Help? Really soft soap

[Oenone]

Hi everyone!

I made my first batch of coconut milk soap last week, and it's not hardening the way I expected it to.

This is a link to the recipe:
http://offbeatandinspired.com/2013/04/03/coconut-lime-soap/

The two changes I made are that I swapped in caster oil for the sunflower oil, and I added rose hip powder.

I think the mistake I made is a combination of too much liquid/too cold lye solution. I froze the coconut milk, and added in an oz of cold water so the lye would have something to play around with, and then I placed the bowl I was using in an ice bath. It got warm enough to melt the ice a little, but nowhere near as hot as it does when I've made no-milk soaps. I was a little concerned then, but figured it'd work itself out. Once I added the lye/milk/water mixture to my oils (which were 90 degrees), the lye/milk/water plummeted to the bottom of the bowl, and it took a REALLY long time to get to trace.

I ended up using a silicone brownie tray instead of a wood mold, because I was hoping the smaller size bars would let the water cure out faster. However, it's been a week, and the bars are so soft that I can smoosh them into different shapes, AND there's some weird color striations inside the bars -- there are pockets where there's no hint of the rose powder at all, as though I hadn't mixed it in by hand and then used a stick blender. It's incredibly weird.

Is there anyway I can salvage this batch of soap? Or avoid similar mistakes in the future? I've tried grating it but it's too soft to grate.

 

[AnnaMarie]

Sorry about the soap trouble :-( I'm thinking the castor oil might be one of the culprits. The percentage of it is high and castor can make soap soft. Recommended usage is around 10%. You could try rebatching using the bag method (soap queen). Good luck!
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I'm still a beginner myself, but I agree with Anna Marie. It's recommended that castor stay at 10% or lower.

Another idea, putting it into smaller individual molds may have also contributed. Being in one large mold encourages gelling, and gelled loaves harden faster. (Supposedly. I haven't experienced soap gelling, so I can't speak from experience.)

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye - a lot of castor, and a lot of soft oils in general. Only 34% solid oils, which might not have been too bad with less castor.

On another note, that's a lot of Coconut oil. Most people only use a max of 20% unless they have a higher superfat - the superfat here is just 5% so when it IS hard and cured and ready to use, don't be too downheartened if it is a little bit harsh.

 

[lsg]

I use about 30% coconut oil for my soaps and have not had a problem, but yes that is a lot of Castor oil. I usually keep my Castor oil at 5%.

 

[shunt2011]

It very well may be too much castor. I have used as much as 10% without any problem but pretty much use around 5-6% now. I use CO at 20-25% with no problems at al. I do SF at 7-10% though. You could put them in the freezer to get them out of the mold and then let them cure and see how they turn out. I've found that sometimes soap stay much softer in silicone molds (small ones). I use Sodium Lactate and that helps me get them out sooner. I make cupcakes and Ice Cream soaps so it helps a great deal.

 

[Happysoap]

With that amount of CO and olive oil, your soap should not be THAT mushy.

I agree that silicone molds might be the problem. Its a love/hate situation. They are wonderful cuz you don't have to line the mold (which I haaaaate doing) but the soap behaves very differently in them. Freezing is a good option.

I will just add another option which was not mentioned here. Check to see if your olive oil is actually olive oil. Try making a small amount with just the olive oil and see if it will actually make a hard bar of soap. Personally, I avoid olive oil altogether. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff but only if I can get the real thing. There are so many altered olive oils out there. Its scary what is actually passed off as olive oil. Some companies have been known to chemically alter mineral oil to taste like olive oil and label it Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I have had some really funky experiences soaping with odd olive oils and I have lost soooooooo much inventory to altered olive oil.

I am not saying that this is the case with you, but it never hurts to be on the safe side.

 

[ilovesoap2]

Some companies have been known to chemically alter mineral oil to taste like olive oil and label it Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Oh Dear God! Please let this not be true