Lye and oils won't saponify. Can someone help

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Shanna Banana

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Hello,
I made a few batches of soap about a year ago and did not have any problems besides my succulent molds having a little air pockets even though tapping them, however, picking up where I left off I am having extreme trouble. This is my third batch and my oils and lye won't go to trace. I am using a stick blender and followed my previous recipe. I also made a new recipe that was similar to my old one and I'm still having problems. Can someone please help?
My recipe:
Superfat 6%
olive oil pomace 35% - 14.35 oz.
coconut oil 76 melt 25% - 10.25 oz.
palm oil 35% - 14.35 oz.
Castor oil 5% 2.05 oz.
oils: 100%
Distilled water: 13.16 oz
Lye: 5.89 oz.

I add the lye to the distilled water and stir and then let cool to 105 degrees
Oils: I add together and melt to 105 degrees
I mix the oils and lye together and stick blend for 5 minutes. I add fragrance oil and stick blend some more. Nothing.
The mixture won't go to trace and then it will separate in two layers.
The previous two batches I made I used titanium dioxide and sodium lactate. I omitted those to see if that was the cause of the problem but as with the other batches this won't go to trace either.
The only thing I can think of that is different is the lye I'm using. I bought it from wholesale supplies plus and it is for soap making but it is the flakes instead of the granules.
If anyone has any information on what they think I'm doing wrong I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks,
Shanna M.
Newbie soap maker looking to make future wonderful soaps! lol
 
If you use potassium hydroxide to make a recipe calculated for sodium hydroxide, your soap will have a huge amount of extra superfat -- maybe upwards of 40% extra fat. It's not likely to be a very nice soap.

Even if you used the correct amount of KOH to make soap, the result will be a softer paste soap, not a hard bar soap.
 

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