Quick curing castiles

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Primrose

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I've not made a castile yet, but from what I've read generally on this forum, when I do I plan to put it away for a 12 month rest before using it.

So I was interested to watch a thread on a group on facebook, where multiple people were saying their castiles are being sold and used at 4-6 weeks ... this is CP.

I was a bit surprised, but given how new I am to soapmaking I thought it best not to comment
 
Castile can be used at 4 to 6 weeks, but just as a rule, I make a batch every 6 months and put it away for a full year's cure. That allows it to harden fully and Castile gets better with time. At 4 to 6 weeks is kinda slimy and has no lather. At one year, it is nicer to the touch and develops a creamy (rather than bubbly) lather. So IMO, selling a unripened Castile just isn't putting out the best you can do.

If you wish to add EO to it, use something that really sticks, like lavender, rosemary, peppermint, patchouli, rose. But really, the only way to speed it up is to make it a bastile, and make an olive heavy blend with coconut, palm, tallow, etc. But your purists will want olive, and only olive. Usually organic. ;)
 
They might be usable but they're probably far from good soap.
Quite misleading and possibly cheating customers. Seling soaps that are still made of water at the certain % which they are paying for, instead for soap.
I know 4-6 weeks sure is generally recommended for regular recipes but in my experience it's not enough.
Soaps might look hard and cured on the outside but centers stay mushy until at least 8 week mark.
I don't sell but for our personal use, I cure for at least 2 months.
 
You CAN use any soap once its saponified. Some speshul snowflakes confuse "safe" with "good". The only 100% OO soap that is good to use almost immediately is liquid soap. Make a batch of 100% OO castille soap and put it away. Then make anything else and use in 4-6 weeks (or more, most bar soaps are better with more).
 

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