Please let me know how this recipe sounds!

[AshleyR]

I have been using this recipe for my last 3 batches of soap. One batch was very successful, but the other two were still pretty "sticky" in the mold a little longer than usual (I usually make my soap around 7pm and unmold it the next morning around 10am). I'm not sure if it was because of the recipe or the FO's/colours I added?

Anyway, here it is, tell me what you think!

coconut oil 25%
palm oil 25%
grapeseed oil 20%
olive oil 30%

For a 1 lb batch, this worked out to:

6.08 oz water
2.25 oz lye
4 oz coconut oil
4 oz palm oil
3.2 oz grapeseed oil
4.8 oz olive oil

(with a 5% superfat)

The qualities from soapcalc are:

hardness 39
cleansing 17
conditioning 57
bubbly 17
creamy 22
idodine 67
INS 147

???

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Sounds like a pretty good recipe to me.

 

[AshleyR]

Sounds like a pretty good recipe to me.

Thanks Paul. Do you factor the amount of fragrance oils you use into the rest of your oils? I haven't been. My recipe has a 5% superfat and then I'm adding the FO's/EO's on top of that. Maybe that is the problem?

 

[carebear]

nope, FOs don't saponify so you don't include them in that calculation.

 

[heartsong]

soap

hi ashley!

it has been my experience that you can do the same recipe over and over but at times soap can get a little "moody". temperature of the batch, temperature of the room, improper insulation and humidity can all make soap a little un-cooperative.

in the colder season now i am pre-heating my oven on "low", placing my soap trays on a large cookie sheet and letting them sit overnight. this gives the lye a little "kick-start" to get moving.

dont forget to SHUT OFF THE OVEN when you put the molds in!!

 

[mandolyn]

I have been using this recipe for my last 3 batches of soap. One batch was very successful, but the other two were still pretty "sticky" in the mold a little longer than usual (I usually make my soap around 7pm and unmold it the next morning around 10am). I'm not sure if it was because of the recipe or the FO's/colours I added?

Anyway, here it is, tell me what you think!

coconut oil 25%
palm oil 25%
grapeseed oil 20%
olive oil 30%

For a 1 lb batch, this worked out to:

6.08 oz water
2.25 oz lye
4 oz coconut oil
4 oz palm oil
3.2 oz grapeseed oil
4.8 oz olive oil

(with a 5% superfat)

The qualities from soapcalc are:

hardness 39
cleansing 17
conditioning 57
bubbly 17
creamy 22
idodine 67
INS 147

???

I think that looks really good. I like more bubbly. Here's what your numbers look like by changing your grapeseed from 20% to 15% & adding 5% castor. As you can see it boosted bubbly & creamy quite a bit.

hardness 39
cleansing 17
conditioning 58
bubbly 22
creamy 26
iodine 64
INS 148

 

[AshleyR]

I have been using this recipe for my last 3 batches of soap. One batch was very successful, but the other two were still pretty "sticky" in the mold a little longer than usual (I usually make my soap around 7pm and unmold it the next morning around 10am). I'm not sure if it was because of the recipe or the FO's/colours I added?

Anyway, here it is, tell me what you think!

coconut oil 25%
palm oil 25%
grapeseed oil 20%
olive oil 30%

For a 1 lb batch, this worked out to:

6.08 oz water
2.25 oz lye
4 oz coconut oil
4 oz palm oil
3.2 oz grapeseed oil
4.8 oz olive oil

(with a 5% superfat)

The qualities from soapcalc are:

hardness 39
cleansing 17
conditioning 57
bubbly 17
creamy 22
idodine 67
INS 147

???

I think that looks really good. I like more bubbly. Here's what your numbers look like by changing your grapeseed from 20% to 15% & adding 5% castor. As you can see it boosted bubbly & creamy quite a bit.

hardness 39
cleansing 17
conditioning 58
bubbly 22
creamy 26
iodine 64
INS 148

Thank you very much!!

I had used castor oil in some previous batches and I found that those soaps made me break out. Someone told me that castor oil tends to "bring out impurities" in your skin and thought that that was maybe why I was breaking out. I'll give my "new" soaps without the castor oil a try and see if I notice a change. If not, I'll start adding it again and try to figure out what else might be the problem!

 

[mandolyn]

Thank you very much!!

I had used castor oil in some previous batches and I found that those soaps made me break out. Someone told me that castor oil tends to "bring out impurities" in your skin and thought that that was maybe why I was breaking out. I'll give my "new" soaps without the castor oil a try and see if I notice a change. If not, I'll start adding it again and try to figure out what else might be the problem!

Aaaah, I see. So many people use it, so I was wondering why it wasn't there. Your recipe looks good without it, though. Hope you'll let us know how it works for you, & post some pics?