How do you use Butter Blends in soaping?

[turnedlight]

I have been infusing rosemary in olive oil and also another jar has cinnamon sticks in olive oil, but I keep forgetting to use them! I will post comments if I ever get around to using them..

 

[soapbuddy]

Just so you know, there is no need to add any oil or butter at trace. The lye is still quite active at this point and it will take whatever it wants. There is no guarantee that any particular oil or butter will end up as your superfat.

My understanding is that when trace occurs saponification is advanced and the desired oils will be left unsaponified. It's my practice to superfat at a light trace. Does anyone else do this? I superfat with the more expensive oils and butters so this is of interest to me. The books I have on soap making recommend it. But, to be honest, the recipes in these books are not good. I learned everything the hard way. I have continued with the superfatting tho as it has never caused any problems for me. I'm happy with my soap but don't want to false advertise to my friends and family if this is the case. Always appreciate the feedback in this forum.

Saponification at trace is nowhere near advanced and the oils added at trace will unlikely end up as your superfatting oils.

The only way those oils are most likely to stay as your superfatted oils is when you add them after the cook.

Here is a visual to help you out. http://www.canis-art.com/soaping.htm

 

[heartandsoap]

thanks Soapbuddy. I have sent an email to a chemist that teaches soap making. As well I have posed the question on an organic chemisty forum. Will post if I find any new information.

 

[heartandsoap]

Mrs. Fusion sorry for changing the subject on your post. I feel like I've really taken it off topic.

I did find a book that was written by a chemist called 'Scientific Soapmaking' written by Kevin Dunn. He did three tests (oil combinations) and discovered that there was no benefit to superfatting or a lye discount with these oils. In fact by superfatting you are making life harder because you are adding extra oil at a time when the clock is ticking. The interesting discovery was that some oils are slower to react to lye than others and they are the ones left unsaponified.
I think I'll get this book. I'm glad this was brought up as it encouraged me to dig deeper and I've learned from it.

 

[heartandsoap]

I meant to say "superfatting at trace"

 

[heartandsoap]

one last note I have always in the past superfatted with Shea...
this from wikipedia...

"Shea butter extract is a complex fat that contains many non-saponifiable components (substances that cannot be fully converted into soap by treatment with alkali) oleic acid (40-60%); stearic acid (20-50%); linoleic acid (3-11%); palmitic acid (2-9%); linolenic acid(<1%); arachidic acid(<1%).[3]
Shea butter melts at body temperature and absorbs rapidly into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling."