My soap is drying

[penelopejane]

Ohhhh ok. Will do it now! I want to put the castile soap out of sight asap. Lol. Thank you penelopejane!!

You said your Castile is 2 weeks old.
That is far too young to put in a cardboard box. Allow it to cure with good ventilation for 9-12 weeks first, then box it up. Don’t forget to label it and check it st least once a month.

 

[Primrose]

My Castile is 13 months cured now and only now feels like a nice bar of soap

 

[abby]

My castile is 4 weeks old. Put in the box yesterday

You said your Castile is 2 weeks old.
That is far too young to put in a cardboard box. Allow it to cure with good ventilation for 9-12 weeks first, then box it up. Don’t forget to label it and check it st least once a month.

You said your Castile is 2 weeks old.
That is far too young to put in a cardboard box. Allow it to cure with good ventilation for 9-12 weeks first, then box it up. Don’t forget to label it and check it st least once a month.

Put

 

[earlene]

Trying to save soap that is too drying when it is too young to know yet (not cured sufficiently) is a futile effort. Waiting may be a pain, but it is so necessary if you want to know if your soap will become 'good soap' when fully cured. A soapmaker who cannot learn patience, will probably stop making soap because patience is really part of the process.

Melt a pour soap was a good suggestion. You can mix it up, in terms of soap making. Leave your newer CP or HP soaps to cure, while trying your hand with MP soap. You can use the MP soaps right away and that may help you wait for a proper cure of the other soaps. But be sure to utilize the MP forum here for help as needed for MP questions, etc.

For me, my first Castile (100% OO soap) was HP and I really do not feel any difference between it and CP Castiles I have made. I generally don't use Castiles until they are cured for at least a year, although I have tested some sooner to see what they are like. For the most part, I do prefer CP soapmaking these days, although I started out making more HP.

Back to saving a soap that doesn't live up to my expectations: I did make an experimental batch of soap a couple of years ago that turned out too drying and harsh on my skin. I tried re-batching it as well as tweaking the recipe a couple of times to make new soap and it just never improved. For me it was a lesson that sometimes it's better to quit while I'm ahead. The amount of time, effort and resources (electricity, gas, as well as oils, etc) just isn't worth it when I already have some recipes that I know my skin loves.

 

[abby]

Trying to save soap that is too drying when it is too young to know yet (not cured sufficiently) is a futile effort. Waiting may be a pain, but it is so necessary if you want to know if your soap will become 'good soap' when fully cured. A soapmaker who cannot learn patience, will probably stop making soap because patience is really part of the process.

Melt a pour soap was a good suggestion. You can mix it up, in terms of soap making. Leave your newer CP or HP soaps to cure, while trying your hand with MP soap. You can use the MP soaps right away and that may help you wait for a proper cure of the other soaps. But be sure to utilize the MP forum here for help as needed for MP questions, etc.

For me, my first Castile (100% OO soap) was HP and I really do not feel any difference between it and CP Castiles I have made. I generally don't use Castiles until they are cured for at least a year, although I have tested some sooner to see what they are like. For the most part, I do prefer CP soapmaking these days, although I started out making more HP.

Back to saving a soap that doesn't live up to my expectations: I did make an experimental batch of soap a couple of years ago that turned out too drying and harsh on my skin. I tried re-batching it as well as tweaking the recipe a couple of times to make new soap and it just never improved. For me it was a lesson that sometimes it's better to quit while I'm ahead. The amount of time, effort and resources (electricity, gas, as well as oils, etc) just isn't worth it when I already have some recipes that I know my skin loves.

to wait for the soap to cure is a pain. I'm glad what I feel is normal. I have some cured soaps now and using them. I feel a bit better. Thanks for this. I makes me feel good to know I'm not alone and that I'm normal.

 

[surreptrixus]

Hello! You might want to look into making some hot process soaps. While they're better when they have the opportunity to cure properly, the saponification process is completed right away. You'll have a good feel for how the bar is a week later, but it might be a little soft and dissolve in the shower quickly. Make sure you research HP before you start because there are some differences. HP will never be as fluid as CP so you won't be able to do complicated swirls, but it makes a fine rustic bar of soap.

 

[abby]

Hello! You might want to look into making some hot process soaps. While they're better when they have the opportunity to cure properly, the saponification process is completed right away. You'll have a good feel for how the bar is a week later, but it might be a little soft and dissolve in the shower quickly. Make sure you research HP before you start because there are some differences. HP will never be as fluid as CP so you won't be able to do complicated swirls, but it makes a fine rustic bar of soap.

Hi. I would love to try HP however indont have a crockpot yet,

 

[shunt2011]

Hello! You might want to look into making some hot process soaps. While they're better when they have the opportunity to cure properly, the saponification process is completed right away. You'll have a good feel for how the bar is a week later, but it might be a little soft and dissolve in the shower quickly. Make sure you research HP before you start because there are some differences. HP will never be as fluid as CP so you won't be able to do complicated swirls, but it makes a fine rustic bar of soap.[/QUOT

HP isn't going to give any difference other than possibly being softer. HP is only saponified once done cooking, not cured. CP is saponified by max 24 hours unless not gelled then may take a few days. Still pretty much the same soap regardless if made HP or CP at a week. they bot need a good cure to be a good soap.

 

[Primrose]

My favourite recipe, is drying at 4 weeks old. I was utterly dismayed when I first tried it, but thanks to the guidance of the people here on this group, I left it for longer and at 8 weeks it is a wonderful soap.

I got caught out again with another bar a few weeks ago, first time I've tried using clays and it was horrible when I first tried it probably around the 3 week old mark, and now at 6 weeks I cant stop using it, its divine!

The best advice I received on this forum was to try your soaps at various stages during the cure, try them as early as 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks and even 12 weeks. You will get a much better appreciation of how the soap changes during the curing period and when it is best to start using it. This has taught me a lot.

It can be hard waiting for your first soaps to cure, just keep making more in the meantime and experimenting and those 4-6 weeks will go by pretty quickly. If you make a batch a week (or more), once the earliest ones are cured you will very quickly have new ones to try every week

 

[abby]

My favourite recipe, is drying at 4 weeks old. I was utterly dismayed when I first tried it, but thanks to the guidance of the people here on this group, I left it for longer and at 8 weeks it is a wonderful soap.

I got caught out again with another bar a few weeks ago, first time I've tried using clays and it was horrible when I first tried it probably around the 3 week old mark, and now at 6 weeks I cant stop using it, its divine!

The best advice I received on this forum was to try your soaps at various stages during the cure, try them as early as 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks and even 12 weeks. You will get a much better appreciation of how the soap changes during the curing period and when it is best to start using it. This has taught me a lot.

It can be hard waiting for your first soaps to cure, just keep making more in the meantime and experimenting and those 4-6 weeks will go by pretty quickly. If you make a batch a week (or more), once the earliest ones are cured you will very quickly have new ones to try every week

hi. Will do this. Thank you