Help! Greasy soap

[Sonya is soaping]

Okay so I've made a few different batches. Some are 2 1/2 weeks cured right down to 72hr and all give me greasy feeling hands when I test used them. Even my salt soap.
What am I doing wrong? Also my mica coloring come out in the bubbles/lather is that normal or am I using too much?
I'm frustrated because I've invested so much time money and research as much as I can. No one wants greasy soap though. Mind you my hands feel lovely and moisturised after all that washing but I need to know what am I doing wrong??

 

[OldHippie]

My crystal ball is broken, so you'll have to provide your recipe.

 

[Sonya is soaping]

All my recipes are from the internet or books, so they ar not ones I've just made up myself. Also everything went through lye calculators on soapcalc or brambleberrys.
So I know it's not the recipes, more like user error LOL

 

[Obsidian]

Do your hands feel greasy only when wet or even after they dry? Handmade soap does leave a film that can feel odd if you are used to commercial soap. Also, 2 1/2 weeks really is too young to judge a soap, put them aside until 4-6 weeks then test them out.

If your lather is colored then yes, you are using too much colorant.

 

[steffamarie]

Pretty unlikely that the recipes play no part. It would really help to know what you’re making if you want us to be able to help you diagnose your problem.

 

[Primrose]

Posting the recipes will still help. Are you using additives, what level superfat?
I think part of your problem is the soap is probably too young
And yep use less mica if your lather is coloured or if its staining washcloths or skin

 

[OldHippie]

The obvious question: Is your superfat/lye-discount level reasonable? Given that your problem is common to all of your soaps, I would look for something that they all have in common that could be troublesome. One possibility would be the sodium hydroxide. In addition to reacting with impurities, if the cap is not tight, or you leave the lye out for two long to "cool off" or whatever, it will lose activity as it combines with the carbon dioxide in the air. It will also absorb water and increase in weight, so some of the NaOH that you're weighting out is actually water. Less lye means more superfat.
Anything that you add to the mix that uses lye activity will increase the superfat level.

 

[Sonya is soaping]

Okay here are some sample recipes I've used:
Lard 55%
Olive oil 20%
Avocado oil 15%
Virgin coconut oil 15%
Lye 4.23oz
Water 10.40oz
For 10" loaf with 6% superfat
2.45oz passionfruit fragrance

Here's another
Coconut oil 30%
Lard 30%
Olive oil 30%
Sunflower oil 10%
Lye 4.66oz
Water 10.89oz
5% superfat

And another
Olive oil 24.5oz
Coconut oil 9.9 oz
Frozen milk 11.35 oz
Lye 4.79oz
5% superfat

 

[earlene]

Sonya, what kind of scale are you using? Is it digital? And to what decimal point does it measure? Are you weighing your oils in ounces? Or are you measuring by volume (in a measuring cup) rather than weight (on a scale)? Volume is not an accurate measurement for soap making, but I hope you already know that.

I recommend switching to grams for greater accuracy.

I also recommend making smaller batches (not really knowing how big your first two batches are, but assuming they are similar in batch size to the last.) For a beginner AND for testing new recipes even for an experienced soaper, making smaller batch sizes means less waste while still learning or if you find you don't like a particular recipe. I'd switch to a 500 grams total batch size for a new recipe and while you are still learning. Your 3rd recipe has a total batch size of 1462 grams, which is pretty large for a soap you're not that happy with, and multiply that times 3 and you have a lot of soap that isn't meeting your expectations.

Your stated SF of 5% is not quite accurate BEFORE accounting for the fat in the milk. Running it through soapee's lye calculator, it looks like the SF is closer to 6.5% and that's BEFORE taking into account the added fat from your milk (I cannot know how much because I don't know what kind of milk you used.) In reality your SF could be as high as 7.5% if you used whole milk, if I have calculated correctly. But if your scale is inaccurate or doesn't measure to at least 1 or preferably 2 decimals, or you are measuring by volume, then it's even more off.

So any of the above could be contributing to excess oils in your soap.

 

[Sonya is soaping]

Okay I understand about the milk. Makes sense. ( it was 50% cows 5o% almond).
Yeah I have been measuring in weight, but sounds like I should do it all in grams for accuracy instead of ounces.
I will definetely use a small mold for the next few batches while I sort this out.
Do you think I should superfat at maybe 4% as well?

When I switch to grams, say it's 29.76 grams should I round upto 29.8g?

 

[SaltedFig]

It is safest to round oils up and caustic down

 

[Sonya is soaping]

Yep looks like my superfat was too high for my liking. I made up a batch via hot process with a much lower superfat at 2.5% and it feels So much better. I was doing everything with 5% or more reading how good it was to start off with! never once thinking that it would feel to greasy for me.
Now it only feels a little oily just before I dry my hands and then once I do my hands feels beautifully and soft like baby hands and no greasiness.

 

[Noreen Moore]

Sonya, what kind of scale are you using? Is it digital? And to what decimal point does it measure? Are you weighing your oils in ounces? Or are you measuring by volume (in a measuring cup) rather than weight (on a scale)? Volume is not an accurate measurement for soap making, but I hope you already know that.

I recommend switching to grams for greater accuracy.

I also recommend making smaller batches (not really knowing how big your first two batches are, but assuming they are similar in batch size to the last.) For a beginner AND for testing new recipes even for an experienced soaper, making smaller batch sizes means less waste while still learning or if you find you don't like a particular recipe. I'd switch to a 500 grams total batch size for a new recipe and while you are still learning. Your 3rd recipe has a total batch size of 1462 grams, which is pretty large for a soap you're not that happy with, and multiply that times 3 and you have a lot of soap that isn't meeting your expectations.

Your stated SF of 5% is not quite accurate BEFORE accounting for the fat in the milk. Running it through soapee's lye calculator, it looks like the SF is closer to 6.5% and that's BEFORE taking into account the added fat from your milk (I cannot know how much because I don't know what kind of milk you used.) In reality your SF could be as high as 7.5% if you used whole milk, if I have calculated correctly. But if your scale is inaccurate or doesn't measure to at least 1 or preferably 2 decimals, or you are measuring by volume, then it's even more off.

So any of the above could be contributing to excess oils in your soap.

Thanks for the lesson!!! Must buy a better scale. Mine has no decimals. I'm a newby to this! I just cut sliced 2 batches and 1 feels greasy to the other. I will cure that one longer. 2nd recipe seems amazing! Even with no decimals! So enjoying this! Excellent advice!

 

[SoapySuds]

When you hit the four week mark, line up three close friends, people who would never sue you, to ‘test’ your soap.