Mastering Castile Soap

[AnnaMarie]

Hello all!
I have been making soap for several years and selling it this last year. One soap that I am not selling, and I am looking to master is castile soap (I mean 100% olive oil). I have made it several times, and yes, have cured it for months, but I do not like how the bar gets soft and gel-like after a few uses. I keep it out of sitting water, but it always becomes a mess- yuck! One time I used a castile soap recipe from Spain that was heavy on lye and had a lot more water than usual, but it made the best soap. The bar was hard and lasted a long time and never turned squishy. Hmmmm, clearly there is a dilemma here unless there is something I am missing regarding chemistry with water and lye ratios. I am looking for some good advice on this subject from experienced soaper's who have mastered pure castile and know their stuff on this subject and would be willing to share advice.

Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[SoapMakingTommy]

Hey AnnaMarie sorry you dont like how the soap feels, i know exactly what you are talking about.
I hope someone is able to help you on making the bars last like the one the recipe from spain did.
I always add something like oatmeal or oat bran for exfoliation and to try and help it stick together a bit better.
You got to keep the soap really dry after use witch is hard.

 

[lsg]

You might consider making bastile instead of Castile. I like adding coconut and Castor oil to my recipe. You also might try adding salt, stearic acid or sodium lactate to your Castile recipe.

 

[MoonBath]

I'm also interested in learning more about castile. I like bastile, too, but I want to hear more on the original question.