CP Soap turned out to be too spongy

[Lankan]

I made a batch of CP soap last week. although it traced very fast (3-5min) on a whisk, the resultant soap seems to be too soft and spongy. If it fails to improve I don't think this soap can be used. The ingredients are as follows,

Palmoilen 918g (54%)
Coconut Oil 425g (25%)
Castor Oil 136g (8%)
Shea Butter 102g (6%)
Almond Oil 119g (7%)
Total Oils 1700g

NaOH 250g
Water 500g
Glycrine 170g
Sodium Citrate 42.5g
BHT 4.2g

This is the very first time I've used shea butter, almond and BHT in my soaps.

I've been making CPLS for sometime and always add approx 10% glycerin before trace, this is instance also I've added glycerin, I'm not sure what caused the soap mix to trace fast and leading to present situation.

 

[shunt2011]

I'm going to bet it's the extra glycerin. I've never nor would I add glycerin to my CP as it's a by product of soap naturally.

 

[earlene]

Yes, it's got to be the glycerin. I still have a few bars of soap I made with added glycerin that is spongy. I inspected them just a couple of days ago, and they have not changed. They are just shy of 3 years old now! I am about to toss them out, as I don't think they will ever be anything but spongy.

 

[DeeAnna]

...I've been making CPLS for sometime and always add approx 10% glycerin before trace, this is instance also I've added glycerin, I'm not sure what caused the soap mix to trace fast and leading to present situation.

By "CPLS" do you mean "cold process liquid soap"? I gather you were trying to make solid bar soap this time? Was your reasoning for adding glycerin to this batch based on your experience with liquid soap making?

I agree with the others that the added glycerin has messed this batch up. Glycerin is a humectant, so it will attract water from the air, especially in humid climates. It will also soften bar soap that would otherwise be nicely firm.

The soap you made is probably fine to use as soap, but it's going to have texture issues that won't go away with curing.

 

[Susie]

This soap will probably be great as a "sccop and pouf" soap where you scoop it out of a tub and use it with a bath pouf. As a bar...probably not so much. I would find some use for it, but it won't stand up as typical bar soap. I hate throwing soap away, though.

 

[Lankan]

CPLS stands for cold processed liquid soap only. I think I've learnt my lesson hard way. It was the largest single batch I've tried so far and now gone wrong. I have made the wrong assumption of everything stays same except switching the lye when making liquid soap and bar soap.

 

[Susie]

Yep, loads of differences. Although experience with one helps a lot with the other.

 

[Lankan]

Is it normal for the mix to reach trace in very short time on whisk. I never had to use the stick blender when making bar soaps, it's traces so fast that I don't even have enough time to properly mix colours/EOs.

 

[shunt2011]

@Lankan - that will totally depend on several factors. Your recipe, temperature, EO/FO used. Looking at your recipe it looks okay except the extra glycerin. Palm does move quicker than animal fats.