Soap that won't harden in the mold

[madde hughes]

So I have tried this recipe twice now. The first time was when I had first started making soap, and I did not put it in the soap calc or anything like that. I just followed it straight from the book, which is The Natural Soapmaking Book for Beginners by Kelly Cable. The recipe is called "Anti-Aging Face Bar". This is how the recipe in the book goes:

• 10 oz olive oil
• 9 oz coconut oil
• 5 oz apricot kernel oil
• 4 oz castor oil
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 2 oz shea butter
• 4.1 oz lye
• 12.9 oz water
• .25 oz carrot seed EO
• .25 oz frankincense EO
• .15 oz myrrh EO
• .50 oz geranium EO

The first time I followed it to the book and the soap would not harden completely in the mold. I let them sit for 2-3 weeks and they still never hardened. So eventually I had to get them out the molds, even though they were extremely soft and and see if anything was salvageable. Well, as soon as I got them out the mold, they started to harden. We have used them for personal use at home because they were kindof messed up looking when they hardened once outside the mold. They are a hard bar now that has lasted a long time, and they lather really well.

So fast forward to 2 weeks ago, I decided I wanted to try making them again. This time I followed the recipe but I added sodium lactate hoping it would help. I put the recipe in SoapCalc and it says everything is right, but according to the book but at 5% SF and 38% water, it says the lye amount should have been 4.7 oz. However, since I am still fairly new at this, I stuck with the recipe from the book hoping with the sodium lactate it would be enough to harden it this time around. Yet once again, I can not get them out the molds because they are so soft and it would ruin the look of some of them (its a flower type mold). The other plain bars I did are even ruined. Posting a picture for reference. Just wondering what could be happening?

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

So I have tried this recipe twice now. The first time was when I had first started making soap, and I did not put it in the soap calc or anything like that. I just followed it straight from the book, which is The Natural Soapmaking Book for Beginners by Kelly Cable. The recipe is called "Anti-Aging Face Bar". This is how the recipe in the book goes:

• 10 oz olive oil
• 9 oz coconut oil
• 5 oz apricot kernel oil
• 4 oz castor oil
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 2 oz shea butter
• 4.1 oz lye
• 12.9 oz water
• .25 oz carrot seed EO
• .25 oz frankincense EO
• .15 oz myrrh EO
• .50 oz geranium EO

The first time I followed it to the book and the soap would not harden completely in the mold. I let them sit for 2-3 weeks and they still never hardened. So eventually I had to get them out the molds, even though they were extremely soft and and see if anything was salvageable. Well, as soon as I got them out the mold, they started to harden. We have used them for personal use at home because they were kindof messed up looking when they hardened once outside the mold. They are a hard bar now that has lasted a long time, and they lather really well.

So fast forward to 2 weeks ago, I decided I wanted to try making them again. This time I followed the recipe but I added sodium lactate hoping it would help. I put the recipe in SoapCalc and it says everything is right, but according to the book but at 5% SF and 38% water, it says the lye amount should have been 4.7 oz. However, since I am still fairly new at this, I stuck with the recipe from the book hoping with the sodium lactate it would be enough to harden it this time around. Yet once again, I can not get them out the molds because they are so soft and it would ruin the look of some of them (its a flower type mold). The other plain bars I did are even ruined. Posting a picture for reference. Just wondering what could be happening?

Cover the mold with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer until the bars are hard. Then take the mold out, pop the bars out of the mold, and cover them with plastic wrap to protect them from water condensation until they reach room temperature. At that point you can lift the plastic wrap off and let them dry outside of the mold. Try it with just one bar if you aren’t sure. Good luck!

 

[AliOop]

The water is way too high. Put the recipe into the soap calc and change the setting from water as percent of oils to lye concentration, and set that to 33%. That will reduce the water by about ⅓ and will definitely help them harden faster.

Also, since you are using cavity molds, they probably aren’t generating enough heat to gel, which would also help them to harden. Consider covering the molds and putting them on a heating pad set to high for about an hour.

Edited to add: @ScentimentallyYours ’ suggestion to put them in the freezer is a great option, too!

 

[cmzaha]

All of the above.
A bit off topic, if you are selling do call them Anti-aging which puts them in a medical category.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

All of the above.
A bit off topic, if you are selling do call them Anti-aging which puts them in a medical category.

If you did not already edit @cmzaha, I believe you meant to say, “do NOT call them anti-aging.” Right?