In theory this formula seems nice, a little bit on the harsh side, but it can satisfy some customers, especially those who appreciate being "squeaky clean". The only way to make sure that this soap is good is to try and make it. I can tell you for sure that the trace will be good but the foam of the final soap may not be too good, in cold water you may not have any foam at all.
Usually Lauric acid is responsible for the foam, alone it has a very thick and creamy foam with small bubbles but it is very harsh on the skin, the addition of Oleic acid increases the bubble diameter and reduce the thickness of the foam and reduce the harshness. So there is a sweet spot for the Lauric/Oleic ratio where the foam is great and there is no harshness. This sweet spot is determined by experimentation, the only general rule I found is that the ratio Oleic/Lauric should not exceed 1.5.
Stearic and Palmitic acids are for the hardness and longevity of the soap, they must not go above 15 to 20%, Stearic acid increases both longevity and hardness while Palmitic acid increases mainly the hardness.
Other polyunsaturated acids (linoleic, linolenic and ricinoleic) increase the "moisturizing" feel but hinder the cleansing of the soap, and too much of them can give you a paste like soap instead of a bar.
This is how you design a soap by controlling the fatty acids that make it.
As a beginner I can recommend the following:
- Start by making single oil soaps for all the oils that you have, and using each soap for at least 2 weeks while taking note of the characteristics, this way you understand what each oil can give you in a soap.
- Then you can mix 2 or more oils to mix their characteristics and obtain a result that will satisfy you.
- Finally add the additives (clay, salt, charcoal, EOs, ...) one by one because they can affect greatly the trace and the final soap.
This way you master each and every parameter and with experience and trial and error you master the craft.
