Adding honey

[eleraine]

Am keen on trying honey out for my next soap recipe (basic 3-oil soap) but am wondering if I should...

1) Add honey to lye water (my lye solution is ready made so no water discount option available)
2) Add honey to base oils
3) Add honey (dilute with a bit of oil - subtract from base oils) and add during trace

Hm.

 

[dagmar88]

I add honey at very light trace and soap cold.

 

[BakingNana]

I add it to the water before adding lye (as honey is water soluable). Turns the lye a scary color and affects the soap batter color, but the weird color goes away completely in the soap in a day or two. I dissolve it in the water to prevent any possibility of my not getting it mixed in thoroughly and having it seep out later.

 

[Avalon]

I add it to the water before adding lye (as honey is water soluable). Turns the lye a scary color and affects the soap batter color, but the weird color goes away completely in the soap in a day or two. I dissolve it in the water to prevent any possibility of my not getting it mixed in thoroughly and having it seep out later.

This is what I do, too. I used to add it to the soap batter, but found that it didn't always incorporate well.

 

[IwantItgreen]

Honey

I thin the honey with a little hot water and add to the oils just before adding the lye.

 

[kellistarr]

I add it to the water before adding lye (as honey is water soluable). Turns the lye a scary color and affects the soap batter color, but the weird color goes away completely in the soap in a day or two. I dissolve it in the water to prevent any possibility of my not getting it mixed in thoroughly and having it seep out later.

Well, that would explain where I went wrong with my last batch. I've used honey before with no problem but this time, I used Buckwheat honey in the oils, it didn't dissolve, I thought once I poured the lye water in this would take care of it, but no. I later saw the honey in my soap.

 

[Mellifera]

I warm it and add it at trace, do a quick stick blend to make sure it's incorporated. I use about 1 oz per 3 lbs of oils. I've seen varying amounts that one can add, but that amount hasn't given me any problems.

 

[judymoody]

I add mine to my lye water after it has cooled down. It heats up again, turns color, and then cools down. If I do it this way, I don't get overheating in the mold.

 

[IrishLass]

I do the same as judymoody, and I, too, no longer get any overheating issues in the mold (or weeping 'honey spots' from my finished bars). Before I add the honey to my cooled lye water, I dissolve it first in a little bit of my water amount that I set aside beforehand.

IrishLass

 

[Maythorn]

Ever since I asked about this very thing on here I dilute my honey in warm water that's a little over the same amount. Works great.

 

[eleraine]

Thanks for all the lovely replies folks! Will experiment and see what I come up with.

 

[Bukawww]

I like weeping honey spots in my soap

It looks neat and honey is actually really good at being a cleanser for the skin.

Soooo that means I add mine to the batter after thinning it a smidge in a portion of the water. This ensures me weeping honey pockets lol.

 

[IrishLass]

I like weeping honey spots in my soap

It looks neat and honey is actually really good at being a cleanser for the skin.

Soooo that means I add mine to the batter after thinning it a smidge in a portion of the water. This ensures me weeping honey pockets lol.

To each his/her own.

IrishLass

 

[charlotteda]

honey

I warm the honey and add it at light trace. If I blend properly, I rarely have any "honey spots " !

 

[olisoap]

Hi,
My way :
I warm little water and I melt the honey (careful not too hot just warm) then I mix it well just before I put the soap in molds.
(30gramms per liter of olive oil )
Greetings from Greece

 

[opalgirl]

I add mine to my oils then blend with a stick blender. No pockets

 

[Maythorn]

I think the honey has to be diltued with water in my recipe because it reaches trace so fast. There just isn't time to stick blend it enough. I have 64% hard oils in the recipe. I bet in a Castille recipe you could add it straight and have plenty of time to blend, blend, blend.

 

[younglivingmargo]

Great advice, so it seems there really isn't a right or wrong way.

I think I'll try adding it to my lye solution.