CP Soap Making Virgin! Recipe Help!

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lizvang

lizvang

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Hello!

So, I've just ordered my oils, butter, EOs, etc. Ready to make some Autumn CP soap in the next couple of weeks (for the first time!).

If someone could let me know my calculations are correct, that would be great!

My soap molds are 13 x 3.5 x 2. According to my calculations, it would hold 2.275 lbs of soap, correct?

My recipe is:
35% Olive Extra Virgin Oil (12.74 oz)
25% Coconut Oil (9.10 oz)
25% Palm Kernel Oil (9.10 oz)
10% Shea Butter (3.64 oz)
5% Castor Oil (1.82 oz)
Lye 5.099 oz
Water/Liquid 12.01 oz
5% Superfatting

Using 1.1375 to 2.275 oz of Essential Oil.

Am I forgetting anything?
 
your calculation for the mold is correct.

from a quick look in your recipe, you might want to skip using both coconut and palm kernel, as both oils have the same qualities. i see no point using both, and with a total of 50% of these oils, the cleansing number is going to hit the roof and with a 5% SF this soap can be very drying.

palm and palm kernel are not the same, they are not interchangeable. coconut and palm kernel are interchangeable.

you could up the olive or swap the palm kernel with palm/lard/tallow.
 
seven said:
palm and palm kernel are not the same, they are not interchangeable. coconut and palm kernel are interchangeable.

you could up the olive or swap the palm kernel with palm/lard/tallow.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I didn't know about the palm/palm kernel issue (and I've already ordered the palm kernel, gah!). I will swap out the palm kernel with lard I think. Do you have any recommendations on what type/brand of "lard" to buy in a grocery store that will be OK to use in CP soap making?
 
dixiedragon said:
What essential oil are you using? That makes a difference in how much you can/should use.
Click to expand...

For one recipe I am using:
Clove Bud
Cinnamon
Ginger
Nutmeg
Cardamon

For the other:
Cinnamon
Clove Bud
Cardamon
Sweet Orange

dixiedragon said:
BTW, welcome to the Wonderful World of Soap!
Click to expand...

Thank you! Very excited. I've only been researching soap making for the past two years online. 'Bout time I jumped in. :D
 
My stores carry Armour brand lard(Manteca). It works fine.

I would drop that coconut oil to 20% and up the lard to 30% and re-run that through the lye calculator. That will give you a lovely soap. IMHO, the shea is superfluous. I find it totally lost in most soap. And it can inhibit lather a bit. But it is totally up to you. And I know I am in the minority here on that.

I made a soap with those EOs. Smelled delicious!(and edible) Just be careful to keep the clove and cinnamon amounts equal to or less than the other EOs to prevent skin irritation. I also infused some paprika into olive oil to give the soap that spice cake coloring.(I need to go make some more of this soap so it can be ready by Thanksgiving.)

Oh, and be aware that orange will speed trace for you. Some people say the clove does also, but I usually don't have a problem with the clove that I do with orange.
 
I agree, coconut at 20% is plenty to make a nice bubbly bar of soap. I too use lard from the grocery store and love it, its my favorite oil to make soap with.
The spicy EO's not only can irritate skin, but can really speed up trace. Are you planning on any colors? I personally would leave it uncolored and add the EO's while the batter is still thin then stir them in by hand. If you use a stick blender to incorporate the EO's, your soap could seize (get super thick instantly).
I'd also suggest letting your lye solution and oils cool to 90* or so before mixing, that will help slow trace.
 
Thanks for the replies. Will definitely consider both of your suggestions. I am not adding any colour and will stir in my EOs prior to pouring since I did hear that they could speed up trace. I may add some copper mica lines, but that's about it. Haven't quite got a "design" in place just yet.
 
I'm probably in the minority but I use Palm Kernel and Coconut. I like the combination. But I keep the total of the two between 15-25% depending on my formulation. I also use Shea and Cocoa Butter in my recipes. So, it's a personal preference thing. After trying a zillion recipes this is one I settled on and love. Good luck on your first soap. I would probably not use those EO's and try to color it as your first try. It's going to give you some troubles depending on the amount of EO's used. Just be cautious with how much mixing you do once added and get it in the mold. We do expect pictures once done... :)
 
Just what Shunt2011 said, I use both many times, and keep the % in the same range. It will be fun to play around with soap calc to see what you come up with. PKO and Castor make for a nice bubbly soap.
 
Obsidian said:
I agree, coconut at 20% is plenty to make a nice bubbly bar of soap. I too use lard from the grocery store and love it, its my favorite oil to make soap with.
The spicy EO's not only can irritate skin, but can really speed up trace. Are you planning on any colors? I personally would leave it uncolored and add the EO's while the batter is still thin then stir them in by hand. If you use a stick blender to incorporate the EO's, your soap could seize (get super thick instantly).
I'd also suggest letting your lye solution and oils cool to 90* or so before mixing, that will help slow trace.
Click to expand...

This is a very good suggestion from Obsidian. Cinnamon and clove accelerate severly, I have never had orange accelerate, and can overheat so I would put your filled mold in the freezer. Do not insulate. Any lard will work and makes wonderful soap and will help slow trace
 
Clove accelerates trace FAST. My soap went from pudding to cold mashed potatoes in just a few seconds. I really don't recommend it for your first time out of the gate! If your heart is set on it, you can do a few things to slow things down:
- Use more water. When I use soap calc, I bump up the water from 38% to 40%.
- Let your oils and lye reach 90 degrees (maybe even less) before you mix them.
- Set aside a small amount of liquid oil and mix your EOs in that, then pour that into the soap batter.

When I use cinnamon and clove EO, I like to sprinkle some of the ground spice into it. I add it before I add the EO so it has time to mix.
 
Dixie, thanks for the tips, i've never used clove or cinnamon eos before, but i'll make sure to remember yer tips when the time comes.


Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making
 
I bought lard!

Here's my new recipe for 2.275 lb soap mold:

Olive Oil 30% / 309.577g
Coconut Oil 30% / 309.577g
Lard 30% / 309.577g
Castor Oil 10% / 103.192g
Water 392.130g
Lye 150.948g

I am adding pumpkin puree (not sure how much yet, maybe an ounce or two and need to find the right mixture of EOs to get a pumpkin smell (out of clove bud, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cardamon) so about an ounce or so in total of EO as well.

How's it looking?
 
dixiedragon said:
Clove accelerates trace FAST. My soap went from pudding to cold mashed potatoes in just a few seconds. I really don't recommend it for your first time out of the gate! If your heart is set on it, you can do a few things to slow things down:
- Use more water. When I use soap calc, I bump up the water from 38% to 40%.
- Let your oils and lye reach 90 degrees (maybe even less) before you mix them.
- Set aside a small amount of liquid oil and mix your EOs in that, then pour that into the soap batter.

When I use cinnamon and clove EO, I like to sprinkle some of the ground spice into it. I add it before I add the EO so it has time to mix.
Click to expand...

Great tips, thanks!!!
 
lizvang said:
I bought lard!

Here's my new recipe for 2.275 lb soap mold:

Olive Oil 30% / 309.577g
Coconut Oil 30% / 309.577g
Lard 30% / 309.577g
Castor Oil 10% / 103.192g
Water 392.130g
Lye 150.948g

I am adding pumpkin puree (not sure how much yet, maybe an ounce or two and need to find the right mixture of EOs to get a pumpkin smell (out of clove bud, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cardamon) so about an ounce or so in total of EO as well.

How's it looking?
Click to expand...

looking good. make sure to superfat at least 7% because your co content is quite high for most people.

also, a good idea is to put your mold in the freezer first, because your batch will contain heaters. check periodically to make sure the soap doesn't overheat.


goodluck!
 
Thanks seven.

Forgot to mention that it's 3% superfatting. Should I bump that to 7% still?

I don't have a freezer large enough for my mold. It's a wood mold. I can keep the batch in the mold in the basement where it's cooler, uncovered/uninsulated. Hopefully that will suffice.
 
I like for my soap to gel, so I don't put it in the freezer. I would not walk downstairs with a mold full of raw soap - just asking for trouble! I haven't had a major overheating problem with my clove soap. You can put it on your kitchen counter, and keep an eye on it. Gel is a dark, liquid spot that starts in the middle and spreads out.

It's possible it will over heat and start to rise out of the mold. If this happens, just stir it and that will release the heat. If you mix your lye and oil under 100 degrees, that probably (knock on wood) won't happen. I like to put old towels under my mold so if it does happen, my raw soap batter doesn't dribble down into my kitchen drawers.
 

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