Shea Butter ---- ASH!!

[ikindred]

I am seriously thinking of finding another oil perhaps Avocado Oil in place of Shea Butter in my soaps. I am convinced that the Shea Butter is what is causing ASH. The few soaps I have made without Shea Butter normally do not have the thick ash as the others with Shea Butter do. Does anyone else have this problem with Shea Butter or am I just the oddball here!

 

[Bergamia2504]

I always spray a bit of perfumers alcohol on top of my mixture after putting it in the mould, I don't get ash anymore

 

[lioness]

I don't get ash and I use a third shea in my recipe but i do cover my log mold while it sets up so maybe that helps

 

[ericllucas]

I use up to 20% shea butter. I line the mold in parchment paper. When I put the lid on the mold, I fold the extra parchment paper over the soap, completely sealing it. When it is all set up, I take the parchment paper off and cut it up. No ash at any point.

 

[judymoody]

I get ash if I don't gel. If I gel, it's fine.

 

[soapbuddy]

I don't gel and I get no ash. Maybe it has something to do with humidity in the air? I live in the desert which has almost no humidity.

 

[ericllucas]

All of my soap gels. Also, a few days after I cut them, they have a slightly oily coating on the outside. I would think that if my SF is on the surface of the soap, dry ash won't be a possibility. I wonder if I made a bar with no SF, whether it would not be slick to the touch and subsequently ash.

 

[krissy]

you might find the information here helpful and informative.

http://www.lovinsoap.com/2011/05/secret ... onference/

 

[ericllucas]

you might find the information here helpful and informative.

So true! Now I know. I'll leave my soap wrapped in parchment paper longer. Another mystery solved! Thanks Krissy!

 

[ikindred]

Once in the mold, I put my soap uncovered in the oven at 170 degrees for about 4 hours (I cut the oven off once the soap is in there). When I unmold after about 8 hours, I just sit the soaps on the rack and let them cure. So, what I should do is place parchment paper over them while they are curing?

Also, I am interested in adding this alcohol to my soaps to see how well it works, do you just add it to the water before the lye and subtract the amount from the water totals?

 

[ericllucas]

So, what I should do is place parchment paper over them while they are curing?

The Chemist in the article believed that contact with the air before the soap completely saponifies causes calcium carbonate to form, because of a reaction between the small amount of unsaponified lye in the soap batter and CO2 in the air. He suggested that if you keep your soap covered until it has completely saponified, there will be no opportunity for air to come in contact with the lye.

Since I already have parchment paper lining the mold and I'm a lousy trimmer of such things, I just fold it over the top of the soap in the mold.

I think you are doing CPHP soap - if you want to try something, yes, you can put a piece of parchment paper on top of the soap in the mold whilst it coasts in your oven. I would think at the end of four hours, however, it will have completed saponification (no zapping) and you'd be fine to cut it up.