Zap test? I came, I saw, I licked it :P

[nurse_75]

I did a search and re-read alot of my books at home and cant seem to find the definitive answer as to when is the best time to zap test soap after cutting.

When do you zap test your soap?

Sorry for the newbie Q but I am scared to try my 1 and 2 day old soap just yet.

ETA - I licked the goats milk soap today. It was erm... soapy. YAY! But then I wasnt sure so I licked another one. That was also soapy. Not trusting my senses I licked the other side of the same soap... yep, still soapy. Knowing that 3rd time is lucky and just to be safe I licked another... you guessed it. Soapy. So, now I am having flashbacks to my childhood of the time when I my mum washed my mouth out with soap for swearing.. LMAO It tastes disgusting!

Thanks,

Sharna

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I'm afraid I'm not a soap licker. Tried it once and didn't like it. :wink:

 

[nurse_75]

LOL Jenny... too funny. I asked because it was something I thought you had to do! Good to know some people dont. How do you know your soap is ok?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I just wait and wash with it. If I'm in a hurry, then I will test on hands after a few days and then wait the required amount of time to wash body with it. I'm not so much in a hurry these days. :wink:

 

[Elly]

I also don't normally zap test my soaps unless I feel there is something wrong with a particular batch & usually wait a few days before I am ready to do it. Normally I just test new soaps by washing my hands usually after a week of curing and if I feel any irritation or excessive dryness on my hands I would zap test it.

 

[nurse_75]

That sounds preferable to the lick test. If there is active lye that is unconsumed how does it feel on your hands?

I am in no hurry either as a very generous friend has gifted me loads of her soaps to try and i am slowly working my way through them.

 

[nurse_75]

Jinx Elly, we posted at the same time and you answered my Q. Thanks

 

[Fragola]

It isn't preferable, because you are damaging a much larger area of your body. After a caustic wash, I feel them tender for hours. And if you do more batches in the same day, I feel like I want to put some cream cream and gloves on and never ever touch anything.

Besides, the tongue is smarter: if something is wrong, it warns you to stay away within a split second. The hands only get the idea after a not so nice wash.

This is how I do it: stick a needlepoint sized piece of soap on to my fingernail and touch it with my tongue. If I don't get zapped, I get more confident and actually lick the bar. Also, I try to always have a protective layer of liquid (saliva, water) between my tongue and the soap and rinse my mouth afterwards.

If you have problems doing a zap test, buy a pH meter or something.

The best time is later instead of earlier, because you lower the chance of getting zapped. For impatient people, if your soap hasn't gelled 3-4 days later, and if it has - 24 hours later. I know this, because I am even more impatient and do a couple of zap tests daily

 

[IrishLass]

I agree with Fragola- the best time is later instead of earlier, especially if your soap didn't go through gel. I wait about 7 days before testing mine. I came to this amount of time based on one of my ungelled batches that didn't stop zapping until a week had gone by.

I also agree with Fragola in that the tongue is smarter and the results are instantaneous. You can either do what she does, or you can stick the tip of your tongue directly to the bar itself, or you can take a wet finger and rub it on the soap and touch the soapy finger to the tip of your tongue. Either of those ways will work and it only takes a second or two. When done, just swish with water (or lemonade or orange juice if you wish), and spit. That's it.

If there is active lye that is unconsumed how does it feel on your hands?

Your hands may feel extra slippery when you go to rinse off, and/or they'll feel really dry and irritated and may redden.

But since a poorly formulated soap, or a highly cleansing soap, or a fresh soap that still needs time to cure may also cause some of those same symptoms without being lye-heavy, it is best to apply the zap test to be sure. The tongue doesn't lie when it comes to lye. :wink:

IrishLass

 

[Tegan]

I test while cutting. If I get a zap I wait 2-3 days and test again. I test ALL my soaps. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did a batch that I've done a million times and didn't test it....then sold bars out of that batch and someone's child got a lye burn because my scale was acting up that day, or something else went wrong with the batch.

So yeah...I'm a soap licker....and proud of it!

 

[Fragola]

When you say that you test all soaps, do you mean all batches, or that all bars carry your tongue of approval ? :twisted:

 

[Bubbles Galore]

It's definitely a good idea to zap test all soaps if you're selling. :wink: I don't think I'd want to do it on the day of cutting the soap if it's ungelled CP though. :wink:

Taking great care when making soap is vitally important. Recipes need to be formulated or checked using a lye calculator. Doesn't matter where the recipe came from - check it.

Have your recipe in front of you on paper. Have another piece of paper to write down your items as you're weighing. Compare the two before you go any further. Have another scale as backup and double check your lye. It only takes a few seconds extra.

Make sure that your lye is completely dissolved.

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

I've never zapped tested - soap licking isn't for me either, but I do test them with pH paper sometimes if I'm worried about it.

I'm pretty patient with my soaps though, I just let them cure for the set times, and then when that is up I take one to test, I'll just wash my hands with it first, then if that is OK I'll try it in the shower that night.

 

[Tegan]

When you say that you test all soaps, do you mean all batches, or that all bars carry your tongue of approval ? Twisted Evil

Hehehe All batches.....but if I have a FO that acts really naughty I'll test all bars.

 

[debbism]

I always thought you had to zap test after curing. I test after 4-6 weeks curing and just the batch, not each bar.

 

[Lindy]

I zap test when I start dressing the soaps (beveling the edges and packaging) just to make sure each batch is fine.

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I am not a soap licker (thanks for the term Bubbles!). I wait about two weeks, since I CPOP, then wash my hands with a bar. If it seems okay, I keep using the soap to make sure it is okay. Then I know how the soaps works and feels while using it. It works for me!

The first time I found out about soap licking, I couldn't believe my friend licked soap. I was like, eeeew! It was pretty funny. Now that I understand why, it of course makes sense, but then, it was pretty shocking!

 

[nurse_75]

Soapy Gurl - I know right, it seems kinda weird but I totally understand why now.

Thanks for all the feedback... seems most of us are lickers :wink:

I might just split the difference and zap test midway through curing.

Sharna

 

[nurse_75]

Lick, yuck, spit... exactly as I read it described somewhere.

No Zap though! Yay, good soap.

 

[busymakinsoap!]

I gell and usually zap test a couple of bars as I cut, but I wouldnt wash with the soap for at least 3 weeks or I find it too drying (even on my hands).