Shaving soap is soft

[brandi]

I cold processed this recipe:

http://www.soap-making-resource.com/shaving-soap-recipe.html

After two days it was still very soft so I hot processed it and now 12 hours later it is harder than before but still a little soft.

Is this recipe supposed to create a soft bar?

 

[VanessaP]

Yeah, the 20% castor oil will mean your soap will be a bit softer and may take longer to unmold. I think it'll be fine once it sits and cures for a couple of weeks.

 

[brandi]

Thanks!!

 

[brandi]

I just want to say that I tried to shave my legs with the soap and it is awesome!! Its the first soap Ive made myself and used.

 

[Tmgm1215]

I did that recipe also a few days ago it is taking forever to unmold but what has is firming up nicely.

 

[Sandraruba]

I read somewhere that Castor oil makes your soap hard and you should use between 5 to 10%.

So much different information... makes a persons head spin.

 

[cursivearts]

Hmm, I'm going to have to check that out.

 

[VanessaP]

I read somewhere that Castor oil makes your soap hard and you should use between 5 to 10%.

So much different information... makes a persons head spin.

I've never heard anyone ever say that castor oil makes a hard soap. The 5-10% recommendation is to boost the bubbling. Once you start getting above 10%, like the 20% brandi used, the soap can be very soft and sticky and will take longer to harden. A 100% castor oil soap can be nice and hard, but there are diminishing returns - very little lather, somewhat slimy for a 100% castor oil bar.

 

[Tmgm1215]

If its still sticky I put mine in the freezer for awhile, actually I forgot it was more like a day, anyway took it out ran hot water on the bottom for a sec and they popped out beautifully! No stickiness and a day later even better.

 

[Mark the Box Guy]

Frankly, my favorite shaving soaps are of the soft Genova Italian tradition. They are not hard pucks in the English manner, and are instead soft like a child's clay. The soft soap seems to load my brush quicker than the pucks, and I often describe the lather as "epic!" But I spend a great deal of time with youngsters, so this is bound to happen.

 

[songwind]

Frankly, my favorite shaving soaps are of the soft Genova Italian tradition. They are not hard pucks in the English manner, and are instead soft like a child's clay. The soft soap seems to load my brush quicker than the pucks, and I often describe the lather as "epic!" But I spend a great deal of time with youngsters, so this is bound to happen.

I agree completely. The only downside is that they tend to be used up faster, in a "grams per shave" sense. But since they are also (mostly) much cheaper than the English hard bars, it's a wash in the end.