homemade melt and pour troubleshooting

[JessK]

Hi all,

I recently made some homemade melt and pour base using this recipe

Castor Oil 144 grams
Coconut Oil 144 grams
Palm Oil 144 grams
Stearic Acid 18 grams

Distilled Water 160 grams
Lye 66.04 grams

After Cook: 450 grams Glycerin

It turned out OK, and melted back down really well. The finished soaps are a bit soft and slimey-ish though. I've left them drying out a little, but I guess its not going to help much.

Any idea how I can change this recipe to make a harder resultant bar?

 

[lsg]

Try using less Castor oil and more palm and coconut oils. Try 29% Castor Oil and make up the difference with the palm and coconut oils. Your soap may get more solid as it cures.

 

[JessK]

Try using less Castor oil and more palm and coconut oils. Try 29% Castor Oil and make up the difference with the palm and coconut oils. Your soap may get more solid as it cures.

Thank you.

Do you know what would happen if I added less glycerin to this recipe?

 

[lsg]

Your soap might not remelt as well. This is only a guess. You could try a one pound batch and see.

 

[JessK]

Your soap might not remelt as well. This is only a guess. You could try a one pound batch and see.

OK, thanks!

The bars have hardened up as you thought they might.
Only thing is they are sweating massively now! :sad:

 

[cmzaha]

Unfortunetly I have not found using just glycerin and castor make good solvents for m&p. I tried a small batch as a test and it sweated heavily and eventually ended up a puddle of m&p. Put them in a container that will catch the dripping m&p. I find propylene glycol, sugar solution & glycerin or the alcohol method a must for making successful m&p.

 

[lsg]

Glycerin draws moisture. Wrap them up tightly with shrink wrap and put next to an air conditioner or dehumidifier.

 

[cmzaha]

Glycerin draws moisture. Wrap them up tightly with shrink wrap and put next to an air conditioner or dehumidifier.

I tried that also and it simply did not work for me. I made mine before I read the article of the test by Kent Saxton, Brandon Crosby and Kevin Dunn and wished I had read the article first. I ended up having to dump the batch. It just dissolves in a puddle after a few weeks even wrapped. This is a link for the article
http://blogs.hsc.edu/sciencejournal/files/2013/03/Saxton_Soap.pdf

 

[galaxyMLP]

Lol, I also tried this and it was beautiful for ~5 min. Then it began drawing moisture and eventually it turned into a puddle. :/ I agree that you need a PG/sugar/glycerin mixture and a HARD soap recipe to begin with. Don't try it with a 100% oo recipe (don't ask me how I know... [emoji14])

 

[cmzaha]

My last batch I made was Stearic in place of palm, castor, coconut, and tucuma seed butter. It turned out great does not sweat and lather decent. In fact my daughter who does only m&p is crazy about it. I use propylene glycol, soribatol, glycerin and a very mild surfacant. I have also made a batch with high palm, castor, and avocado with propylene glycol, sugar solution and glycerin it is nice but not as nice as the stearic acid formula

 

[seven]

I found stearic is a must for me. At least 40%. Making a low sweat one is VERY tricky, one that i've not quite mastered yet. You have to find the right proportion of oils and solvents, which still gives me headaches..