Cold Process: Colours, Recipes, Calculators, Etc.

Hi everyone,
I am used to making soap using Melt & Pour. I would love to try Cold Process. I know it shouldn't be taken lightly & appropriate safety should be adhered to. I have watched Soap Queen TV for the basics. I would mainly like your opinion on colourants for Cp soap. Which do you like the best Micas, Oxides OR Lab Colours? Which ones don't morph, bleed or change colour. I would also like to know where you UK soap makers purchase your Micas, Oxides & Clays.

I tried a couple of lye calculators yesterday & I must admit I was slightly confused. Can I just add which oils I think would make a lovely soap or can anyone give me some rough guidelines?

Being a beginner would it be safe to come up with my own recipe if a lot of research was carried out?

One last thing the dreaded zap test if it tastes like normal icky soap are we good to go? But if there's a burning sensation or a zap it's a no no batch?

Thank you so much for your help and kindest regards Kayleigh xx

Hello and welcome. When I started I used a recipe that was posted on www.millersoap.com. I did run it through a soap calc first just to be sure. If you are just beginning I would forgo fragrance and colorants until you are comfortable with the process and have a few batches under your belt. I personally prefer Micas, oxides and ultramarines for colorants.

Thankyou for your help. Thats a good idea to start out.
I just hope my first few batches arent lye heavy.
Ill have to set out a good amount of time & get a great recipe.

Regarding the "zap test" - its my understanding and experience that its normal for CP soap to be zappy up to 48 hours after pouring, for me it stops being zappity when its hard enough to unmold. And yes, if it just tastes bad, its not zappy.

In regards to colors, I only just colored my first batch (I guess its my 7th or 8th batch?) and I used turmeric, so I cant help you much there.

Sure you can make your own recipe in soap calc, but Id also look around for help and advice - like not using more than 30% Coconut or it will be too drying, or more than 10% of castor oil or it could be sticky. Some people say a high percentage of Olive Oil makes a bar slow to cure - but my 70% Olive oil bars seem to be curing right on schedule.

Seawolfe said:

for me it stops being zappity when its hard enough to unmold.

Click to expand...

Zappity .. now there's a word you don't hear in every day conversations with normal people!

Seawolfe? Are you leaving your soaps in the mold for a long time? I've been taking mine out around 24 hours, sometimes sooner ... because I'm an impatient little weasel, and because I thought I was supposed to so they could air properly. Should I be leaving them in the mold longer?

MzMolly65 said:

Zappity .. now there's a word you don't hear in every day conversations with normal people!

Seawolfe? Are you leaving your soaps in the mold for a long time? I've been taking mine out around 24 hours, sometimes sooner ... because I'm an impatient little weasel, and because I thought I was supposed to so they could air properly. Should I be leaving them in the mold longer?

Click to expand...

I stated that 48 hours so I could look like one of the big kids all patient and such
Actually I do unmold and cut usually at 24 hours, but I did have one batch that was in 2 molds - the one unmolded and cut at 24 hours was really messy and sticky, the one left for 48 hours was perfect. Unfortunately I did not lick either one, so I can not report as to zappityness.

Now I know what too soon looks and feels like

Welcome Kayleigh

kazzii-x said:

I would mainly like your opinion on colourants for Cp soap. Which do you like the best Micas, Oxides OR Lab Colours?

Click to expand...

I've only used oxides so far - I decided that I wanted blue and white, so started there. The next order I did I chose a mica in a different colour. Gives me a chance to play with the different things spending a fortune in one hit. Someone else might be abe to offer more info

kazzii-x said:

I tried a couple of lye calculators yesterday & I must admit I was slightly confused. Can I just add which oils I think would make a lovely soap or can anyone give me some rough guidelines? Being a beginner would it be safe to come up with my own recipe if a lot of research was carried out?

Click to expand...

Yes its safe (if you run it through a lye calculator) but IMHO you're better off starting out with a recipe - millersoap is good, as is soap queen. Always run it through a lye calculator again though to double check (some recipes seem to get posted with a 0% superfat which doesn't allow for any inaccuracy).

As for rough guidelines, I like to refer to some lists about oils...
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-b...s-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/

I've looked at a few different ones online and downloaded some to my computer.

kazzii-x said:

One last thing the dreaded zap test if it tastes like normal icky soap are we good to go? But if there's a burning sensation or a zap it's a no no batch?

Click to expand...

After 'zap testing' and being unsure if it was zappy or just icky soap...
I tested raw soap.
ZAP
And now I know
It was mentioned on here that rather than licking, just rub your finger along soap and put your finger on your tongue... If the soap is lye heavy and you're not expecting it, I've read that it can be a really really bad idea to lick the soap... Lol. Could burn a bit.
If it zaps then it could need longer to cure/saponify/react (what's the word I'm after soapers?), or it could be lye heavy. If it's been run through a soap calculator it SHOULDN'T be lye heavy, unless you left out an oil, wrote the numbers down incorrectly, scales broke... Or if the batch hasn't properly been emulsified then you will get pockets of lye heavy soap with pockets of oil.
And if you know that you left an oil out you can re batch to fix it.

I have found this forum to be an amazing amount of information, but get yourself a notebook or a file on your computer that you can put all the useful tips in (things like "this EO is a good anchor for citrus, use at these rates..."
I read them and forget to write it down, or put it on a scrap of paper, and I can never find it again when I need it (often because these useful one-sentence tips are in a thread that's not neessarily titled "Anchors for citrus").

Have fun!