Use Red Palm Oil

by R M SPARKS
(FINDLAY OH USA)

Can red palm oil be substituted for regular palm oil?

I'm leaving town for a couple of months and wonder if I should put all my oils in the fridge?

Thanks Roxanne

Answer:

Red palm oil can certainly be used in a recipe that asks for regular palm oil. Both palm oils have the same SAP values so in this case you don't have to re-run the recipe through a lye calculator.

If the recipe you are using has a decorative component, you will need to make adjustments to that since red palm oil will add a yellow tint to your soap at the very least. Depending on how dark the red palm oil is and how much you are using, your soap could turn out anywhere from a pale yellow to orange shade.

Oils should be stored in cool, dark, dry locations in order to get the longest shelf life out of them. Some oils that tend to go off faster than others, such as rice bran or grape seed, should be kept in the fridge after opening.

Often your supplier will have storage recommendations on their websites. If not, google New Directions Aromatics, they almost always have storage suggestions.

Cathy