After many failed attempts and even some complete disasters, I've finally formulated a legitimate working shave soap. There are tweaks to be made, but considering how hard it has been to find information or even a good starting place, I thought I would share what I have. Here is my hot process shave soap:
Kokum Butter 33%
Stearic Acid 33%
Castor Oil 14%
Coconut Oil 10%
Shea Butter 10%
I ran this through soapguild.org's lye calculator with an 8% superfat and a 25% lye solution of 35% NaOH and 65% KOH.
Trace occurred immediately, and I cooked it in a double boiler for 45 minutes.
This soap lathers beautifully with a badger hair brush and the shave was very pleasant. As good as many artisan soaps I have purchased. I added the essential oil too soon after taking it off the heat, so the scent was faint as most of it evaporated.
Now I have a question. In a hot process soap, how do I quantify the rate of evaporation during the cooking process? Basically, I want to make a five pound batch, but I know that a considerable amount of water will evaporate while it's cooking, so I won't end up with a full five pounds. How do I account for that?
Kokum Butter 33%
Stearic Acid 33%
Castor Oil 14%
Coconut Oil 10%
Shea Butter 10%
I ran this through soapguild.org's lye calculator with an 8% superfat and a 25% lye solution of 35% NaOH and 65% KOH.
Trace occurred immediately, and I cooked it in a double boiler for 45 minutes.
This soap lathers beautifully with a badger hair brush and the shave was very pleasant. As good as many artisan soaps I have purchased. I added the essential oil too soon after taking it off the heat, so the scent was faint as most of it evaporated.
Now I have a question. In a hot process soap, how do I quantify the rate of evaporation during the cooking process? Basically, I want to make a five pound batch, but I know that a considerable amount of water will evaporate while it's cooking, so I won't end up with a full five pounds. How do I account for that?
