discovered disaster after curing

[bhelen]

I have been making soap for about 7 weeks, so just last week used some from my first batch. When I made it it looked pretty good but as it cured it seemed to get softer and softer. It was a nice pale cream color. When I used it it immediately turned to a horrible slimy goo, and after a few uses the color went bright yellow. Finally when it got down to the center of the soap it became really harsh and drying to the hands.

For this one I used a formula from a book to create the recipe. I have since found lye calculators online and have made batches that seem to give a better texture. But I'd love some feedback on this recipe and why it went so horribly wrong. Too much water? Too much lye? Or something wrong with my technique?! Also there was pretty much no scent but that's another story.

Here it is:

460g olive oil
340g coconut oil
200g almond oil
146g lye
375g water
3 tsp orange EO
3 tsp lemon EO.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[lionprincess00]

Its high in CO at 34%, so can be harsh. Looks like a 4% sf was used to boot, so still will be slightly harsh. No solids like a butter, nor fats like lard or tallow nor palm equates a very long cure time. 46% olive with 20% almond and I'd say, what, needs 4-6 months maybe? Someone more knowledgeable can help out on that figure. Finally, it could be you didn't SB to trace and it wasn't well blended. Maybe cut a bar in half and zap test the center. If it zaps you either didn't fully dissolve lye or didn't get to trace...did you zap test the outside of the bar? Also, finally, keep your scents in wt form and not volume. I've never used EO's, but the citrus is notorious for not sticking by itself and needs an anchoring scent to go with it...or so I've read.

 

[DeeAnna]

I would suggest you use soapcalc or other soap recipe calculator to evaluate recipes before you actually make them. LP is right that 34% coconut oil is going to make this soap a strong cleanser. Also I see the recipe is very low in stearic or palmitic acid, and these fatty acids are the ones that provide longevity and mildness as well as reduce the solubility. Just looking at the recipe, I would guess this soap is going to get gooey unless you let it dry well between uses and it is going to "melt" fast when in use. This recipe seems designed to point out the worst qualities of these fats, not their best.

With the use of "full water" to make the lye solution, this soap will be wetter in the center. Wet soap melts faster, so that's probably why the center of the bar seems harsher than the drier outer rind. I personally don't see a problem with 4% superfat, by the way. In my opinion, this superfat is plenty fine IF the blend of fats is wisely chosen for mildness to the skin.