, hemp cake (a by-product of pressing the seed for oil) and hemp protein powder. Hemp is also used in some organic cereals, for non-dairy milk, somewhat similar to soy and nut milks, and for non-dairy hemp "ice cream." Hempseed is an adequate source of dietary fiber, calcium, and iron, and contains antioxidants and chlorophyll. Whole hemp seeds are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. In fact, hemp seed oil has specifically been shown to help with the following medical conditions;  Osteoporosis, Menopause, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Premenstrual Symptoms, High cholesterol, high blood pressure, Weight loss, Poor circulation, Crohn's disease, Cardiovascular disease, Gall stones, Kidney degeneration, Immune deficiency, Irregular hormone levels, HIV virus, Tuberculosis, Low energy levels, and Low metabolism. And, in studies, adult users of hemp seed oil have also reported softer skin, stronger nails and hair after only a few weeks of using 1-2 Tablespoons of oil per day. 

Hemp seed and hemp seed oil is usually very safe for those unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose, and sugar. In fact, there are no known allergies to hemp foods. However, in order to avoid conversion of the polyunsaturated fatty acids to unhealthy peroxides, which occur at higher temperatures, hemp oil and the hemp nut are both best used cold, it should never be fried. It may be easily added  to salad dressings, pasta, vegetables, smoothies, soups, sauces, hummus, guacamole, pesto, or other foods, after the heating/baking has been completed. If you must heat the oil, it may be gently heated for a short period of time.


Hemp seed oil is cold pressed and semi-refined by straining methods only (not heat methods), so the color is pretty light, similar to sweet almond oil. It holds a natural, medium (to light) odor that is distinctive, yet not unpleasant. As a cosmetic oil, hemp seed oil can be added to any body care or cosmetic product, including creams, lotions, facial or body oils, massage oils, shampoo, conditioner, shaving products, lip balms, soap, and just about any other product you can think of. The good percentage of proteins, natural fatty acids, vitamins and enzymes which the hemp seed oil possess, are easily absorbed through the skin, and as a result, any skin care formula made with this oil, will provide a more vitamin and mineral enriched product. Its anti-oxidants and moisture balancing properties help to heal and rejuvenate the skin, leaving it soft and non-greasy. It fights inflammation and protects the skin from moisture loss, acting as an emollient, all of which make it a great choice for any type of skin, but especially for sensitive skin issues. This oil is specifically known to help eczema, psoriasis, and acne, as well as dry scalp, and dry and/or damaged hair. 

When added to your cold process soap, the hemp seed oil will help to produce a stable lather, and  will leave the skin silky and smooth, even when only used to superfat a batch. As a base oil, you will need to keep its use to less than 40% of your total batch, in order to avoid too soft of a bar, but really, 20-30% is a better amount. Just keep in mind that, because of its low amount of saturated fats, hemp seed oil will spoil fairly quickly, keeping only for about 6-8 months. It is a sensitive oil that will degrade under excessive light exposure, and any fluctuation in temperature, therefore it must be kept in the refrigerator.

*See the Reference Link at the top of the page for references and bibliography for this and other posts.

  

  

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