First of all - "Hi!" to everyone. I'm new to the forum and new to soap making. I will say, though, that I've been a bit obsessive about studying up on the topic. I've had too much time on my hands (at work, actually), so I've really done my homework. I would like to make a couple of small batches to start, with the same base recipe and just different scents. I would love it if some of you more experienced soapers (which is probably all of you) would take a look at my proposed recipe and let me know if you see any problems either with my ingredients or my method?
Let me mention that I'm writing down the measurements to very small increments because I'm going to try to measure accurately, although I realize it's not going to be this exact. I figure, start with the exact numbers and do the best I can. I do have a digital scale that measure ounces or grams (down to 1 gram increments), so I'm hoping I can get as close as possible to the amounts in this small of a recipe. And yes, I know I have to convert to grams, but I figured most people use ounces, so I’d leave it that way for now.
Thank you so much!
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz Palm Oil (25%)
8 oz Coconut Oil (25%)
8 oz Olive Oil (25%)
3.2 oz Sunflower Oil (10%)
2.9 oz Castor Oil (9%)
1.9 oz Shea Butter (6%)
4.45 oz sodium hydroxide (about 6.5% superfatted)
10 oz water
1 gram Rosemary EO (I've read that adding 1 gram per kg of oils (prior to mixing oils with lye solution) will act as a preservative). I figure it can't hurt in such a tiny quantity.
Fragrance (all from WSP) - I'm thinking either:
2 oz Orange EO blend mixed into 1/2 of the soap mixture and swirled into the rest (I'm hoping it will add some faint color to the soap in addition to the scent)
OR Patchouli (.5 oz) and Cedarwood EO's (1 oz) blended
AND Vanilla Bean Noel FO (2/3 oz) -each mixed in 1/2 of the soap at light trace and swirled together
MY PROCESS:
1. Line mold
2. Weigh all ingredients
3. Mix lye into water, set aside
4. Melt solid oils, add liquid oils and add the 1 gram of Rosemary EO.
5. Wait for temps of lye water and oils to come close to each other, then mix (start with stick blender not turned on, stir and alternate with short bursts of stick blender). To be honest, I don't know what temperature to mix at. I've read that the temps should be pretty low (like around 100 degrees), but I've also seen numerous recipes at 140 - 160 degrees. I'm hoping that a median temperature around 130 will do. PLEASE do correct me if I'm way off base here.
6. At light trace, separate out 1/2 of soap mixture into another bowl and mix with Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils, as stated above.
7. Swirl back together in pot and pour into lined mold. Cover with plastic wrap and box lid (I have a real soap mold/box) and wrap in a couple of towels.
8. Let harden for 24 - 48 hours
9. Unmold, cut and let cure for 4 weeks or so.
10. Test for PH (I'm thinking litmus paper, but if people prefer that chemical tester (I forget the name of the substance), please let me know your thoughts).
Thank you all so much for taking the time to help out a newbie!
Kat
Let me mention that I'm writing down the measurements to very small increments because I'm going to try to measure accurately, although I realize it's not going to be this exact. I figure, start with the exact numbers and do the best I can. I do have a digital scale that measure ounces or grams (down to 1 gram increments), so I'm hoping I can get as close as possible to the amounts in this small of a recipe. And yes, I know I have to convert to grams, but I figured most people use ounces, so I’d leave it that way for now.
Thank you so much!
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz Palm Oil (25%)
8 oz Coconut Oil (25%)
8 oz Olive Oil (25%)
3.2 oz Sunflower Oil (10%)
2.9 oz Castor Oil (9%)
1.9 oz Shea Butter (6%)
4.45 oz sodium hydroxide (about 6.5% superfatted)
10 oz water
1 gram Rosemary EO (I've read that adding 1 gram per kg of oils (prior to mixing oils with lye solution) will act as a preservative). I figure it can't hurt in such a tiny quantity.
Fragrance (all from WSP) - I'm thinking either:
2 oz Orange EO blend mixed into 1/2 of the soap mixture and swirled into the rest (I'm hoping it will add some faint color to the soap in addition to the scent)
OR Patchouli (.5 oz) and Cedarwood EO's (1 oz) blended
AND Vanilla Bean Noel FO (2/3 oz) -each mixed in 1/2 of the soap at light trace and swirled together
MY PROCESS:
1. Line mold
2. Weigh all ingredients
3. Mix lye into water, set aside
4. Melt solid oils, add liquid oils and add the 1 gram of Rosemary EO.
5. Wait for temps of lye water and oils to come close to each other, then mix (start with stick blender not turned on, stir and alternate with short bursts of stick blender). To be honest, I don't know what temperature to mix at. I've read that the temps should be pretty low (like around 100 degrees), but I've also seen numerous recipes at 140 - 160 degrees. I'm hoping that a median temperature around 130 will do. PLEASE do correct me if I'm way off base here.
6. At light trace, separate out 1/2 of soap mixture into another bowl and mix with Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils, as stated above.
7. Swirl back together in pot and pour into lined mold. Cover with plastic wrap and box lid (I have a real soap mold/box) and wrap in a couple of towels.
8. Let harden for 24 - 48 hours
9. Unmold, cut and let cure for 4 weeks or so.
10. Test for PH (I'm thinking litmus paper, but if people prefer that chemical tester (I forget the name of the substance), please let me know your thoughts).
Thank you all so much for taking the time to help out a newbie!
Kat