https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/how-to-make-any-soap-recipe-palm-free/
The following information is subtracted from https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/how-to-make-any-soap-recipe-palm-free/
Option 1 – Substitute with a similar oil/fat
Tallow/Lard: You can substitute this in direct proportion for palm oil; using up to 25 to 35% in a recipe. Some may dislike the use of tallow or lard in soap, since they are animal byproducts. On one hand, it’s good stewardship to use something that would normally be thrown away. On the other hand, it’s not compatible with the beliefs of vegans and some religions. My main hesitation with using it is because often antibiotics and other toxins are concentrated in the fats of animals. In the past, I had a hard time sourcing it, but now we raise our own pastured animals so I’m 100% sure of their clean diet and living conditions and that they were treated respectfully. There are other vegetable-based alternatives though, if you wish to avoid all animal products.
Cocoa Butter: Makes a hard bar with a creamy lather. If you use more than 15% in a soap recipe, it may cause cracking. I like to use the unscented version of cocoa butter, since I don’t want the scent to carry through to my final soap. If you enjoy the unrefined scent though; you can use it just as well. (I like using the unscented kind, purchased HERE, from Bramble Berry.)
Shea Butter: Moisturizes and nourishes the skin. It will add a bit of hardness, but not too much, so I don’t rely on this as a full substitution. Aim for no more than 10 to 15% in a recipe. (I like the refined version that I buy HERE, also from Bramble Berry.)
Coconut Oil: If coconut oil is already in your recipe, you probably won’t want to add more. A general guideline is to keep the amount under 25 to 30% of the recipe or it might start to dry out your skin. (Though I have gone over that amount and added extra moisturizing oils to compensate.)
Babassu Oil: This has similar properties as coconut oil. (It can be used as a direct substitute for coconut oil as well, if you’re allergic.) Babassu oil is harder to source, but I’ve had excellent results with the Dr Adorable brand found on Amazon.
Tips to make palm free soap harder
Palm free soap tends to be on the softer side at first. Mainly, you need to give it more time in the mold and more time curing than you might other recipes. A few other tips that might help:
- Reduce the water amount in your recipe. This is especially helpful when using palm free soap recipes in a silicone mold. If a recipe calls for 20 to 30 ounces of water, I would normally pick a mid-range of around 25 or 26 ounces of water. You can drop that amount down even lower (though going under 20 ounces is not suggested.) If soft soaps are a problem, I’d try dropping down an ounce or two under the middle range number or 23 in this example. Another way to look at it is – look at the amount of your lye and then double it. (example: If your soap calls for 3.95 oz of lye, use 8 oz of water.) That gives a pretty big water discount, so be prepared for your soap to set up faster while mixing.
- Add salt to your water before adding lye. There’s a good article to read more about that HERE, but basically you can use 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound of oil in your recipe. Example: Our cucumber soap has 40 ounces (2.5 pounds) of oil so would need 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.
- Add sodium lactate to your cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon per pound of oils. The type from Bramble Berry is sourced from corn and beets.
- Bring soap to a thicker trace before pouring. This seems to help the soap set up faster, in the mold.
- Utilize the freezer. If your soap won’t come out of the mold after several days, try putting it in the freezer overnight or until it’s firm enough to pop out. Set the loaf in the open air to cure for a few days before slicing and handling further.
