Soap Recipe-Help!

[lwil2151029]

Hello, I am new to soap making forum and would like your input on a soap formula i came up with. thoughts, suggestions, i am open to them all!

 

[lsg]

It looks good to me.

 

[AliensrReal]

I would change ‘water as a percentage of oil weight’ to ‘lye concentration %’ and put 33% for lye concentration. You can go up or down from there. All that water in your recipe can take much more time to unmold, longer to get a nice hard bar and also increase the amount of soda ash on your soap.

Another suggestion would be to lower castor oil to 5% and add 3% to the olive oil. Castor oil can lend to a sticky bar when unmolding if used above 5% and especially if the soap doesn’t go through gel phase. It can also take a little longer to unmold if it doesn’t go through the gel phase. However, I have a15%, 10% and 5% castor oil recipe and I love all 3. I have learned to work with higher levels because my original recipe is 15% castor oil. I don’t have a sticky bar once it’s finished curing and it feels so darn good. Try making a bar with 5% and 8% and see which one you like.

You could play with the super fat and try 3%. Your cleansing number isn’t very high so you may not need 5% super fat.

These are just suggestions and you don’t have to use them. Your recipe looks great.

 

[lwil2151029]

I would change ‘water as a percentage of oil weight’ to ‘lye concentration %’ and put 33% for lye concentration. You can go up or down from there. All that water in your recipe can take much more time to unmold, longer to get a nice hard bar and also increase the amount of soda ash on your soap.

Another suggestion would be to lower castor oil to 5% and add 3% to the olive oil. Castor oil can lend to a sticky bar when unmolding if used above 5% and especially if the soap doesn’t go through gel phase. It can also take a little longer to unmold if it doesn’t go through the gel phase. However, I have a15%, 10% and 5% castor oil recipe and I love all 3. I have learned to work with higher levels because my original recipe is 15% castor oil. I don’t have a sticky bar once it’s finished curing and it feels so darn good. Try making a bar with 5% and 8% and see which one you like.

You could play with the super fat and try 3%. Your cleansing number isn’t very high so you may not need 5% super fat.

These are just suggestions and you don’t have to use them. Your recipe looks great.

WOW thank you so much for such a detailed response with great feedback! Can you also explain to me the changing of water as a percentage of oil weight and "lye concentration %"

It looks good to me.

thank you!

 

[AliensrReal]

“Water as a percentage of oil weight” isn’t really used much because the default on soap calc is so much water for cold process soap. It can take longer for the soap to unmold as well as a longer time for the soap to harden with that much water you have. Lye concentration is how diluted the lye water mixture will be. 33% lye concentration translates to 33% NaOH and 67% water. It translates to less water for the recipe. I go with 33% lye concentration and my bars get firmer much faster than the default setting on soap calc.

 

[Relle]

I leave the default on soap calc as is, I've never changed it, I do cp ungelled, unmold after 10 hrs, cut 1, 2 or 3 days later depending on the weather and haven't had any issues with unmolding or the hardening. Everyone's results can be different.