CP in the oven?

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Lefki

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Someone told me that I can make CP soap which will be ready after 24 hours. She says that when I complete my recipe I have to put the soap in the oven in low temperature for 2 hours. Then wait for 24 hours and the next day my soap will be absolutely perfect without waiting 4-6 weeks.
Is this possible? Has anyone done it?
 
Sounds a bit far fetched to me. I put mine in the oven after I pour it into the mold. Then I cut it after 24 hours but it's still not ready for 4-6 weeks. But someone with more smarts than me will give you a more exact answer shortly.
 
It's the difference between safe and done. After a full gel and 48 hours the Lye in your soap should be pretty well finished with it's business (meaning the reaction between the sodium hydroxide and fats of your oils should have neutralized to a safe level that won't burn your face off). You can use the soap if you're too eager but it will melt quickly when exposed to water and won't lather like it will later on. Busy yourself with small batches to keep your pants on while your soap matures.
 
I have looked into this a great deal and have made a few discoveries. Whilst not the most experienced soaper, I will share with you my findings on cpop soap and quick curing time.

Logically, if you know that saponification will be complete within a couple of hours, then the 4-6 week curing time that most experienced soapers will insist on is purely to let water evaporate and allow your bars to get harder, usually a better lather too. Following that logic, if you use less water, you need less curing time. I have made 2 successful batches using a water to lye ratio of 1.5:1 and 1.25:1. The first was as hard as the soaps I have left to cure for 5 weeks (2.8:1) after just 48 hours and the second was as hard within about 36 hours. I've been using a bar from the latter batch on the kitchen sink which is almost constantly wet for 3 weeks now and it is still as hard as ever and seems almost the same size as it first was.

Some observations though:
1. Overheating is a real risk. 2 hours is far too long for my soaps in the oven. If you leave them in this long with the oven on, yes they will be really hard because a lot of evaporation will have already occurred before you pull them out but be prepared for potential overheating issues like the top layer going bubbly or funny textured. You will have to either be ok with them looking unsightly or shaving that layer off.
2. Trace will happen a lot quicker so you may not get the smoothest top when pouring into your mould. Swirls may also be difficult. You can account for this by planning your bar to be relatively simple in comparison to really fancy-pants swirls etc. You will have to work more efficiently than normal.
3. 1.25:1 water to lye ratio is a brave one. All measurements have to be super accurate. You may find it hard to dissolve your lye. There is a risk your soap may be too dry or become cracked or brittle. (This did not happen to me.)
4. The 4-6 week curing time is definitely beneficial if you use a normal ratio. The finish on these soaps compared to the soaps in questions will be different... Hard to explain.
5. Fragrance oils and other stuff you might add will also make a difference and their behaviour must also be accounted for, as will the size, shape and material of your mould.

I haven't been soaping for very long but have spent a lot of time trawling through soap forums and I have realised that a) a lot of people seem hesitant in trying out new things. I read a post by a woman on another forum who said she'd been soaping for 2 or 3 years and had never tried cpop and was wondering about it. Her last post on that thread stated that she didn't feel like she'd be ready to cpop for another year or so yet. It made me sad. Life is too short to postpone trying new things for a year and humans are too capable a species to lack that much confident in their abilities b) I am a bit of a rule-breaker in soap. I have done a lot of 'naughty' things in my soap experiments and have learnt more in the last x period of time since I've been soaping than I would have if I stuck to the 'rules'.

Most important thing I could tell you: people will swear by their method and tips but they might not work for you. Go research, experiment and make up your own mind!

Let us know how you get on.
 
The cure period is NOT just for water evaporation and "hardness". Try a bar in six months and you'll see what I'm always talking about. There is a huge difference between a bar that's "safe to use" and a bar that's been cured for 6 weeks. Never skip the cure.
 
Completely agree with CSL.
Personally, I am a huge fan of CPOP + water discount (lye concentration 35% - I tried higher, but it traces far too quickly and leaves me no time to play with colors, swirls, etc). Almost all my batches are made this way. You just have to make sure you don't overheat your soap in the oven, otherwise what CSL said (funny-looking top layer, cracking, puffing out, etc) will happen. All you need to do is ensure the soap goes through the gel phase completely. Watch [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tmep-nTKx0"]this video[/ame], it helped me a ton with my first batch of CPOP + water discount soap.
 
I recently tried CPOP and and quickly overheated it because I turned my back and forgot that I had turned the oven on for a "minute" to warm it up. I have read on this forum many times that others have had issues with overheating as well. I also know that there are many who do CPOP on a regular basis with no issues.

As CSL spoke of it is a matter of experimentation. If you are comfortable trying new things and can live with the possibility of overheating and needing to finish in a crockpot, then by all means give it a try!

As others have stated your soap will still need a good cure to be at its best, but it will be usable in a short amount of time. If I make a HP batch I will almost always use a small bar after a couple of days- because I am impatient!
 
Hmmm I see...
No, I'm too new in all these to try it. I will try to make some "perfect" batches first, using good old CP and maybe I'll try the oven some day.
Thank you all, very interesting information :p
 
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