My Soleseife was done with a 33% lye concentration (28% water as percent of oil weight in soap calc). I did use a non-accelerating fo
Soleseife or Standard Salt Bar?
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Anywhere you want, as long as it's far in front of the bears
Carolyn, your water % is confusing me. If you had a 33% lye solution, wouldn't that be 2:1 water:lye and roughly 35% water? Just when I think I have those relationships figured out :crazy:
I have another question for you. From what I understand you typically soap with a low superfat. What did you use in your soleseife?
OliveOil2 recommended 7 or 8%, Obsidian 10%, and David Fisher's original recipe only called for 5%. Something about 5% with that much salt and CO scares me a little. So cmazaha, I'm hoping you were a guinea pig of sorts. What did you use?
I've been thinking about salt. Salt is a preservative of sorts. For example, it is used in curing meats and pickling. And it also makes a hard bar. So if you put salt in a soap, couldn't you get away with a higher amount of soft oils, and oils having shorter shelf life?
froggybean, you mentioned your bars stayed soft for a relatively long period of time. Did you use a lot of soft oils?
froggybean, you mentioned your bars stayed soft for a relatively long period of time. Did you use a lot of soft oils?
Obsidian
Well-Known Member
I've had DOS in a 100% coconut salt bar before so I don't know if its really a preservative. I used full water and my bars stayed soft for about 4 days. It had 20% shea and 30% coconut, I was surprised by the softness. If I make it again, I'll use a 2:1 water/lye ratio.
girlishcharm2004
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Salt being a preservative is different than preventing the oils from spoiling. It'll ward off the growths of mold, yeast, and bacteria (which are found in aqueous solutions), but not spoilage, or decay, of an oil. I hope that makes sense.
girlishcharm, yes, that does make sense. I forgot oils go rancid due to oxidation, not microbial growth. So never mind about the salt then!
Obsidian, why do you think the CO bar got DOS? I don't think of CO as being prone to rancidity but I know there are many things that can cause them. What's your theory?
Obsidian, why do you think the CO bar got DOS? I don't think of CO as being prone to rancidity but I know there are many things that can cause them. What's your theory?
girlishcharm, yes, that does make sense. I forgot oils go rancid due to oxidation, not microbial growth. So never mind about the salt then!
Obsidian, why do you think the CO bar got DOS? I don't think of CO as being prone to rancidity but I know there are many things that can cause them. What's your theory?
Obsidian, why do you think the CO bar got DOS? I don't think of CO as being prone to rancidity but I know there are many things that can cause them. What's your theory?
Obsidian
Well-Known Member
I really have no idea what happen with the DOS. It was one spot on one bar of my first salt batch. The only thing that comes to mind is I used a really old bottle of eucalyptus oil for scent.
I cut the spot out and it never came back. I still have one piece from that batch and its over a year old. Been stored in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and its perfect.
I cut the spot out and it never came back. I still have one piece from that batch and its over a year old. Been stored in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and its perfect.
paillo
Well-Known Member
I love the soleseife soap so much I put most of my regular CP bars on sale and am transitioning all my favorites and bestsllers to soleseife. In my experience the lather is creamy, bubbly and there's lots of it, and I, too, love the velvety-smooth and hard-but-soft feel, and the fact that they last a long time. My DH won't use anything else now, and except for testing purposes, they're pretty much all I use now too - besides salt bars, which I love.
For the soleseife I use my standard recipe with brine. And using mostly coconut milk these days because I too love the rich creaminess it brings. For salt bars, I use 80 percent salt to oils, coconut or babassu, avocado and shea. And additives, clay, silk, other stuff on whim. Love, love, love me 'dem salt bars of any kind.
For the soleseife I use my standard recipe with brine. And using mostly coconut milk these days because I too love the rich creaminess it brings. For salt bars, I use 80 percent salt to oils, coconut or babassu, avocado and shea. And additives, clay, silk, other stuff on whim. Love, love, love me 'dem salt bars of any kind.
Anywhere you want, as long as it's far in front of the bears
Carolyn, your water % is confusing me. If you had a 33% lye solution, wouldn't that be 2:1 water:lye and roughly 35% water? Just when I think I have those relationships figured out :crazy:
I have another question for you. From what I understand you typically soap with a low superfat. What did you use in your soleseife?
OliveOil2 recommended 7 or 8%, Obsidian 10%, and David Fisher's original recipe only called for 5%. Something about 5% with that much salt and CO scares me a little. So cmazaha, I'm hoping you were a guinea pig of sorts. What did you use?
I used 30% coconut oil, Lard 35%, with 8% superfat. In soap calc my water to lye ratio is 2:1. Using coconut milk and my dead sea salt blend. I have old skin and do not find this in the least drying. What salt did not dissolve I just added to my soap,
Thanks for all the info guys. I took another plunge this weekend so now I have a soleseife only a week younger than my standard salt bar. I'll indulge this winter to see how they compare. I intended for a 7% superfat in the soleseife (plus a tad more from a splash of coconut milk added at trace). But, I had a little measuring error so possibly it is more :razz:. Am hoping I can tell when I start using it! Soaper's mistake or not, it's pretty; pics are at http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=441516#post441516
ETA: I salted at 25% of the weight of the water, and while there weren't any distinguishable grains present before I added the lye, the water wasn't 100% clear, either. Upon adding the lye, the brine solution got really milky in color, which never clear up no matter how much stirring I did (okay, I admit, I don't have a lot of patience for that). I filtered the solution before adding to the oils and was surprised how much salt had precipitated out. Or at least I HOPE it was all salt. I didn't add it back to my soap batter because I wanted the bars as smooth as possible. If any of it was lye, I guess my soleseife is just that much more superfatted, lol. Geez I might have to make another batch just so I know exactly what I have :wink:
ETA: I salted at 25% of the weight of the water, and while there weren't any distinguishable grains present before I added the lye, the water wasn't 100% clear, either. Upon adding the lye, the brine solution got really milky in color, which never clear up no matter how much stirring I did (okay, I admit, I don't have a lot of patience for that). I filtered the solution before adding to the oils and was surprised how much salt had precipitated out. Or at least I HOPE it was all salt. I didn't add it back to my soap batter because I wanted the bars as smooth as possible. If any of it was lye, I guess my soleseife is just that much more superfatted, lol. Geez I might have to make another batch just so I know exactly what I have :wink:
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