Both virgin olive oil and pomace olive oil were presented as suitable choices for Beldi soap. I prefer pomace olive oil for this purpose because it is less expensive and, in my experience, more stable; however, the workshop described comparable finished-soap results from either option.
How the oils differ
Virgin olive oil was described as the earlier, often cold-pressed extract from olives. It was presented as a purer oil, but one that is more sensitive to heat and more prone to rancidity in some applications. Pomace olive oil was described as a later extraction, with a longer shelf life and lower cost.
Why those differences matter in cosmetics
Choosing an oil depends on what we are making. For a massage oil or a product applied directly to the skin, I described virgin olive oil as a good option. I also mentioned food uses such as salad dressing. In creams and lotions, I discussed concerns about heating virgin oil and keeping it in an emulsified product.
Why Beldi soap is a different case
The workshop distinguished soap making from leaving olive oil emulsified in a cream. In soap, the oil is converted during saponification. For that reason, I did not expect a meaningful improvement in the finished Beldi soap simply because the more expensive virgin oil was chosen.
Is the more expensive oil automatically better?
Not necessarily in this application. If a maker is comfortable paying more for virgin olive oil, it can be used. If the aim is a practical and economical Beldi soap, pomace olive oil was my preferred choice. This is an ingredient-selection decision rather than a reason to expect a fundamentally different kind of soap.
The useful lesson is to assess raw materials in the context of the finished product, rather than assuming a higher ingredient price must produce a better soap.
