MP Soap - Sweating

[KathyB]

Hi, all. I have a question about SFIC soap bases. I have seen many postings about sweating. Is sweating only an issue if the bars are taken outside the house? I ask because I live near Houston, TX. Practice bars I made some time ago which are in my bathrooms have not sweated and they have never been wrapped. I assume that the humidity in my house must be higher in the summer (well, let's face it, spring, summer and fall!). At what humidity level do these bars sweat? I want to get back into making soaps but want to wrap them with heavy paper, instead of plastic, for a more natural look. I would be selling these indoors, too. So I was thinking that if the bars I made six months ago have not sweated (and the left over base blocks have not sweated), maybe sweating is not an issue for me. Any info is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[nc.marula]

Were the ones that haven't sweat in your bathroom made with a low sweat base? And is it a bathroom where people shower daily? (so it get's steamy) and are they kept in a cabinet or out in the open? My only concern with wrapping in something that isn't air tight is what people do with them after they buy them. Maybe they have them sit in their bathroom for 8 months and they sweat and get all slippery/gooey before they have a chance to use them. You could wrap in a thin layer of saran and then cover with the nice paper? I know it's still using "plastic" but it'll help and at least you won't have to worry? I once wrapped my soap in cellophane because I think it looks more professional, but I had a few soaps sweat in there (and I'm not sure if it was because the cellophane wasn't air tight, OR it didn't let trapped air out.)

 

[KathyB]

I did not use a low sweat base. one of the bathrooms does get used daily for showers. The unused soap base is stored in an open box in a closet. I hadn't thought of it but after these glycerin soaps are purchased they are unwrapped for use anyway. Is sweating an issue for the purchasers? I don't typically buy glycerin soap so I don't know if a bar someone else made would sweat sitting next to the sink or tub. Hmmm.

 

[Tabitha]

Paper on M&P is going to be a nightmare. I highly discourage this UNLESS you will wrap it in saran wrap 1st & then in paper. Chances are , even if they are OK when you sell them, by the time they get where they are going & are ready to be used, the paper & soap will not just be stuck, but have basicaly become 1 product. I wouldn't!

 

[KathyB]

So I think I am confusing two different issues. Sweating versus paper sticking to the soap. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I was thinking that sweating would make the paper stick, but it would stick on its own without sweat.

I wrapped a small bar in paper a few days ago as a test. I'll have to monitor it. Has anyone has tried butcher paper or freezer paper? I have seen online some butcher paper that has a "poly" lining. Maybe that wouldn't stick. Just thinking outloud here. Probably someone has already tried this. But if all else fails, I can use saran wrap and then paper, as suggested.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Tabitha]

The paper will stick w/ or w/o sweating.

I used wax paper 1 year thinking the wax would be a barrier bewteen the soap & the wax paper, it all stuck too. You could not even peel it off, you had to soak it & scrap it of in bits & pieces.

 

[Fullamoon]

I haven't tried this myself yet, but there is shrink wrap in the craft stores. It looks just like saran wrap but you cut it to size and zap it quick with a hair dryer and it molds right to your soap. It's see-through. Then you could cover with pretty paper and not worry about sweating. I tried this with regular saran wrap but the hair dryer didn't get hot enough. There's a special shrink wrap made just for this purpose. Hope this helps.

 

[Tabitha]

The 2 down sides to shrink wrapping M&P is, in order to get it hot enough to melt the wrap, it's most likely going to melt the soap (I ruined dozens of bars before I decided it wasn't effective) or the wrap is so hard to get off and M&P is soft, the bar gets ruined during removal.

 

[Fullamoon]

oooh good to know! I haven't tried it yet. Sounds too good to be true then...

 

[rachelb5499]

Tabitha,
You've obviously done a lot of testing on MP and packaging. Mind me asking what YOU decided on?

The butcher wrap with "poly" coating aka "freezer paper" has me intrigued as well actually. Because the "poly" really IS plastic coating....then again, the butcher paper is REALLY stiff and seems like it would be a "pain" to wrap with unless you were almost trying to make your own little "paper boxes." I actually have some of that kind of paper so may have to do a test of my own on that.

I'm more considering bagging my MP in polyethylene aka "cello" bags.

Thoughts?

 

[Tabitha]

I have been making/selling soap for over 10 years so most anything that can go wrong, I have done at least twice .

I sell my soap a few differnt ways.

1. wrapped in saran & then dropped into various drawstring bags, tied with a ribbon, tag & charm.

2. wrapped in saran & then wrapped in decorative paper.

3. sometimes I pour straight into clam shell molds, pop the lid on them & apply a label. http://www.brambleberry.com/Lidded-Mold-P4827.aspx

 

[KathyB]

Actually, butcher paper being so thick is why (I think) it might work. Because it is so thick, when you wrap the bar, there is a little gap between the soap and the paper because it's hard to get a very tight fit. So a loose wrapping, like wrapping a box, might work. The bar that I wrapped last Monday (in linen cardstock from Hobby Lobby) is fine and not sticking at all. And the loose fit of the wrapping kinda fits the natural look I want. Still experimenting!

 

[rachelb5499]

Thanks, Tabitha! I knew you'd know! So saran wrap seems to always be involved. LOL

So another question, do you ever do like 1/2 oz. fun shaped soaps? If so, how do you cut the saran into smaller squares without it sticking to itself and just making a big annoying mess? Any hints/tips for wrapping?

 

[Kat2011]

OK, in spite of what everyone says - you CAN easily shrink wrap soft MP soap. I do it everyday.

I use the simple little 4 x 6 bags that I get from my local soap supply store, and a heat gun I bought from ebay pretty cheap. The heat gun has a high and a low setting, obviously I use the low setting - saves my fingers!

I also bought an impulse sealer to seal and cut the bags.

Here's the best part - I make small guest size soaps (oval mold from WSP), and after sealing them into the bag, I have another little bag that has formed from the leftovers - it is big enough for a another soap!

It takes only a second or two of waving the heat gun over the soap for the wrap to shrink nice and tight. NO melting, no mess. Everyone says you can even tell they are wrapped until you pick them up. They jusy look nice and shiny

 

[rachelb5499]

That's awesome, Kat. Thanks! Do you have any recommendations on what kind/what is a nice impulse sealer? I've been wondering about those a lot.

 

[Kat2011]

HI Rachel,
I just bought the cheapest one from ebay. The ones on ebay are all the same manufacturer, and the model is PFS-200.

They sell a higher end model that advertises a built in cutter. Sounds convenient, but in practice - mine cuts as it seals, so....save your money :wink:

It is the best purchase I have made in a long time. Beats the heck out of taping the bag together - that never works because the tape pulls away, the bag opens...plus it looks all janky...

(janky= junky+skanky)

 

[rachelb5499]

Thanks, Kat!
Love the word: Janky! heh heh

 

[Harlow]

Kat,

I am amazed at what an expert you have become. You made your 1st batch on April 11th (honey & oatmeal) and now you are shrink wrapping EVERYDAY (with the greatest of ease) and contradicting moderators and administrators who have 10-20 years of experience under their belts. Super job!

 

[Kat2011]

Where is all this sarcasm coming from?
All I did was tell her about the cutter/sealer - thought it was being helpful.
Yes, I shrink wrap everyday - and it is easy - should I pretend it isn't?

 

[Deda]

you're free to pretend whatever you want...