this is in no way scientific, but i agree with Marr (again, who doesnt!?!).Marr said:Well - considering it takes up to 48 hours to complete the saponification process - it's hard to say how much reacts in the pot. Maybe initially the lye reacts very quickly and saponifies a good amount of the soap and then the process slows until completed? It's a mystery to me.
I would assume that the chemical makeup of individual oils probably have something to do with etc. Way too many variables to factor in I suspect.
Wow...I hope your hands are fairing better. Some raw soaps, at least for me, are more harsh than others. Some I can get on my hands and it will take a while before it bothers me...others will bother me sooner. I've never had it where it made my hands red, though. Of course, everyone's skin is different and it could be that your skin is a lot more sensitive than mine. I handle fresh soap all of the time and rarely have a problem. I let my hands tell me, first, what's going on. If that feels okay, then I may do the zap test. Generally, two days and I'm good to go. Feel better soon.Missjulesdid said:cici, are your hands made out of steel??? or maybe I'm just a whimpI have burns on my hands right now from raw soap. was in a hurry to get my soap out of my mold so I could get another bathc going.. I handled the soap that was maybe 8 hours old... I got the soap all over my hands and it didn't burn or anything so I assumed I was fine and finished up what I was doing, When I was done,I went and washed it off in the sink and didn't think anything of it until I looked down and my hands were BRIGHT red like a lobster... and they were a little swolen too... The palms of my hands are fine, but the BACKS are so burned. When I washed off the raw soap, I must have gotten it all over the backs of my hands... It's three days later and they're still red, and now they're getting incredibly dry. I've been slathering them with shea butter and almond oil and they just soak it up.
So people, can anyone shed light on my question above?crazyk said:So in laymans terms, any oils that are liquid at room temperature can be added once all solids are melted over the stove?
And also be able to be added once the melted oils have cooled slightly just before introducing the lye?
Thanks people