How to Use Pomace Olive Oil for Soap Making
Olive oil is a popular ingredient in cold process soaps, but the cost of virgin and refined olive oils can become prohibitive. If you want to make olive oil soap on a budget, use pomace olive oil. This oil is derived from the ground up olive pits and flesh after their initial pressing. In order to extract oil from the pomace, producers treat it with solvents. They blend the treated oil with virgin olive oil before packaging for consumption. Although it's not as high quality as virgin olive oils, pomace olive oil makes excellent soap.
Things You'll Need
- Heat-proof glass measuring cup
- Water
- Lye crystals
- Pomace olive oil
- Stainless steel pot
- Stick blender
- Soap molds
Instructions
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1
Fill glass measuring cup with about 24 oz of cold water.
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2
Add 12 oz of lye crystals to cold water and stir for about 30 seconds Make sure you complete this process in a well-ventilated area, and don't breath in the fumes.
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3
Heat 87 oz of pomace olive oil in a stainless steel pan until it has reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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4
Allow lye solution to cool to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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5
Pour lye solution into pomace olive oil.
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6
Submerge your stick blender into the oil and lye mixture and pulse for intervals of 30 seconds. Use the stick blender to stir your mixture between pulses.
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7
Remove stick blender as soon as soap begins to trace. At this point you should be able to lightly draw a line through the surface of the mixture.
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8
Pour the soap into your mold. Work quickly, as olive oil soaps tend to set up very quickly after tracing.
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Tips & Warnings
Soaps made from 100 percent olive oil are commonly known as castile soap. Use this term to search for different olive oil soap recipes to try.
If it takes a long time for your soap to trace, try soap recipes with a combination of pomace olive oil and other oils.
Practice caution when working with lye. Always avoid skin and eye contact and do not breath in the toxic fumes it produces when first mixed with water.
