Superfat issue

[Baqn]

Hallo guys.

Recently I made Bastile soap - 70% OO with 40% lye solution. I have made it before also but with 5-6 % SF instead of 8-9 % SF now. Soaps from my new batch are soft even after 2 weeks of curing and made with that strong lye solution. I also added SL at 1,0-1,5%.

Also I read some recipes with different amount of CO and I noticed that there was different SF %. I am not talking about salt bars or 50%+ CO . Just regular recipes with 20-30% CO.

- So I was wondering what is the regular SF you use to produce hard Bastile or Castile soap.

- Also I have a general question. Do you have correlation between quantity of some major oils like OO and CO and superfatting. I mean if in your recipe there is ... to say 20% CO and 40% OO I can use 6 % SF. But if I rise up CO to 30% I rise up my SF to 8%. Or the opposite - if you use more OO - 60-70% do you lower SF to 5% instead of 8% (if you like to SF at 8%).

 

[BattleGnome]

The standard super fat is usually 5% (basing this on what is often suggested and where many calculators are set). The Brambleberry calculator/SoapQueen recommendation is usually 8%. Several members here manually set their super fat to 1-3%. For a non-specialty recipe you should be just fine. When you say you have a soft soap do you mean similar to a soft cheese (fresh mozzarella) or can you indent it (kinda like a cheddar)? You should be fine with either one after a full 4-6 week cure (personally I’d translate that to months for a bastille but that’s me). As long as you’re not making play-doh snakes you should be good.

As for your other question.... I think that’s really a personal choice. I think once a soaper finds their favorite recipe they don’t think in those terms, a super fat figures itself out as they figure out what works for their skin. My skin doesn’t like a lot of olive oil or coconut so changing the super fat isn’t going to make me like the soap any better. Adding a fat dollop of lard is what makes a difference to me (and that doesn’t always work for people who choose not to use animal fats in their soaps). if you’re experimenting with different recipes changing the super fat may make a difference but I feel playing with different oils makes a bigger difference (though I’d be happy to hear what everyone else has to say)

 

[Baqn]

Dear @BattleGnome , thank you for spending time on my post. My soap is soft like ... hard cheddar. Initially I thought that it is because of Ginger or Orange oil but just the day before I made another batch with the same Orange EO there was no problem with the soap. Than I thought it should be the SF but I am playing with 40% Lye solution ... I am astonished. I will lower the SF that time and do it again.

My idea about the general question is that SF changes the behavior of the soap. What I mean. If you put too much SF in high OO soap you will kill the foam and cleansing properties, as well as hardness. If you lower too much SF in CO moderate soap it might be too drying due to strong cleansing properties.

 

[Dawni]

My own personal rule for superfatting is... The higher the cleansing factor, the higher I superfat. I'm on of those who doesn't use the normal 5% coz I also don't usually use coconut oil at more than 15-18% and I go even less a lot of times.

My Castile had only 1% SF I think, just as a precaution. My bastille didn't have much more than that either.

However, that's personal preference.

 

[Susie]

Hallo guys.

Recently I made Bastile soap - 70% OO with 40% lye solution. I have made it before also but with 5-6 % SF instead of 8-9 % SF now. Soaps from my new batch are soft even after 2 weeks of curing and made with that strong lye solution. I also added SL at 1,0-1,5%.

Also I read some recipes with different amount of CO and I noticed that there was different SF %. I am not talking about salt bars or 50%+ CO . Just regular recipes with 20-30% CO.

- So I was wondering what is the regular SF you use to produce hard Bastile or Castile soap.

- Also I have a general question. Do you have correlation between quantity of some major oils like OO and CO and superfatting. I mean if in your recipe there is ... to say 20% CO and 40% OO I can use 6 % SF. But if I rise up CO to 30% I rise up my SF to 8%. Or the opposite - if you use more OO - 60-70% do you lower SF to 5% instead of 8% (if you like to SF at 8%).

If you would post your entire recipe in all weights, we can troubleshoot it more efficiently and effectively. Also, please distinguish if you are using tap water or distilled.

Different people have different tolerances to coconut oil. I can't take more than 15% without a real problem. You also have to take into account whether you have hard water or soft. I now have hard water, so if I go over 2% superfat, I get soap scum and lots of adventures in trying to unclog my drains. That was not the case when I lived where there was soft water. My rule there was 5-8% SF.

 

[Baqn]

Thank you @Dawni . As I can see most recipes with high OO are with no more than 6% SF. Usually 3-5% Almost enough.

@Susie I use tap water but here the water is very soft and clean. It is mountain water. I don't have problem with scum. My recipe is very simple - 72% OO, 18% PO, 10% CO, 20% water, 130 g lye (=40% lye solution).

 

[neonstudy]

When I first started making soap, I experimented a lot with different soap recipes and different superfat percentages. I think I went up to 15% for a well rounded soap recipe (meaning not castille, not salt coconut soap, just one with blend of hard and soft oils). I think if you are using the same soap recipe, and compare say 5% vs 15% superfat, I think that the higher superfat will bubble less, and be more like lotion, a bit creamy. Since castille soap doesn't bubble at all, I think that's why people tend to use lower superfat. I think if you did castille with 15% superfat, it would be even more slimy than normal. For me now, I use 7% for a standard body soap. Also, for castille, people use a severe water discount so that it will unmold faster, and pour into individual molds. For example, you could use 1.1:1 water:lye ratio, or 1.5:1

 

[Nona'sFarm]

For what it's worth, I make a goat milk Bastille with a 40% lye concentration, 5% SF and pour into individual silicon molds. It usually takes about a week before I can unmold. I usually cure it for 3 months, by then it is pretty hard and has a nice lather. I also add honey and oatmeal to mine. (Currently I use 70% OO, 20% CO, and 10% PO, but still tinkering with the recipe.)

 

[Baqn]

Well I can say dropping SF to 5% solved the problem with soft soap. Previous batches started already to harden but very slowly. Also it is a big fun to work with 50% lye solution