spring '24 goats milk lemon soap

[user 22966]

This spring I am planning on making a super lemon soap so I am looking for a strong lemon fragrance oil
What are your suggestions for my cold process recipe?
Here is my CP recipe
20oz coconut oil 1.25
20oz olive oil 1.25
18oz goat's milk 1.13
7.5 oz lye
13 oz lard
How much lemon should I use?
Thank you for your sage suggestions

 

[artemis]

This spring I am planning on making a super lemon
soap so I am looking for a strong lemon fragrance oil
What are your suggestions for my cold process recipe?
Here is my CP recipe
20oz coconut oil 1.25
20oz olive oil 1.25
18oz goat's milk 1.13
7.5 oz lye
13 oz lard
How much lemon should I use?
Thank you for your sage suggestions

I would swap the lard and coconut amounts, myself.

 

[user 22966]

I would swap the lard and coconut amounts, myself.
are you saying change it to 20oz of lard and 17 oz of coconut oil? thank you for clarifying

 

[not_ally]

Agree with @artemis. That's almost 40% coconut oil, it is going to be a really stripping soap with that much CO and the superfat you have there (I didn't calculate it but it looks like 7% or so). You are not going to get any lemon fragrance from fresh lemon/lemon juice, you'll need to use an EO or (preferably, if you want a discernible scent) an FO. My favorite lemon scent is Real Escentuals' Lemon Verbena, now available at the Wholesale Supplies Plus website.

ETA: I believe artemis is suggesting - and I agree - that you switch the lard and the CO (the lard is currently at around 25%.) 25% CO is still too high for me, but some people are fine with it, I think your current CO% would be a reach for almost everyone.

 

[user 22966]

Agree with @artemis. That's almost 40% coconut oil, it is going to be a really stripping soap with that much CO and the superfat you have there (I didn't calculate it but it looks like 7% or so). You are not going to get any lemon fragrance from fresh lemon/lemon juice, you'll need to use an EO or (preferably, if you want a discernible scent) an FO. My favorite lemon scent is Real Escentuals' Lemon Verbena, now available at the Wholesale Supplies Plus website.

ETA: I believe artemis is suggesting - and I agree - that you switch the lard and the CO (the lard is currently at around 25%.) 25% CO is still too high for me, but some people are fine with it, I think your current CO% would be a reach for almost everyone.

thank you so very much

1.50 oz of Lemon Verbena FO ?

 

[not_ally]

I would put it through a soap calculator, you should always do that. I use soap calc: SoapCalc
The amount you use depends on how strong you like it. I like soaps strongly scented, so I use 1 oz per lb of oils. How much you would use would depend on your preference, cost (FO/EO is often the single most expensive component of a soap, depending on your oils), whether you need to watch margins for sale, etc.

RE's Lemon Verbena is an FO, I think it is a really nice, clean lemon scent which is very fresh and realistic. Lemon EOs (citrus EOs generally) do not stick well in soap.

 

[user 22966]

soapcalc I would probably input incorrect data ex: dont know the type of lye I am thinking with my basic recipe that 1.50 oz of the lemon verbena will work

 

[lucycat]

Consider reducing your goatmilk as well to 15 oz (33% lye solution). Extra milk will cause the soap to be softer longer and it can cause overheating issues.

 

[artemis]

dont know the type of lye

For making bar soap: Sodium Hydroxide
For making liquid soap: Potassium Hydroxide

 

[Tammyfarms]

Please take the time to learn how to use soapcalc or another soap calculator. You do not want to modify ANY recipe without running it through a soap calculator and it’s always good practice to run any recipe through a calculator. It will save you time and raw materials by preventing failed batches. Many recipes posted on the internet are not good. The calculator has a lot of fields and can be intimidating but it’s really not that hard. Here’s a good tutorial
As far as the lemon FO or EO, as mentioned above, EO doesn’t stick well so FO is probably a better option. Your supplier should have usage rates and they do vary by FO.
Once you learn how to use the calculator and develop a recipe you like, you can use the same recipe with different FO’s or EO’s. Plus, you will have a recipe you know you like.

 

[user 22966]

Please take the time to learn how to use soapcalc or another soap calculator. You do not want to modify ANY recipe without running it through a soap calculator and it’s always good practice to run any recipe through a calculator. It will save you time and raw materials by preventing failed batches. Many recipes posted on the internet are not good. The calculator has a lot of fields and can be intimidating but it’s really not that hard. Here’s a good tutorial
As far as the lemon FO or EO, as mentioned above, EO doesn’t stick well so FO is probably a better option. Your supplier should have usage rates and they do vary by FO.
Once you learn how to use the calculator and develop a recipe you like, you can use the same recipe with different FO’s or EO’s. Plus, you will have a recipe you know you like.

there are numerous soap calcs out there
why that one?
And I will never figure it out

 

[artemis]

there are numerous soap calcs out there
why that one?
And I will never figure it out

If you don't like that one, try a different one. There are so many to try. Soapee.com is another one. Here is another calc. You shouldn't just give up after taking a look at the calculator. You have to play with it to learn how to use it, just like you would any other tool.

 

[user 22966]

ok im tryin
Here is my CP recipe
13 oz coconut oil
20oz olive oil
15oz goat's milk
7.5 oz lye
20 oz lard
I dont know what all these numbers mean

 

[artemis]

ok im tryin

Yay!

I dont know what all these numbers mean

For a beginner, the important numbers are the weights of each ingredient. You can worry about those other numbers later. Most of us prefer to measure in grams, but ounces are ok, too.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Glad you gave it a shot! Looks like you forgot the lard in your recipe. It should be in the oils section.
As @artemis mentioned the important part is the amount of oil, water and lye to use. The most basic purpose of a calculator is to make sure you have enough lye to saponify your oils and not so much that your recipe is lye heavy. Not enough lye will produce a poor soap. Too much lye could hurt your skin. Using a calculator also allows you to easily change the quantity of soap you are making. The other numbers provide information about the quality of the bar of soap. At this point your main concern should be if the bar is safe. I use soapcalc because that’s what I started with. Any calculator will work.

 

[user 22966]

I worked on this for hours
"It should be in the oils section" there is no lye in the oils section unless its some chemical name so I added it to the additives section
than it gives me all these numbers
what does all that mean?
And myself and many others have an issue with all this calculator stuff You fill it all out and..... No feedback such as its perfect your ready to go or change this and it will be better or your a dummy give up now
I know now I have to find and use a fragrance calculator grrrrrr!

 

[Tammyfarms]

I worked on this for hours
"It should be in the oils section" there is no lye in the oils section unless its some chemical name so I added it to the additives section
than it gives me all these numbers
what does all that mean?
And myself and many others have an issue with all this calculator stuff You fill it all out and..... No feedback such as its perfect your ready to go or change this and it will be better or your a dummy five up now
I know now I have to find and use a fragrance calculator grrrrrr!

Lard is what’s missing from the oils section.
The calculator doesn’t give the kind of feedback you are wanting as we all want something different from our soap. What I may think is a lovely soap you may think is stripping. We all have different skin. Think of it as a recipe. You may love a recipe that I dislike.

 

[user 22966]

Lard is what’s missing from the oils section.
The calculator doesn’t give the kind of feedback you are wanting as we all want something different from our soap. What I may think is a lovely soap you may think is stripping. We all have different skin. Think of it as a recipe. You may love a recipe that I dislike.

ok
thank you
what do you think?

 

[artemis]

there is no lye in the oils section unless its some chemical name so I added it to the additives section

It's called sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and it is listed by your water amount.

 

[artemis]

You only need a fragrance calculator if you are blending essential oils together. Otherwise, the fragrance supplier will tell you (usually on the label, even) what percentage you can use.