How much honey?

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Kansas Farm Girl

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I have used a bit of honey in some of my soaps, but never enough to be able to really tell any difference in non-honey soap. What is the max or "normal" amount of honey that works in soap? If I add too much what kind of problems would I end up with? I need to make some oatmeal/honey and just wondered before I got into it. I did just see IrishLass's comment about diluting it with a little water and adding it to the cool lye water. I think I will try that next.
 
I've done more than 5%, added 3 tablespoons per kg. Keep in mind that overheating is a danger, so watch it. I add it to my cool lye water before adding the lye, and yes it turns brown. But I like the honey-brown it gives to honey soap. I use the bubble-wrap thing in a slab mold on the top and bottom. It's cute.

I would suspect if you use too much (like over 10%), it would be really hard to prevent overheating in a loaf or slab mold, and volcano is possible.
 
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I use 1 tablespoon per kg batter. I add it to the oils and it does not discolour at all and does not overheat even though I CPOP at 100* but turn the oven off when the soap goes in.
 
Thanks, I'll keep these answers in mind. I am planning to make some honey soap tomorrow and hope I don't over-do it. I don't mind the dark color that may result
 
I add 5% ppo, which comes out to 1 tbsp. ppo. If you are going to add it in the same manner that I do, just know that your solution will heat up and turn a dark burnt orange color, but the soap itself will turn out a lovely medium-tannish, honey-like color. Pictured below is one of my honey batches using this method. It's a nice, natural honey-like color (the dripping honey part that you see is actually M&P soap that I poured over the top of the soap after I unmolded and cut & beveled it) By the way, I soaped it warm (roughly 117F - 120F) and the soap fully gelled without any drama:

IMG_3185HoneyBeeswaxSoapII640.JPG



IrishLass :)
 
I only use raw local honey to cook with, and as a sweetener in tea. It will turn every bar of soap a light brown. It turns liquid soap a rich brown. If I used a lighter colored honey, it might end up lighter colored, but this is really dark stuff.

It heats up my soap far worse than sugar. Someone on another thread said to use 1/3 the amount you would for sugar. So, for me, that would be 1 teaspoon/PPO of honey.

DSCN0311.jpg
 
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I use 2 teaspoons PPO. BTW, spritz your measuring spoon with some Pam or rub it with some olive oil. The honey will slide right out of the spoon. I always use honey and beeswax together in my soap, so I soap hotter. I add my honey to my melted oils, once they have cooled to the point where I want to soap and where the beeswax doesn't solidify.
 
thanks for all the info, I will put it to practice this afternoon. That honey soap looks like it should be sitting on a plate on the table IrishLass, like we got fresh honey as kids. I don't think mine will be that fancy, but it it should at least do what it is designed to do.
 

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