I was getting a cup of coffee this morning when my youngest daughter said, “I have the best mother in the world.” I glanced down to see she had a fresh bar of my Chocolate Espresso in her hand. HA! I have a loaf of Cantaloupe curing for my husband.
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I was getting a cup of coffee this morning when my youngest daughter said, “I have the best mother in the world.” I glanced down to see she had a fresh bar of my Chocolate Espresso in her hand. HA! I have a loaf of Cantaloupe curing for my husband.
math ace
Well-Known Member
I didn't see any information about Sodium Gluconate or Sorbitol. Do I need to adjust the lye if I use these products in my soap?
Also, Aloe Vera... on the soap calculator there was an option for Aloe Vera Powder. However, I ordered a jug of the 99.8% aloe vera juice.
https://grocery.walmart.com/ip/Frui...era-Juice-Original-128-Fl-Oz-1-Count/10314798.
I wanted to replace 50% of the water with this item. How do I figure out how to adjust my lye for this product?
You don't need to adjust your lye amount when using aloe juice - just a 1:1 swap for your water amount.
I've used 25% cocoa and shea in a recipe with no issues. Not thinking about going higher than that for now. The recipe was very similar to this, just no lard:
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/double-butter-soap-recipe-516610
Most of my soaps hit around 40% saturated fat and that's worked well for me. I've yet to sell a bar but I've given lots away. After a 6 week cure all of my bars have been very nice - no issues with a lower saturated fat level.
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/double-butter-soap-recipe-516610
Most of my soaps hit around 40% saturated fat and that's worked well for me. I've yet to sell a bar but I've given lots away. After a 6 week cure all of my bars have been very nice - no issues with a lower saturated fat level.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
As dibbles said you don't adjust the lye for aloe vera.
You also don't adjust the lye for Sodium gluconate or sorbitol.
math ace
Well-Known Member
Perfect! I made the soap Sunday. 24 -30 hours later it was a little sticky unmolding. I was beginning to wonder if it was lye related. Maybe I the delay in unmolding is related to me not forcing a gel and the batter didn't heat up as much as normal.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Test it by pulling the side of the mold away from the soap (if you have a silicone mold) and if it is sticky don't unmold it for a little while longer.
It could be the environment in your soaping room (usually changes with the seasons) or any of the other things you mentioned.
It could be the environment in your soaping room (usually changes with the seasons) or any of the other things you mentioned.
math ace
Well-Known Member
Tonight, I looked at some of postings. Some of you are fond of pko and sweet almond oil. So I went back to soap calculator and put together another recipe.
math ace
Well-Known Member
Any advice on the newest recipe?
Is pko considered a hard or soft oil?
Can I get pko locally or is that a specialty oil that I'll need to order?
Is pko considered a hard or soft oil?
Can I get pko locally or is that a specialty oil that I'll need to order?
I’ve never used PKO so I couldn’t tell you, but the recipe...I think it’s a waste of so many oils.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
I usually use Avocado oil OR Almond Oil in a soap. Not both together. I don't use palm, sorry.
math ace
Well-Known Member
What percentage do you use the almond or avocado at? Do you treat them as a luxury oil, using a smaller percentage or as a main component, using at larger percentage?
math ace
Well-Known Member
I hear you. I tried to leave the palm oil out of the picture, but I was struggling to get the bar hard enough with it being too cleansing.
math ace
Well-Known Member
I hear you..
So I dropped the pko, simply because I can get coconut oil cheaper and they are similar.
How many oils do you use in your recipes? What seems like a good number?
math ace
Well-Known Member
@Gecko,
How about this recipe?
How about this recipe?
Hi @math ace,
Perfect is different for each of us, thus all the experimentation you see in this forum.
Here is what I recommend for starters.
1) Make small batches, 16 oz of oil or less. 8 would be even better, less waste.
2) 5% Superfat
3) Use lye concentration of 33%; 2.0:1 water:lye ratio.
4) Stick with 3 - 5 oils to begin with.
5) Because of the cost of cocoa butter, I would try my first batch with
5% Castor
30% Olive
30% Palm
25% Coconut
10 % Cocoa Butter
6) Then I would try the same recipe with
20% Coconut and
15% Cocoa butter
7) If it is still too drying for your tastes, then try upping the SF by 2%.
Keep in mind that each batch needs 4 - 8 weeks to cure, so you may want to do your batches one after the other, depending on the number of molds you have and how long to unmold. You can use small "homemade" containers to begin with. Then you are not limited by the number of purchased molds you have.
Hope this helps.
Perfect is different for each of us, thus all the experimentation you see in this forum.
Here is what I recommend for starters.
1) Make small batches, 16 oz of oil or less. 8 would be even better, less waste.
2) 5% Superfat
3) Use lye concentration of 33%; 2.0:1 water:lye ratio.
4) Stick with 3 - 5 oils to begin with.
5) Because of the cost of cocoa butter, I would try my first batch with
5% Castor
30% Olive
30% Palm
25% Coconut
10 % Cocoa Butter
6) Then I would try the same recipe with
20% Coconut and
15% Cocoa butter
7) If it is still too drying for your tastes, then try upping the SF by 2%.
Keep in mind that each batch needs 4 - 8 weeks to cure, so you may want to do your batches one after the other, depending on the number of molds you have and how long to unmold. You can use small "homemade" containers to begin with. Then you are not limited by the number of purchased molds you have.
Hope this helps.
math ace
Well-Known Member
YES, this helps... All of the information you provided help.
I am going to make 20 ounce batches because I want to involve others in my testing.
Your recipe is close to my last one. I was using a little less Palm and a little more Cocoa Butter.
Thanks for all the tips
NEW Soap Recipe #2 will happen this weekend! I can't wait until I get to the point where I can make soap just for the fun of it! No more testing...
Just Practical Art!
I never heard of the cracking issue before. Is it an issue with the cured soap?
I’m not advocating for the use of butters as a routine way to add stearic and palmitic to recipes, but I do like butters in soap for the creaminess. One of the earliest recipes I tried uses 25% mango butter and 3% Shea. It’s the middle recipe, here:
https://thenovastudio.com/3-palm-free-soap-recipes/
I made two small batches, one with clay and one without. Both took a few months to “mature”, but turned out to be very nice. At the 8 month mark, there’s no sign of cracking in the pieces I have stored away.
I’m not advocating for the use of butters as a routine way to add stearic and palmitic to recipes, but I do like butters in soap for the creaminess. One of the earliest recipes I tried uses 25% mango butter and 3% Shea. It’s the middle recipe, here:
https://thenovastudio.com/3-palm-free-soap-recipes/
I made two small batches, one with clay and one without. Both took a few months to “mature”, but turned out to be very nice. At the 8 month mark, there’s no sign of cracking in the pieces I have stored away.
YES, this helps... All of the information you provided help.
I am going to make 20 ounce batches because I want to involve others in my testing.
Your recipe is close to my last one. I was using a little less Palm and a little more Cocoa Butter.
Thanks for all the tips
I can't wait until I get to the point where I can make soap just for the fun of it! No more testing...
Just Practical Art!
LOL, I think testing never ends.
Another oil to consider is Rice Bran Oil, @Dawni has gotten me hooked on this one. I had never paid much attention to it until she mentioned it a few times in response to some of my questions. I have started using it in every batch now.
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math ace
Well-Known Member
I've got rice bran oil. Everytime I add it to a recipe, it raises my iodine level. The higher the iodine level, the better the chance of developing DOS. My numbers are still below 60 for iodine, so I think I'm fine to use it... But sweet almond oil doesn't raise the iodine levels...
Coincidentally, it appears when the iodine level goes up the hardness of the bar goes down.
Coincidentally, it appears when the iodine level goes up the hardness of the bar goes down.
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