My first shaving soap is a success!

Kmyny said:

ok so I'm confusing myself here snd being relatively new I'm just going to ask for clarification

adding superfat -

When using a lye calculator (i happen to use Soapee) - I put in the desired super fat (i.e. 3%). Now - the amount for oils that they give include the extra 3% already? So if I wanted to say have Shea butter as my super fat I would include that in my percentages that I input into the calculator?

ok so my tired mom brain is having a hard time articulating so lets skip to an example with numbers.

So for 100g batch 52% stearic acid 48% coconut oil - I input those into the calc and get 52g SA 48g CO and the respective amounts of KOH and water. Now if I add an additional 3% of the oil weight in shea butter (3g for this example) at the end with my glycerin/EO have I now added 6% superfat (because I ticked off the 3% super fat function in the calculator)

I guess what confused me is reading through some people say they reserve X amount of whatever oil for the end after the cook for superfatting and others word it as they add 3% superfat at the end.

:-?

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Whatever superfat you set is already included in the lye calculation. In your example, if you change the superfat rate and recalculate, you'll see the water and lye amounts change, though the oils will stay the same. You can add your specific SF by adding the shea to your ingredients at whatever SF you've set, then wait til after your cook to mix it in.

Kittish said:

Whatever superfat you set is already included in the lye calculation. In your example, if you change the superfat rate and recalculate, you'll see the water and lye amounts change, though the oils will stay the same. You can add your specific SF by adding the shea to your ingredients at whatever SF you've set, then wait til after your cook to mix it in.

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Thanks!
That is what I figured and what I thought...In example above the total super fat would be 6% (checked 3% in calculator AND added additional shea)

I guess reading through that entire thread had my head feeling a little fuzzy!

:headbanging:

Soapee has an option for adding the SF after the cook, which is handy.

I always did my post-cook SF calculations this way:

Make the recipe with all of my oils and calculate it up. SF doesn't matter at this point, as I am after the exact weights (my recipes are all saved in %). Then I take out my SF oil and set the calc to work on weights instead of %, with a 0% SF. This gives me the lye amount to saponify my non SF oils and when I add in my SF oils my batch size will be correct

I just heard about Soapee. It made things much easier when trying to make a dual lye shaving soap recipe.

This is just what I'm looking for to make for Christmas, can you please post the recipes for the shaving soap? I'm also looking for PVC pipe to mold it in. I was at Home Depot and found some black 3" and 2". The 3" looks to big and the 2" looks to small. I think I need 2 1/2", don't even know if it comes in 2 1/2". But that size would be perfect for shaving soap. HELP PLEASE!!

This thread is full of recipes, starting with post #1. Dive in :shark:
Good luck and let us know your favorite version

Many thanks to everyone who have made a contribution to this inspiring thread. I've made 25+ formulations, enjoying (almost) every one of them.

Seized!

I made two batches of shaving soap this week. First batch I made using 45% Stearic Acid, 25% Coconut Oil, 20% Tallow, 5% Cocoa Butter, 5% Shea Butter, 5% super-fatted, 11% Glycerin, 80/20 KOH/NAOH. Melted the Stearic separately and added it after the rest of the oils traced. Continued cooking stirring occasionally until the mixture smoothed out and looked like it was "gelling". Added my reserved superfat, glycerin, and FO's, mixed, and spooned into plastic containers. Very happy with the result.

Then I got cocky, and decided to make a soft shaving soap for the wife. I reduced the SA, increased the water, went full KOH, and followed the same procedure. Cooked to a smooth gel phase stirring only with a spatula. I turned around to grab the reserved SF. FO, and glycerin, but before I could add them in it had completely seized soap-on-a-stick up!

Scraped it out of the bowl into my Kitchen Aid, added the reserved ingredients, and beat into a workable consistency. Rolled into a tube in parchment paper and let set overnight. I'm able to cut firm pucks out of the roll. Wife used it to shave with last night and said it worked great. But I was really hoping for a creamy, softer set. Any suggestions? More water? Recipe attached.

Thanks!

View attachment Shave.pdf

I would have swapped the coconut and tallow amounts, but I don't see anything that would produce "soap on a stick", especially with that much water (I usually use 190 grams for 500 grams of oils).

Should also be quite soft, too.

Double check your weights, and check your balance in case it's doing something strange or you got goofy amounts somehow (as in something under the container holding it up off the balance!).

If it doesn't zap it will be fine to use though.

I've found shaving soap works just fine by melting the stearic acid into the other oils and adding the lye to the mixture, usually quite hot. You can finish saponification in 15 minutes or so in a hot crockpot that way. It will go to "mashed potatoes" instantly due to the stearic acid, but the other oils will saponify just fine and the soap will go through gel very rapidly.

I've not yet had a hot process soap get hard in the pot though. Stiff, yes, but impossible to stir, no.

GreenDragon said:

I made two batches of shaving soap this week. First batch I made using 45% Stearic Acid, 25% Coconut Oil, 20% Tallow, 5% Cocoa Butter, 5% Shea Butter, 5% super-fatted, 11% Glycerin, 80/20 KOH/NAOH. Melted the Stearic separately and added it after the rest of the oils traced. Continued cooking stirring occasionally until the mixture smoothed out and looked like it was "gelling". Added my reserved superfat, glycerin, and FO's, mixed, and spooned into plastic containers. Very happy with the result.

Then I got cocky, and decided to make a soft shaving soap for the wife. I reduced the SA, increased the water, went full KOH, and followed the same procedure. Cooked to a smooth gel phase stirring only with a spatula. I turned around to grab the reserved SF. FO, and glycerin, but before I could add them in it had completely seized soap-on-a-stick up!

Scraped it out of the bowl into my Kitchen Aid, added the reserved ingredients, and beat into a workable consistency. Rolled into a tube in parchment paper and let set overnight. I'm able to cut firm pucks out of the roll. Wife used it to shave with last night and said it worked great. But I was really hoping for a creamy, softer set. Any suggestions? More water? Recipe attached.

Thanks!

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I’d up the Stearic and lower the Coconut. Coconut oil makes a lot of bubbles but not the dense creamy stable kind needed for shaving soap. Most tutorials that I have seen say to use 50% or more.

The basic is 50/50 co and stearic. When I changed that, I lowered the stearic only slightly and took out a lot of the co.

If my daughter is making the original recipe from B&B forum for her eight grade science project - if she wanted to make a version using an animal milk like goat, etc ... does she swap the water for equal parts animal milk and allow the KOH to react with frozen milk & produce a “lye-milk” or does she follow the recipe as “usual” and then add the goats milk after cooking along with glycerin, EOs and such? I’ve read 85 pages of this thread and can’t seem to find anyone addressing using animal milk. Thx! Jason

GreenDragon said:

...
Then I got cocky, and decided to make a soft shaving soap for the wife. I reduced the SA, increased the water, went full KOH, and followed the same procedure. Cooked to a smooth gel phase stirring only with a spatula. I turned around to grab the reserved SF. FO, and glycerin, but before I could add them in it had completely seized soap-on-a-stick up!
...

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What was the temperature? I've had soap seize when soaping too hot. The fast reaction of KOH + SA then creates enough heat to boil off a lot of water.
I usually keep it at 75°C and 25-27% lye concentration to avoid this.

Thanks for sharing this. I might just give this a try.

any chance you can share the water & KOH amounts? I can't seem to find the original recipe.
Thanks

I would put it in to a lye calc (such as soapee) - that'll give you the amounts you need more safely. Many members won't post lye amounts because any errors can be dangerous, not to mention that it's best to run any recipe through a calc, even if (,or especially if!) those amounts are given.

The original recipe is in Post #1 of this thread: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=327878&postcount=1 It doesn't give weights of the individual fats -- it just gives percentages -- but Songwind does give the total amount of fat (8 oz) that he used. You could follow his lead -- and if this is your first time making shave soap, it's a good amount to make -- not too little, and not too much.

If you are used to having a recipe fully spelled out for you, I encourage you to use a soap recipe calculator like Soapee rather than ask for someone else to do this work for you. It's easier than you think, and you'll be a better soaper for the experience. Honest! Craig is right about the KOH and water amounts -- it's always best if you calculate those yourself so YOU KNOW the numbers are right. Never trust another soaper's numbers -- even the most experienced and capable soapers can make mistakes.

I'm having to speak from memory about using Soapee because the site seems to be down right now, but here goes --

Go to http://soapee.com/calc

Choose KOH as the lye you want to use.

Set your KOH purity to 90% if you don't know the actual purity of yoru KOH. If you do know the purity, then use that number instead.

Set the lye concentration to 25%.

Enter the superfat % that you want to use. If you don't know, just leave the superfat set at the default of 5%.

Enter in the total weight of fat for the batch you want to make.

Set your units to percentages. Enter the percentages of the stearic acid and coconut oil from Post 1.

Soapee will calculate the KOH and water amounts for your recipe. Voila! If you want one of us to check the recipe for you, just ask.

Sorry to bump up a thread that hasn't been posted in for a while.
I've combed through the thread and have really appreciated the tutorial by silverfox and everyone's input about making the soap more moisturizing by substituting in other oils for the coconut oil.

I've made a test recipe that will be 8oz total and I was hoping for some feedback on it.

Using Soapee as the calculator here's my recipe:

Liquid Soap usingh KOH (potassium Hydroxide) - Is this the correct option? The soap will be soft but not liquid this way
25% lye concentration
5% superfat of oils

Oil Recipe percentages:
45% Stearic Acid
25% Coconut Oil
20% Beef Tallow (I'll buy suet and process it myself if I can't find any online)
5% Aloe Butter
5% Avocado Oil

I plan to add 2.5% Lanolin and 2.5% Aloe butter to the mix after saponification and then add 11% glycerin and .05% tetrasodium EDTA then as well. I want to use aloe vera hydrosol in place of the water I'll be following the guide at silverfox crafts for the processing!

Here's images of my recipe:

kuroda said:

I've combed through the thread and have really appreciated the tutorial by silverfox and .........

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Where's the love, dude?

Mark the Box Guy said:

Where's the love, dude?

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I didn't mean to leave anyone out! I just am a very visual learner and I really was happy to have a step-by-step guide with photos.