Brand new to soap making. Does this sound right?

[penelopejane]

theGecko, how do you like your recipe? I'd have no problem using sustainable palm oil for personal soap, I figured for selling it'd be easier to just leave it out, but, that's subject to change because I definitely dont know what I'm doing yet.

A few Updates.

first of all, Im an absolute dork. Yeah. That coconut oil that I realized was fractionated cus it never solidified? Not fractionated. I finally bothered to read the container when I saw chunks of solid coconut oil forming in it. Turns out it liquefies at 76 degrees and my house is just warm. it's unrefined virgin coconut oil. Thankfully I noticed that BEFORE making my first batch because I reran the recipe and the amount of lye needed dropped.

Second, I made my first batch.

I measured everything out as precise as I could but found out the scale I got doesn't do the precise weigh out, just whole numbers. How much will that be a problem later on?

I panicked trying to get my batter into the mold quick because it thickened up pretty quick and got some on my face. (IT BURNS). I didn't use any fragrance, just the oils I listed. I'd say I was mixing for a couple minutes or so before it went from liquidy to thicker than it probably should've been.

Everything was liquid, the coconut oil was still melted (i didn't warm it more), and I added the lye when it reached 129 degrees.

So basically.. what the heck. Did I do anything obviously wrong to cause it to thicken so quickly? what is the average time for trace? I put the mold in a box, covered it in towels and put a heating pad on low under it for a while.. Will it be ok or .... ?

Also (side note) the mica I got came in 50 different fabulous colors but really only enough of each to do one big batch or a few small batches. I picked basic blue and now I have ugly gray soap :| .. not important I just thought I'd include that.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/stickblending-to-emulsion.60618/

Watch the video in this link over and over until you understand emulsion.

I am over the top pedantic about having every section of my soap equal in oil amounts. So if part A has oxide mixed with 1 tsp of oil I add 1 tsp oil (from the recipe) to part B.

I tried mixing glycerine with colours because it is neutral for a recipe but it makes my soap soft and sticky even in small amounts so I now mix all additives with a little oil from the recipe.

 

[TheGecko]

The gecko: less than 10% of any oil other than castor oil is wasted in soap. Add the cocoa butter % to the olive oil instead.

Thanks for confirming what I was thinking, that I needed to increase the percentage to 10% or just eliminate it.

 

[Dawni]

Thanks for confirming what I was thinking, that I needed to increase the percentage to 10% or just eliminate it.

I agree with the 10% thing but I've discovered olive oil doesn't like me in soap lol so you'll have to test yours after a slightly longer than usual cure to see if 45% olive oil works for you.

Coz if it were me I'd increase my cocoa n shea to maybe total 25-30% and lower my olive oil. It'll also take longer than normal to cure but for me, it's less drying. Just goes to show how everyone's skin is different hehe

 

[TheGecko]

I agree with the 10% thing but I've discovered olive oil doesn't like me in soap lol so you'll have to test yours after a slightly longer than usual cure to see if 45% olive oil works for you.

Coz if it were me I'd increase my cocoa n shea to maybe total 25-30% and lower my olive oil. It'll also take longer than normal to cure but for me, it's less drying. Just goes to show how everyone's skin is different hehe

I increased the Cocoa Butter from 5% to 10% and decreased the Olive Oil from 40% to 35%. I do plan to make a Castile Soap, just so I can say that I made it. Just need to find a place where I can tuck it away for a year. LOL

 

[Dawni]

I increased the Cocoa Butter from 5% to 10% and decreased the Olive Oil from 40% to 35%. I do plan to make a Castile Soap, just so I can say that I made it. Just need to find a place where I can tuck it away for a year. LOL

Same reason I made mine. I tried both CP n HP.... HP is starting to show signs of DOS unfortunately

 

[TheGecko]

Same reason I made mine. I tried both CP n HP.... HP is starting to show signs of DOS unfortunately

I'm afraid Hot Process holds no interest for me and the waste of a crock pot, even if I buy it used, isn't worth it to say that I did it.

And I have no interest in rebatching either. What I have been doing with soaps that didn't turn out well because of color or scent is donating it to a couple to a local homeless shelters. I cut the bars in half, trim them nicely, then tuck them into ZipLock bags with a washcloth. I pick up the washcloths from WalMart by the dozen, usually colored ones, and then wash them in hot water because they will bleed. Of course, I've gotten much better at color and scents, so I will pull a bar or two from a batch or simply make a batch to be donated.

 

[JenBen]

I will mention that is a fairly large batch for your first batch. It is a lot of waste if the batch fails, or you end up not liking the soap after cure. Why not start with a 1 lb batch? It can take a lot of test batches to come up with the one you really like.

As for the recipe, my skin would hate it with 30% CO, but that is why you need to make smaller batches to test. Some folks like higher than 20% CO. I keep mine between 15-17%. I would add in the lard, tallow, palm, cocoa butter or soy wax to make a less soluble bar. Also, a high OO soap will take a long (6-12 month) cure to be at it's best. Sorry, I know you did not ask for recipe recommendations but I just thought I would toss in my 2 cents.

Hi,

Sorry to jump on this thread. I wasn't sure how to find the answer. I'm new to soap making and tried to test out a new set of molds. They're silicone, so I filled them with water and emptied the water into a measuring cup. I came up with roughly 1 cup or 8 ounces for all 6 cavities per mold. I like them a bit full so I entered 16.50 ounces into soap calc. I used a recipe that recommends 20% superfat and a 2:1 ratio of water to lye for a 100% coconut oil soap. I came up with and measured out 4.84 ounces of water and 2.42 ounces of lye. I threw in a couple of dashes of cinnamon, just for fun. When I poured the soap it only filled 8 of the 12 cavities. What did I do wrong?

Jenifer

 

[AliOop]

Hi,

Sorry to jump on this thread. I wasn't sure how to find the answer. I'm new to soap making and tried to test out a new set of molds. They're silicone, so I filled them with water and emptied the water into a measuring cup. I came up with roughly 1 cup or 8 ounces for all 6 cavities per mold. I like them a bit full so I entered 16.50 ounces into soap calc. I used a recipe that recommends 20% superfat and a 2:1 ratio of water to lye for a 100% coconut oil soap. I came up with and measured out 4.84 ounces of water and 2.42 ounces of lye. I threw in a couple of dashes of cinnamon, just for fun. When I poured the soap it only filled 8 of the 12 cavities. What did I do wrong?

Jenifer

Hi JenBen,

This is a really old thread. You'll get a much better response if you start a new thread with your specific question.

 

[JenBen]

Hi JenBen,

This is a really old thread. You'll get a much better response if you start a new thread with your specific question.

Thanks, I just did.

 

[JenBen]

Thanks, I just did.