Oatmeal, almond milk, honey soap partial gel - how to prevent?

[Moebym]

For my second soap recipe, I tried to make ungelled oatmeal, almond milk and honey soap. The recipe I made up called for 1040 g of oils.

• 50% OO
• 25% Coconut 76 deg
• 20% Lard
• 5% Castor
• 30% lye concentration
• 341.65 g water (replaced by vanilla almond milk)
• 146.42 g lye
• ~1 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Ground instant oats

I prepared by refrigerating the loaf mold and almond milk for several days. The lye solution and oils were around 110 and 106, respectively, when I combined them, if memory serves. After pouring the batter into the molds, I refrigerated the loaf for around 24 hours and left it in a cold room for another 12 or so before I got impatient and unmolded it. Though the loaf looked ungelled on the surface, when I cut into it - too soon, I discovered, as it was still soft and slightly crumbly - it was obvious that the soap had partially gelled. It's ungelled to a uniform layer of about 2 mm from the surface, and this is followed by a thick layer that is a shade darker and an innermost layer that is yet darker.

What more should I have done to prevent gelling, if it's even possible to prevent it in a recipe like this that contains so many sugars?

Thank you!

 

[IrishLass]

Some folks find that sticking the freshly poured soap into the freezer (instead of the fridge) works better for them.


IrishLass

 

[cmzaha]

You are going to have a hard time making an ungelled soap using honey. Honey tends to heat up much faster and hotter than sugar, and you compounded it with the sugars in the vanilla almond milk. Not sure why, but DeeAnna raises bees and is a chemist so she may very well know. Upping your lye concentration to 33% and soaping cool will help. But I always found even putting a soap in the freezer would really not stop partial gel, it just cannot cool off the inside of the soap fast enough, so I find it better to let it have it's way and gel. The higher the liquid content the hotter and faster the gell. IL beat me, but my one other suggestion besides soaping cool is chill your mold they try putting it in the freezer, it may help.

 

[IrishLass]

I find it better to let it have it's way and gel.

Me, too.


IrishLass

 

[shunt2011]

Ditto here. I let all my soaps gel. Even my OMH with GM and honey.

 

[Saffron]

To prevent gelling, don't use a loaf mold. Individual molds work better with milk & honey soaps.
I make my goatmilk soaps in individual molds and stick them in the freezer overnight.

 

[SaltedFig]

The peroxide reaction (from the glucose oxidase in the honey) is an exothermic one, which is why honey gets hotter in lye than just sugars alone.

(It's also why fresh, raw honey is useful in wound healing, and why that particular benefit does not carry across into the soap).

I would also either let it gel, or use individual (chilled) molds in an ice tray.

You are going to have a hard time making an ungelled soap using honey. Honey tends to heat up much faster and hotter than sugar, and you compounded it with the sugars in the vanilla almond milk. Not sure why, but DeeAnna raises bees and is a chemist so she may very well know. Upping your lye concentration to 33% and soaping cool will help. But I always found even putting a soap in the freezer would really not stop partial gel, it just cannot cool off the inside of the soap fast enough, so I find it better to let it have it's way and gel. The higher the liquid content the hotter and faster the gell. IL beat me, but my one other suggestion besides soaping cool is chill your mold they try putting it in the freezer, it may help.

 

[SoaperForLife]

This has nothing to do with soap but honey works well in wound healing because of the principle of moist wound healing.

 

[SaltedFig]

... and add particular flowers for the honeybees to harvest the nectar from and the healing action is stronger again. Honey sure is amazing!

https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/honey/

This has nothing to do with soap but honey works well in wound healing because of the principle of moist wound healing.

 

[dixiedragon]

Can you post a pic? I feel like what you are describing is not actually a partial gel, but possibly your soap didn't get mixed well enough. Perhaps some false trace.

Also, look at the ingredients of the vanilla almond milk. Not sure what brand you used, but possibly some of those ingredients aren't great for soaping.

Here are the ingredients from Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Coconutmilk (Filtered Water, Coconut Cream), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E).

It's really hard to trouble shoot when you have so many unknowns in there. If you used sweetened almond milk, that would have even more sugar. If you want to use this same type of recipe - honey, oatmeal and almond milk - maybe make your own almond milk.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-almond-milk-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189996

Kind of a hassle, but no special equipment or ingredients needed.

Generally speaking, I would also suggest you soap cooler and stir longer.

 

[cmzaha]

I have used Vanilla Almond Milk, and the other milks in the carton with no problems. I in fact use the Coconut Milk in the carton more than CM in a can, because I can usually get it on sale.

 

[SoaperForLife]

... and add particular flowers for the honeybees to harvest the nectar from and the healing action is stronger again. Honey sure is amazing!

https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/honey/

That would be manuka honey!

 

[Moebym]

Can you post a pic? I feel like what you are describing is not actually a partial gel, but possibly your soap didn't get mixed well enough. Perhaps some false trace.

Also, look at the ingredients of the vanilla almond milk. Not sure what brand you used, but possibly some of those ingredients aren't great for soaping.

Will add in a moment. I used Silk vanilla almond milk.

Sorry for the dupe post. Can a mod delete this post? Thanks!

 

[Moebym]

Can you post a pic? I feel like what you are describing is not actually a partial gel, but possibly your soap didn't get mixed well enough. Perhaps some false trace.

Also, look at the ingredients of the vanilla almond milk. Not sure what brand you used, but possibly some of those ingredients aren't great for soaping.

I used Silk brand milk. Probably not the best idea, given the other, unsaponifiable ingredients, but I wanted to try it just once to see how it turns out. I also probably should have added the honey to the oils or to light trace for better results.

Live and learn, I suppose.

 

[dixiedragon]

I dont' think you got partial gel. Partial gel would be a dark spot in the center of the soap. I think you've just got some variation in color from the honey not being incorporated completely evenly.