Recent content by Grace131

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  1. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    An update, finally the shave soap was a success!!! I didn't allow the soap to cook, when my temps were good I just stick blended until it no longer separated. Then I added my glycerine and EO's. At this point it was like mashed potato. As soon as it was all well combined, I quickly put into my...
  2. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    I am still tinkering with the recipe, at the moment I have stearic at 47 and palmitic at 7 so I am happy with that. However I have hit another stumbling block, I decided to run the recipe through another dual lye soap calc 'Mountain Sage' and it is giving me different lye percentages. At 5%...
  3. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    Thanks DeeAnna, Yes I will go back to the 3:1 water ratio as the extra water did nothing! I am going to reduce my stearic acid right down to 28 or 30% max and add in some high stearic butters. I will try the sodium lactate as I have some here, anything to help it along. I do realize the nature...
  4. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    I am thinking of going down that route the next attempt Becky. After about 20-30 mins the soap just became a solid mass that was impossible to incorporate anything. I left it to cook in the hope it would be a tad softer when translucent but it wasn't. Can I ask do you then leave it to cure like...
  5. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    UPDATE FAIL!! Ha yes my third attempt is a fail, if anyone would like an update. I am beyond upset lol. This is my nemesis, I have been making soap for 10 years believe it or not. I reduced my stearic acid to 40% and upped my water 5:1. It all went swimmingly, I stick blended until it was pretty...
  6. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    Thanks for that, yes I will try in my next attempt. Attempt number 3 what can go wrong this time! I definitely stick blended far too much I thought you had too see it through the initial stages whilst constantly blending. Thinking about it rationally why would you. I am sure it will be a...
  7. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    Thanks yes you were right, the lye water went in no probs this time. Thanks for that, facing other issues now, cant seem to crack this recipe!
  8. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    Hi Dee Anna, Thanks again for the temps advice, 2nd attempt went well adding the lye water was no problem. Then I got to the mashed potato phase and it was so thick my stick blender broke. I now realize in hindsight perhaps more water would be better, I did 3:1 because I would like a hard soap...
  9. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    Thanks for your detailed reply. I tried to get the lye water temp up but no matter how long I had it on a high rolling boil on the double boiler for I couldn't seem to get it past 155F. I thought the higher fats temp would help things along to stay melted. The next time I will mix my lye last...
  10. Grace131

    Shave Soap Disaster!! Help

    I would love to pick you soapers brains. I tried to make my first shave soap today, and it was a disaster. My recipe has 45% stearic acid, dual lye 60/40. I usually make cp soap, so this was a whole new experience for me. I don't like stearic acid, the high melt point puts me off lol. First off...
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