Hello, I could use some help on how to make my soap bars more solid. I do the Hot & Cold process. The products I am currently using to make soap are as follows: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Water, Fragrance, Color. If you have any input on what I can put into my soap to make it last longer, and to make it more solid, I would like to hear it. Hope to hear from you
How to make my soap harder & last longer
- Thread starter bither78
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Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Hi. I am a newbie myself, but I have read that adding either salt to your recipe will make it stronger.
Here is a link that might help:
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipst ... qtsalt.htm
Here is a link that might help:
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipst ... qtsalt.htm
AlchemyandAshes
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How long are you letting your bars cure? And what is your ratios with the oils you're using now? High Olive content will be a softer bar in the beginning, but cure out to be a harder bar after about 6 months. Castor is great, but high percentages can make your bar sticky and softer. Avocado produces a softer bar. Coconut is good for a long lasting bar.
Adding Palm, Tallow, Cocoa or Shea Butter, or Stearic Acid to your recipe would help. Also, some folks add 1 tsp ppo of salt or Sodium Lactate to their lye solution to help with hardness.
Adding Palm, Tallow, Cocoa or Shea Butter, or Stearic Acid to your recipe would help. Also, some folks add 1 tsp ppo of salt or Sodium Lactate to their lye solution to help with hardness.
DragonQueenHHP
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ummm that does not add up to 100% :? are you meaning ounces ?
I rounded the numbers in %
and this is what I got with a 5% superfat
Hardness 29 - 54 35
Cleansing 12 - 22 19
Conditioning 44 - 69 60
Bubbly 14 - 46 24
Creamy 16 - 48 20
Iodine 41 - 70 63
INS 136 - 165 147
I rounded the numbers in %
and this is what I got with a 5% superfat
Hardness 29 - 54 35
Cleansing 12 - 22 19
Conditioning 44 - 69 60
Bubbly 14 - 46 24
Creamy 16 - 48 20
Iodine 41 - 70 63
INS 136 - 165 147
DragonQueenHHP
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if I do it as oz I come up with almost same numbers so my best guess is the high % of OO is making it take longer to cure
Margo
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Making Soaps Harder
I would totally eliminate the avocado oil which makes not only a softer soap, but discolors the soap over time.
You may want to try adding a tablespoon of beeswax pastilles per lb. of soap
Happy soaping!
Margo
www.miraculousbeads.com
I would totally eliminate the avocado oil which makes not only a softer soap, but discolors the soap over time.
You may want to try adding a tablespoon of beeswax pastilles per lb. of soap
Happy soaping!
Margo
www.miraculousbeads.com
green soap
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Salt and bees wax will make your soap harder and longer lasting, however they can reduce lather, and everybody seems to likes lather.
I add a small percentage of either shea or cocoa butter to make soaps harder and longer lasting, as well as creamier (per soapcalc).
Coconut oil will make a bar of extremely hard soap but because of the smaller length of the lauric acid molecules (12 carbons compared to 18 carbons in stearic acid) coconut oil soap - AKA sodium cocoate - does dissolve rather fast, so it makes hard soap bars but they are not long lasting.
I add a small percentage of either shea or cocoa butter to make soaps harder and longer lasting, as well as creamier (per soapcalc).
Coconut oil will make a bar of extremely hard soap but because of the smaller length of the lauric acid molecules (12 carbons compared to 18 carbons in stearic acid) coconut oil soap - AKA sodium cocoate - does dissolve rather fast, so it makes hard soap bars but they are not long lasting.
I have never had avocado discolor and it makes fantastic soap. Would definetly leave it in and add in some palm, tallow or lard. Beeswax is a lather killer and need to be a very low percentage 5% or less and will cause overheating.
Lion Of Judah
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I concur !
Lion Of Judah
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the life of a bar of handmade soap is predicated on a few other factors as well . how you use it is a factor as well , if you are using it straight to your skin without cloth or fluffy scrub then it will wear away much faster , and the number of people to a bar of soap dictates the life of that bar as well . a bar of soap lasts me a month or better with personal use and using a washcloth . i do not use SL in my soap nor beeswax. i use CB, or SB few other hard oils .
Don't know if anyone noticed but this original post was from 2012.....however I use avocado and love it but not discoloration either.
