Salt Bar question please....

[Deda]

Re: receipe?

Hi sygrid

Soap ready the next day, that's amazing.

I'm very intrigued, would you mind sharing your receipe?

Nancy

Nancy, she uses a regular recipe, full water. Here's the link to the thread where she posted her recipe.
http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... highlight=
The difference is that what Sygrid considers cured is what most of us consider saponified. She sells day old soap without the benefit of curing period. That's why it doesn't last. She says she sells most of it to tourists and Carebear pointed out that she probably doesn't get much feedback from the majority of them.

I like my soap hard, mild and long lasting. I will stick with the cure.

 

[Val]

I still don't find any pics. Not that I would use her recipe or anything ..... just curious how they look. I searched her posts too. only 9 and only pushing her recipe to newbies. Anyone else have erie feeling about that?

Val

 

[Deda]

:roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[andreja]

Re: You're right..

As far as the testing of the soap, I use the same chemical compounds that are an industry standard with the major cosmetic companies. ( I can guarantee you they do not lick the soap )
.

Oh, I am sure they don't lick the soap, but I can't see how using phenol red (if this is the one you use) helps you determine readiness of soap. As far as I read ph of handmade soap is more than 8.5 and phenol red can only say if the pH is more or less than that. So if it says it's more than 8.5, how can you know it has too much lye or it's perfect to use? I thought ph of handmade soap ranges between 9.5-10.5 right? (http://www.millersoap.com/phtome.html) So what we need is something that reacts in this range. pH meter is one way.

 

[madpiano]

actually, I have used my own soap within 24 hours. Only to wash my hands, but I am just far too impatient to wait 4 weeks to try it.

I don't normally do anything other than room temperature (or slightly above if the lye water takes too long to cool down) CP soap. Yes, the soap works and no lye burns. But it's not a nice bar of soap then (perfect though if the BF has been tinkering with his bike chain again). I wouldn't use it in the shower. Even after 4 weeks it's not as great than after 2 months or more (since I am not selling I am currently using old bars of soap which I made last November).

All my soaps gel (I hate partial gel circles, so I make sure they gel all the way) and I should think that by day 2 there shouldn't be any lye burns otherwise something is wrong. So, yes, it is safe to use, but it's not "nice" soap.

I am in a dilemma as I am starting to sell soap now, but haven't got any bars ready. I guess I will have to make HP soap for starters, so I cna start selling in 1 month and slowly add CP bars to the range. Some FOs need HP anyway. You really had me going there thinking I could make quick cure soap somehow....Unless I just take the plunge and do some M&P bars for sale immediatly

 

[artisan soaps]

Re: You're right..

The soap is not a hard bar, it has a high water content & yes it does goes rather quickly in the shower. But who says you have to have a bar that will cut glass before it's ready? Density and degree of 'hardness' play no critical roll in a bar of soap other than to justify the price to a customer who can buy 10 bars of ivory for $2.00.
If that is not true then why does a bar have to last that long? My bars average between 10.00 - 35.00 for a 4 - 6 oz bar & I have a great deal of repeat business from my tourist clientele as well as local.

Let me get this right, you're charging $35 for a bar a bar of soap that is so fresh out of the mold and filled with water that it only lasts a few days in the shower ?! :shock:

Honestly, I don't know if that's genius or criminal .. No, I do actually, that's not ethical in my eyes .. If I were selling I'd want to be giving my customers the very best!

I may be a newbie, but I've been soaping long enough to know that my plain ol glad-wrap and towel insulated RTCP soap can be used within 24hrs too (other than Castile because it's not set!) .. But give it a few weeks and it's so much better - give it a month and it's an incredible difference ..

Sorry but I have to strongly disagree that you have developed a new technique, or that the soap you are selling is 'cured' .. *shakes head*

*edited to add*

Density & hardness actually play a crucial role in a bar of soap - you want it to last, not melt down the drain :wink:

 

[andreja]

Re: You're right..

I think thread is starting to get ugly.

Let me get this right, you're changing $35 for a bar a bar of soap that is so fresh out of the mold and filled with water that it only lasts a few days in the shower ?! :shock:

I am thinking that what she was trying to say is that she sells 4 6 oz bars for $10-$35? I can't imagine anyone being willing to pay $35 for a bar of soap.

I also can't wait to try my soap, but I do find that the ones that were curing longer are so much better!!!

 

[Gramma Judy]

I am thinking we are all getting our legs pulled here. I read that she is getting $10-$35 for 1 - 4z or 1 - 6z bar. I'll continue to use my cure time and be confident that I am producing a GOOD quality bar of soap. When I reach the point of selling my product, I want repeat customers, they are often our best salespeople.

 

[artisan soaps]

Re: You're right..

I think thread is starting to get ugly.

Let me get this right, you're changing $35 for a bar a bar of soap that is so fresh out of the mold and filled with water that it only lasts a few days in the shower ?! :shock:

I am thinking that what she was trying to say is that she sells 4 6 oz bars for $10-$35? I can't imagine anyone being willing to pay $35 for a bar of soap.

I also can't wait to try my soap, but I do find that the ones that were curing longer are so much better!!!

I'm sorry if my saying that in my opinion it is unethical was considered disrespectful to the OP, or breaking some forum rule ..

I'm simply coming from the perspective that 24hr old CP soap is NOT cured, and I feel it unfair to sell it without giving that information to the customer ..

 

[andreja]

Artisan, I was not saying that YOU are breaking some forum rule or BEING RUDE, just that the whole thread is getting ugly.
As for the price, I was just saying that we should give her some benefit of doubt. That maybe it was just a typo. But if there was no mistake, I agree with you.
I don't consider soap being cured in 24 hours by any means.

I am probably too soft and I think that most people are good and honest. A lot gets lost when we aren't talking IRL, so I am just trying to be extra cautious.

 

[madpiano]

I think if I ever want to live off my soap making I will have to take the plunge and sell to the tourists in London...

I could charge £20 a bar and have a house with a swimming pool ;-)))

I really don't mind what other people are charging for their soap (unless it's too cheap). If you can get that kind of money, well done on you.

And yes, 24-hour-old soap is 1) soap, 2) safe and 3) propably still nicer than supermarket own-brand stuff. But it's not as nice as it could be and gives us, who try to compete against the likes of Dove, a bad name.

We all had people tell us: "yeah, but last time I used handmade soap it left my skin really dry". And then we have to try and convince them that our soap is different.

 

[artisan soaps]

Artisan, I was not saying that YOU are breaking some forum rule or BEING RUDE, just that the whole thread is getting ugly.
As for the price, I was just saying that we should give her some benefit of doubt. That maybe it was just a typo. But if there was no mistake, I agree with you.
I don't consider soap being cured in 24 hours by any means.

I am probably too soft and I think that most people are good and honest.

Hey no worries andreja, I was just saying in general as much for the OP as anyone reading - I think it's all fair to share and equally dismiss opinions :wink:

In general I run from confrontation too

 

[Deda]

In general I run from confrontation too

Never!

I wish I could see the thinking beyond the words. I don't know if Sygrid is or actually selling day old soap. Either way, we all know what's best for us and are smart enough to make our own decisions about what's good enough for ourselves and our customers.

 

[mamaT]

Has anyone tried the process Sygrid described? Should you discount what she is saying just because you don't agree? If it works for her and she is making a living at this, then maybe she could teach us something. In order to learn one must keep an open mind.

 

[Deda]

Mama T, I made a recipe very similar to Sygrids yesterday. Using high temp oils and lye/water, I unmolded and cut, testing the bar the next day, asking DH to test it too. He wasn't happy with it. I wasn't happy with it. It didn't have the lux lather that my 4+ week cure soaps do. The sliver I used was reduced by almost half after 2 hand washings.

So yep, I tested.
Was the soap safe to use? Yes.
Was it as mild on my skin as a fully cured soap? Not in my opinion.
Is there a market for Sygrid's soap? Apparently so.

 

[12345smf]

We like to arm our newbies with the best and safest information possible.

While everyone has the right to do as they choose with their soap, SMF management has the right to delete information we find harmful.

SMF management has determined this recipe/process to be hazardous.