I have been making plain unscented soap for about eight years because my wife cannot use store bought soap do to sensitivity issues. The soap is usable but it is not consistent from the top of the mold to the bottom. By that I mean it is always softer and more transparent at the top and gradually gets harder and whiter towards the bottom of the mold. My molds are 2.5 inch ID PVC pipe eight inches tall.
I always use the same recipe which is coconut oil 30.37%, Mango Butter 11.19%, olive oil 34.81% and palm kernel oil 23.63%. A batch turns out to be a little over 10 pounds. The coconut oil is the 92 degree type.
I do not use a stick blender but stir by hand. When a trace occurs it is always mild, you can see where drips puddle on the top for a few seconds and I can write my name on the surface and it will stay for a couple of seconds. The oils do thicken a little but do not look near as thick as what I have seen shown on websites.
I once stirred a batch for three hours thinking maybe I was putting it in the molds to quickly but I had the same results.
[FONT="]Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? Is this normal?[/FONT]
I always use the same recipe which is coconut oil 30.37%, Mango Butter 11.19%, olive oil 34.81% and palm kernel oil 23.63%. A batch turns out to be a little over 10 pounds. The coconut oil is the 92 degree type.
I do not use a stick blender but stir by hand. When a trace occurs it is always mild, you can see where drips puddle on the top for a few seconds and I can write my name on the surface and it will stay for a couple of seconds. The oils do thicken a little but do not look near as thick as what I have seen shown on websites.
I once stirred a batch for three hours thinking maybe I was putting it in the molds to quickly but I had the same results.
[FONT="]Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? Is this normal?[/FONT]