Palm Kernel Oil Problem?

[JumpinKaren]

I just made a batch of CP soap with equal parts palm kernel oil, coconut and palm oil. Trying to get a nice hard bar of soap. The soap got hard very quick and has started rising, cracking down the middle of the log mold and gelling at a very high temperature.

What gives? I'm worried I won't even be able to cut into the soap! I'm thinking I may toss out this 4 pound log or be sudsing up in the shower with a 4 pound log of soap.

Any ideas?

-Karen

 

[ChrissyB]

My guess would be that your recipe consists of all hard oils, no soft oils at all. Also what temp did you soap at? I would hazard a guess and say with a recipe that full of solid oils (the only soap I've made with all solid oils is a 100% coconut oil soap), you need to soap a little warmer because if it's too cool the oils will start to resolidify.

 

[Guest]

Did you add milk or honey , it sounds like it is overheating on you . Was it covered up ?

Kitn

 

[topcat]

I have only used PKO once in a recipe, at 10%. My hard oils made up 60% of my recipe and I soaped at about 37 degrees c (98f) and I had my soap gel very fast and the top cracked here and there, mostly along swirled texture lines. The only difference in my recipe to the one I usually make is the PKO, so I haven't been game to use it since.

My thinking is that when I use it next I soap at room temp and not cover for gel and see what it does.

My long winded way of saying perhaps it is the PKO?

Tanya

 

[carebear]

yea, it was overheating. and yea, it'll be a rock hard log so cut it as soon as you can - but it should be ok. if it's still hot,you can sometimes mash the crack closed.

Pull it out as soon as it's finished gelling and is cooled down somewhat - cyou CAN cut while it's still warmish.

but actually, it's good that it gelled - cuz if a formula like that doesn't then you end up with lots of ash.

 

[IrishLass]

Don't throw it out! Go ahead and cut it when it's firm enough but still warm and it should cut just fine.

It sounds like it's overheating. My 100% CO soaps tend to do the same thing (raise and crack). They come out perfectly fine, though. Put it in the fridge or some place cool to take some of the intense fire out of the gel. As for the cracking, you can smooth the cracks over with a butter knife or some such implement while the soap is still warm, or else just weight the top of the soap down as it's beginning to go through gel. Weighting it down helps to prevent the raising and cracking. I weight all my 100% CO soaps down with my mold cover and some heavy books and I get no more cracking.

IrishLass

 

[gekko62]

Ive been using pko in most of my soaps. 8-10%. Bought some cheap not long after I started soaping.Is supposedly similar to coconut and gentler,but I use it because I have loads of it. It's ROCK hard at room temp,haven't noticed any probs soaping it...

 

[honor435]

pk will give you a hard bar alright! no oo? you have a high cleansing number of 43( good is under 20), which is very high, may be drying, i did the same thing once , used too much pk, rebatched the whole thing.

 

[carebear]

pk will give you a hard bar alright! no oo? you have a high cleansing number of 43( good is under 20), which is very high, may be drying, i did the same thing once , used too much pk, rebatched the whole thing.

One of my favorite soaps has a cleansing number of 51. Don't rely too heavily on those. With the appropriate blend, and the appropriate superfat you can mitigate such things.

Know your oils and your options.

 

[JumpinKaren]

I did a 9% superfat and started mixing when the oils and lye were at 125 so that they wouldn't solidify.

I cut the soap this morning and it worked just fine. The crack down the middle of the log reduced over night and the nice textured top is retained. The bars are very nice and hard! Just what I wanted. My last several batches have been so soft I wanted to get away from that.

Anyways, thanks for the help.

-Karen

 

[carebear]

 

[Guest]

Great news Karen

 

[topcat]

That is excellent!

Tanya