Humidity and cutting

[Jbarrett]

Spring is here and the humidity is rising. When you make soaps during humid days do you do something special to speed up curing or do you just give it a little longer.

Also, when I cut my soaps (about a week after creation) I get drag marks. How do I reduce that. A wet blade is somewhat helpfull but doesnt solve the problem completely.

Jaime

 

[snappyllama]

Have you tried adding salt or sodium lactate? They help to initially harden up a soap. Other things that help: gelling, using wooden molds instead of silicon, water discounts, and using recipes with hard oils.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Waiting until the soap is harder can also reduce drag marks. High humidity will increase your required cure, so if you can lower the humidity in the room where you cure it would help.

 

[Jbarrett]

Have you tried adding salt or sodium lactate? They help to initially harden up a soap. Other things that help: gelling, using wooden molds instead of silicon, water discounts, and using recipes with hard oils.

I am not sure what gelling is but I may have a go at using salt.. will have to do some research.

 

[shunt2011]

Gelling is when you insulate your soap and it heats up to a translucent stage then cools back down. Gelling makes the soap harder to start than non-gel. Salt and SL would help as well. Higher humidity does make play a factor as well and may need a longer sit or getting a dehumidifier helps too.